REVIEW: "Neighbors" (2014) Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne. Dir. Nicholas Stoller

Neighbors is a hit and miss comedy from director Nicholas Stoller starring Seth Rogen in his typical improv heavy referential mode, but one of the nice things about it is the relative brevity involved. When the jokes are hit and miss, but the movie is nonetheless fast-paced and comes in at 90 minutes (a rarity for anything associated with the Apatow crew) you can forgive a lot of the stuff that doesn't work, because you're being fairly entertained throughout and quickly at that.

Of course, if the movie also has a problem staying in your mind for any length of time after you've seen it (I think its lasting power with me was maybe 15 minutes) it may not be worth a repeat trip, but I do recall laughing at a few moments along the way. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are thirtysomething couple Mac and Kelly who we are quickly introduced to when they're trying and failing to have sex "spontaneously" without the new baby getting too corrupted by what she might see and yet not understand, as Kelly argues to no avail with the skeptical Mac. We then observe how they are at the point in life where they're trying to settle into being that "old couple" with a kid, a house and responsibilities that necessitate leaving the partying ways of their youth behind, and neither is particularly okay with it yet, scared of becoming boring and bored by the status quo that's starting to shape out. This is exacerbated when a fraternity led by Zac Efron and Dave Franco move in next door, which at first tempts them to try to get along with the guys to retain their youth.

The two are invited into a rager (Kelly brings the baby monitor with them, so I guess it's ok that poor infant Stella is left alone all night multiple times in this movie) and at first have a great time, but then when the noise continues for days on end, resort to calling the police for the sake of the baby they occasionally are concerned about. This leads to all out war between them and the frat, as one prank escalates to another as Mac and Kelly try to get them kicked out however they can manage it. That may seem like a lot of setup, but trust me, all of that only takes about 10 minutes before the war starts, and from that point on it rides the same joke pretty much into the ground until the movie's end. And as I said, some of the scenes are good (I liked when they pay a tortured freshman pledge to wear camera sunglasses into the frat) and some are just stupid, like the guys stuffing air bags into Mac's work place desk chair that sends him flying into the ceiling with some really cheap CGI effects that are deployed three times and are distractingly awful each time.

Seth Rogen brings his usual, pop culture obsessed, riff-heavy self to play here, and I'll admit  I've always enjoyed his everyman persona, but once again this crew falls down in terms of developing the female character. Rose Byrne is fine in the movie, and clearly they wanted to draw her into the proceedings by making her a participant in the prank battles, but instead of giving her a personality of her own, what they've done is turn her into the ultimate cheerleader for her hubbie, parroting everything he says and nodding along to all his plans, so that the clear implication is that the perfect wife for any of the schlubby Apatow gang is a non-nagging woman who likes everything they like without the slightest deviation or individuality of self. Ugh. As for the frat guys, Dave Franco continues to be a winning and charismatic presence on screen in these movies (could he possibly turn out to be the greater Franco?) while the sculpted Ken doll that is Zac Efron makes the perfect fraternity president who always seems to be giving off a slightly psycho vibe in the intense stares thrown at every peripheral character on the screen.

The movie leaves reality behind pretty fast, as it makes no sense to leave the baby alone all the time, or that literally no one else in the neighborhood is bothered by the all night ragers at the frat house. Sometimes in these one joke premise movies, it might be better just to jettison reality entirely and escalate to full on farce or black comedy, like Animal House or There's Something About Mary, which both reached further for bigger laughs altogether. But this one wants to maintain that lesson about maturity in the end, which feels a little tacked on and prevents it from reaching the delirious heights of those other comedy classics. Still, it's good for some amusing chuckles and it's over in swift fashion- just don't expect to bust a gut or anything.

* * 1/2

TEASER: "Mortdecai"

A first look here at Johnny Depp in the comedy Mortdecai, based on the first of a book anthology called The Mortdecai Trilogy. Looks like it's got a good cast and could be fun, but I really don't trust that release date. If this is any good why would they be releasing it in February? That's a pretty notorious dumping ground for new movies (it's where Channing Tatum's Jupiter Ascending was moved to at the last minute). It's directed by longtime Hollywood screenwriter David Koepp (who actually directed Depp back in 2004's Secret Window), but I'm a little wary of this one overall.

Lauren Bacall 1924-2014

We just can't catch a break this week, can we? Screen legend Lauren Bacall, once the wife of Humphrey Bogart, died today of a stroke at age 89. A great beauty who made her big screen debut at just 19 years old in To Have and Have Not (1944), her first film with her future husband. The two became the famous Hollywood couple known as Bogie and Bacall, and her best films came in the 1940's and 50's and included The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948), all with Bogie. She then continued to act in films right up to the present day and shared the screen with other legends like Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Rock Hudson in Written on the Wind (1956), John Wayne in The Shootist (1976), and well into her later years she was nominated for an Oscar for the Barbra Streisand directed The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). She was one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, and received an Honorary Oscar in 2009 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997.

The famous "do you know how to whistle" scene with Bogie in To Have and Have Not:

Being honored with the lifetime achievement Oscar in 2009:

Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "Out of the Past" (1947)

One of the all time great film noirs is out on blu-ray today, and this one is right up there with The Big Sleep, Mildred Pierce, and Double Indemnity as a prime example of the genre from the 1940's, when it was at its peak. Robert Mitchum shows off his iconic screen persona as the PI caught up in a complicated mystery involving what else, a devious femme fatale (one of the very best, and by that I mean most evil, played by Jane Greer). It's also an early villainous role for the up and coming actor Kirk Douglas. Trust me, you should check this one out- it's truly one of the greats.

Scene from the film:

Robin Williams 1951-2014

I can't believe it. In what is, for me at least, probably the most shocking celebrity death since Michael Jackson, legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams has been found dead of an apparent suicide at the age of 63. The cause of death has been attributed to asphyxia, and his publicist has confirmed he'd been suffering recently from his years long battle with depression. Williams had been open about his struggles with depression, as well as alcohol and drugs, but this is a real blow to fans and anyone who was familiar with his work (which, let's face it, is pretty much everyone). From his start as a standup comedian whose routines resembled no one else's, to his days on the 70's Happy Days spinoff Mork & Mindy, to his films, of which there are more than I could ever name, but let's try just a few- The World According to Garp, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poet's Society, The Fisher King, Hook, Aladdin, Mrs Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Birdcage and Good Will Hunting (for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1997). For a kid of the 90's like me, it seems like he was in almost every movie you grew up watching. There will never be another like him.

Here he is winning the Oscar in 1998:

One of his most iconic roles as the Genie in Aladdin, which arguably redefined voice acting in animation forever:

And here's an example of his one of his inimitable stand-up routines. He was one of a kind:

TRAILER #3: "Maps to the Stars"

Another new trailer for Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars drops today. This is the international one, because unlike here, the movie has secured an actual release date of Sept 26th in the UK. It still looks good, so I'm wondering what's going on with the U.S. release in that it hasn't been scheduled yet. The movie appeared to get divisive reviews out of Cannes, but did the UK critics really like it that much better than the American ones? Julianne Moore was the most buzzed about performance in this, so if the movie ever comes out, I guess she's the one to watch out for.

BOX OFFICE 8/08-8/10: 'Ninja Turtles' Takes Down 'Guardians' With $65 Million

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie came in strong this weekend, well above expectations actually, pulling in $65 million despite dreadful reviews (of course that never really matters when your audience is mostly kids) and earning a "B" Cinemascore. People under 25 gave it an "A" though, and since that audience was about 45% of its demo, it explains the big haul. Paramount has already greenlit a sequel, set to come out in 2016.

Guardians fell to second place, dropping 56% and earning $41.5 million, which is about the normal drop for a Marvel movie. It's already made $175 million so far (over $300 million worldwide) and will probably end up being one of the biggest movies of the year in the end. With no real competitors on the horizon it may end up passing Captain America for the title, since it only has to cross $250 to do so. Into the Storm came in third with $18 million while Disney's The Hundred Foot Journey grossed $11 million, and received an "A" Cinemascore, so it's possible that ends up holding nicely the rest of the summer. Lucy rounded out the top five with $9 million, while the final new release, Step Up All In, debuted with just $6.6 million, the lowest opening in the series.

Top 5:

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- $65 million
2. Guardians of the Galaxy- $41.5 million
3. Into the Storm- $18 million
4. The Hundred Foot Journey- $11.1 million
5. Lucy- $9.3 million

In limited release world, A Most Wanted Man and Boyhood both crossed the $10 million milestone, while the Daniel Radcliffe/Zoe Kazan romantic comedy What If grossed $130k from 20 screens. Next week it's The Expendables 3, Let's Be Cops and The Giver, while new indies Frank and The Trip to Italy make their limited debuts. See you then!

REVIEW: "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014) Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone. Dir. Marc Webb

When you see a lot of superhero movies every year (as is now the case every single year) even the tiniest variation on the well worn formula is welcome, no matter how slight the movie or even how much better made the typical formula driven film might be conceived. Yes, this is another dig at Marvel Studios, which has now succeeded in every one of their movies having the same tone, the same plot, the same character beats at the same moments in the script, and even the same jokes occasionally. This serves to make the superhero flicks that come from simply another studio (this one's Sony) feel at least something like a different movie, and for that I'm kinda grateful for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Which is not to say this is a great movie by any means. The script is filled with contrivances and all the extraneous subplots are a bit of a mess when forced together, but even when it fails, it fails in a different way than the Marvel Studios movies, which are all starting to feel like they're drafted by committee and directed on an assembly line. But here, to start with the good stuff, let's take the character of Spider-Man himself. Like Batman and Superman, he's simply a more compelling hero than many of the Avengers. As played by Andrew Garfield especially, Spidey is witty, personable and fun to be around, both in costume and out. We see him actually saving citizens from everyday crimes, interacting with the people in the city, including cops and various firefighters, and swinging as always through the skyscrapers that he uses as his own personal jungle gym. He's a hero you'd actually want to hang out with. And with Emma Stone back as Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy, the romance is front and center in this film, which is another factor that makes it stand out from these other movies, where love interests are tossed in and just as easily cast aside. Not so here, as real life couple Garfield and Stone have an easy, sexy chemistry and really seem to be in love on screen, making some of the best parts of this movie the bantering between them, and it's not negligible. Rather, it's portrayed as the most important part of the film.

Spider-Man's particular drama has always come from how he balances his personal problems with his crime fighting life, and I also much prefer Sally Field's Aunt May to Rosemary Harris's, because she has good chemistry with Garfield as well, making the bond between them feel more human and relatable. The movie may be worth seeing just for Peter's relationships with Gwen and Aunt May, but on the other hand, what's not so good in this movie is pretty much the rest of it. The villains in this film are unfortunately extremely lame. Electro, as played by Jamie Foxx, is thinly sketched out and actually not given much to do until the end of the film, and the screenplay really has to stretch to setup the complicated back story of the new Green Goblin. He's Harry Osborn, played by Dane DeHaan in a very distracting Titanic-era Leo Dicaprio hairstyle. I couldn't decide if DeHaan was giving a bad performance or not, as his hamminess might have worked in another role, but was borderline laughable in some scenes here (especially when you see him in full Green Goblin getup at the end- ask yourself which version of this ridiculous costume is sillier, this guy's or Willem Dafoe's from the Sam Raimi movie? That is one tough choice).

Believe it or not, there's also another subplot that takes up way too much screentime, involving the mystery of the deaths of Peter's parents. There is zero payoff to this contrived storyline and no real reason for it to exist at all, especially in a film which is already a bit too long as it is. Still, there's a decent movie in here somewhere and it does provide some hope for the future of the franchise, as long as Andrew Garfield continues to play the lead, because he really is an utterly appealing and perfectly cast Spider-Man, inhabiting the role (especially in costume) much better than Tobey Maguire ever did. But then again, the original Spider-Man 2 from 2004 is still the best entry in the series, the only one that struck the perfect balance between Peter's personal life and relationships contrasted with a great setup for the villain, along with some spectacular action scenes. I still remember that train fight from ten years ago, whereas I struggle even now to think of the action in this film, and I just saw it yesterday. It's a mixed bag overall, but if you're a huge Spider-Man fan you can definitely find things to like here. I just hope they trim the fat off the script next time and put in a little more work on those villains. I mean, green eye makeup and hair spray? Really? Come on guys, little kid's Halloween costumes are more sophisticated than that.

* * 1/2

TRAILER: "Camp X-Ray"

This movie got mostly mixed reviews out of Sundance, but some critics did praise Kristen Stewart's performance as the lead. It's tough for me to believe though, since to me she's never been anything other than mopey, hostile and unappealing in every single movie I've seen her in. The only one where it worked was Adventureland because that's exactly what her character was supposed to be. What makes it even worse is that appears to be her personality in real life as well, so I have no idea how she made it as an actress at all. I think she's one of those people who just got really, really lucky.

TRAILER: "The Book of Life"

Guillermo del Toro has turned into quite the mega producer, having his hand in all kinds of projects, some that get made and others that don't. Here's one that did make the cut, a new animated feature from Reel FX Creative Studios, coming out October 17th. Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana are the leads, although it might have been nice, given the setting, if they had maybe gotten an all Hispanic cast of voice actors. But I guess it doesn't matter, since these things are dubbed in whatever country they come out in anyway. At least the animation style looks a bit different in this one.

TRAILER: "Left Behind"

Nicolas Cage stars in this apocalyptic thriller about the rapture, coming out October 3rd. Looks pretty lame, but it's based on a series of NY Times bestsellers, with two sequels planned already. Frankly, it's embarrassing to still be reminding people he's an Academy Award winner when advertizing Nic Cage's role in a movie. The guy makes so many bad movies now it's kind of a joke simply to see him show up in things. It's hard to believe he was once known for movies like Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation.

TRAILER: "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

After The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel became such a big surprise hit a couple of years ago, here comes the sequel, reuniting the original cast plus Richard Gere. It's pretty rare for these kinds of movies to get sequels, and they even got director John Madden back for it too, so I suppose fans of the original can at least expect it to be on the level of the first. What a lame title though. Seriously, they couldn't come up with something better than that? It's coming out next March.