I recently flew from Thailand back to New York after Christmas break. Being on a transatlantic flight means you have the opportunity to watch a lot of films, so I thought I would try something different for a column. Note that my opinions on them aren’t that valid because I fell asleep during three of them (plus the fact that I’m just a dumb college kid with no experience in film but let’s not go there) but here are some brief impressions with or without complete sentences.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: This film exists for two reasons – to show off the wacky world of computer animation and to write puns about food. Has a remarkably weak villain and a sidekick I found uncomfortable to look at. Just trust me. A combination of Jurassic Park and the first movie, the sequel just doesn’t have the legs to stand on its own. The animation is fairly stunning, I’ll give it that. C

Rush: Interesting rivalry biopic, the Amadeus of Formula One (note: I’ve never seen Amadeus). Daniel Bruhl outshines Chris Hemsworth in every way, but Thor does a serviceable job despite a choppy English accent. Surprisingly little actual racing, but still manages to keep it fast and compelling. Nice pacing, integral for a racing flick. Entirely unnecessary sex scene (although I hear there are more with mine being edited for plane viewing). B

Now You See Me: Ensemble cast doesn’t make me care about them, despite their theatrics. Cool illusions and action sequences, everything is quite slick and enjoyable, and I expect nothing less from Louis Letterier. Unfortunately the movie isn’t strong enough to support its own resolution, so the result makes it as forgettable as the implications of its title, despite all the fun. Yeah, I’ve seen you, so what? B-

Man of Steel: I’m going to catch flak for this, so let me begin by revealing my bias by saying I’ve never really liked Superman but I wanted to see what was done with the reboot. The most positive thing I can say is the strength of the visuals and their design. Much of the emotional fell flat, Cavill never looks like he belongs (maybe that’s the point, but…), a lot of the plot didn’t make sense to me, and there were some scenes I found flat out silly. Utterly humorless except for one or two awkward jokes, and like many reviewers, I disliked the mindless destruction of Metropolis. I’m not saying that every movie has to be funny, but this one was grim business, and I didn’t think it was good enough for me to take seriously. Zod was a good choice as villain and Michael Shannon does well with the role but I just couldn’t put up with the rest of the movie. It might just be that it’s not for me. D+

Warning: This review contains references to graphic material and is not suitable for children.

Review: If you were interested at all in the first Kick-A** film (referred to by initials from here on out), you are likely aware by now of the sequel's many issues: Gratuitous language and sexual references, highly stylized graphic violence, and the inevitable curse of sequel-itis. Despite all of its explicit content, the original KA was an enjoyable romp through superheroville with heroes that bled and swore throughout its 117 min. running time. There was a facade of realism, but it wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. Director Matthew Vaughn carefully realized his own version of New York City, creating a careful balance between the gritty vigilantes and the mafia with the fantasy of comic books, especially in the character of Hit-Girl. I bring all this information up about the first one to highlight some of the main problems that plague KA 2. 

The first problem that is almost immediately noticeable is the restricted budget. The action isn't quite as slick as it used to be, and it shows. This problem is almost painful in a later sequence partially shown in the trailers with Hit-Girl sliding around on the roof of a van. However, you can't completely fault the production crew for this issue, and newcomer Jeff Wadlow does a serviceable job with the action he's given. Of particular note is the first real glimpse the audience gets of Mother Russia and her brutality against the police. 

The second major problem that KA 2 suffers from is an inconsistency that stretches across multiple aspects. There's a forgivable amount of continuity errors from the first film, but some of it just doesn't make sense. For example (Spoilers for this and the original), the girl that Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) successfully dates after spending the entirely of the first movie trying to get her to like him, is dismissed with an uncomfortable throwaway gag about people thinking that Dave and Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz) are together. (End spoiler) There is also a persistent inconsistency in tone. When Vaughn created his vision for KA, he knew exactly what he wanted out of his characters, with all the violence in the film leading up to an intense finale with consequences. Maybe it's just poor screen-writing (the opening minutes of the film were a little painful for exactly this reason), but there were several moments of surprising sincerity and melodrama surrounding Hit-Girl that felt out of place, like it was taking its role in the superhero canon too seriously. This is contrasted with two particularly over-the-top scenes for her character that seem to come out of left field and left a bad taste in my mouth: Mindy's "sexual awakening" in noticing a boy band's music video and her revenge against the popular girl's clique. It also lends to the feeling that KA 2 has more to do with Hit-Girl's story than it does with Dave's, which wouldn't be so much of a problem if the movie didn't share its name with Kick-A**. 

All of this is not to say that KA 2 does not have any bright spots. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloe Grace Moretz are as comfortable as ever in their roles and Jim Carrey's screen time as Colonel Stars and Stripes is criminally short. I was also surprised and impressed by some of the other casting: Donald Faison is irresistibly plucky as Dr. Gravity, and the rest of Justice Forever handle their roles formidably. I was initially put off my Christopher Mintz-Plasse's return as Chris D'Amico, but he eventually won me over in his quest for vengeance and desire to be feared. I found most of the action sequences to be well-implemented and entertaining and appreciated the diversity and creativity among both the hero and the villain’s squad.

Hi, all! I'm Trip.

I just thought I would give a quick introduction as the newest member of the CCG blogging team. I've been involved with the site for almost seven years and have been a moderator in the forums here for several years now. I joined the site seeking a safe online community that shared some of my interests, and that's exactly what I found. The funny thing is, I'm not even a huge gamer, but I liked the people here so much that I never left. If you're reading this, you've found a good place.

Things you should know about me: I've spent over half of my life in Asia. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean I can speak any cool languages or anything. I know, I suck. I'm an avid book reader and film viewer, so the majority of my blog posts will probably be things that I've most recently experienced in that realm. That being said, I might throw in a music review in there every once in a while. I play guitar like 263 other people that you know. I can eat an entire box of CTT (Cinnamon Toast Crunch for you casuals) without breaking a sweat. Like my log-line says, I'm currently a senior English and Writing major at Houghton College, without a single clue what to do after this semester. I joined the blogging team to test a little more of the journalistic waters and to publicly hone my craft; ccgr graciously let me on-board.

Things you shouldn't know about me: I never wear un...hey, wait a minute. Moving on.

Feel free to drop a comment saying hi if you'd like, or don't, whatever. I sincerely hope that you enjoy my blogging contributions!

James Chance is adrift. He's a 24 year old high school drop out who still lives with his parents, and the longest job he's ever held is working for his father in his landscaping company. So, when a frantic woman bangs on the window of his van, what does he do? He takes her home. And so, little baby Hope is brought into the world, courtesy of Jimmy and a convicted serial killer's one-night-stand.  With a new baby to care for, Jimmy (Lucas Neff) and the Chances' lower-lower-lower-middle class family discover that they all have a little something to learn about child-rearing and the bonds that hold them together.

Show creator Greg Garcia is no stranger to blue collar comedy, and fans will be able to see many similarities between this and My Name Is Earl in style and execution. The characters are a little dimwitted but they've got street-smarts and heart in spades, and that's what matters. The cast is bolstered with standout performances, especially Cloris Leachman as the senile Maw Maw, and the young-at-heart Burt Chance (Garret Dillahunt). Really, it's nothing particularly we haven't seen before, but the combination of one-liners and the characters' chemistry is positively charming. In an early episode, Virginia Chance (Martha Plimpton) tries to tell her son that her smoking had no adverse health effects on him as a child. His response? "...I had asthma the first 17 years of my life. I've got seven permanent teeth that still haven't come in. And I'm allergic to fruit....fruit!" It's all about the delivery, and the core cast carries it well. 

One of the most remarkable things about Raising Hope is its consistency and the tendency to always balance between the extremes - none of the episodes ever fall into abysmal territory, but none quite reach the echelons of comedy genius, and that's okay. The show doesn't try to be that, instead opting for a mixture of relatability and enabling the viewers to laugh at the thickheaded antics that often propels the Chance's misfortune. Lightheartedness drives the premise forward, but it is balanced with some occasionally dark moments, such as Jimmy having to cover Hope's eyes while they watch her mother get electrocuted in the pilot. The same standard of consistency can be held in terms of offensive content. It's not particularly innocuous but certainly doesn't plumb the depraved depths for material. An episode that involves Jimmy trying to get their house off the sex offender registry so that he can get Hope into a good daycare (Burt was caught canoodling with Virginia at a young age) ends up that everyone except Burt, ends up unintentionally getting charged for sexual offenses. Crazy Maw Maw frequently takes off her shirt, much to the disgust of the rest of the Chances. 

The show is already in the middle of its fourth season, but the first three seasons remain on Netflix. In fact, I've seen the first several episodes three times now and have successfully converted all of my friends into fans. If you’re able to bypass a few of the infrequent sexual references, the show remains a consistent source of entertainment. Don't start watching it expecting to be blown away by sharp dialogue and originality, instead, watch it for the comic performances and chemistry that succeed in recreating some classic sitcom magic.