Sandy Wexler (2017)

Curiosity finally got the better of me. Despite repeatedly seeing this title pop up on Netflix and saying to myself "Not this time Sandler, I won't get burned again", I couldn't help it. There was a time in my life when I was a big fan of Adam Sandler, I had a few of his comedy albums and movies like 1995's 'Billy Madison', 1996's 'Happy Gilmore' and 1998's 'The Wedding Singer' are films that I still get a lot of laughs out of. However, over the last 15+ years, the decline of Sandler has resulted in many films that don't even come close to duplicating the entertainment value of his earlier works. 

 

This film, about a small-time 90's talent manager, is just another bad movie in Adam Sandler's filmography. The jokes don't land, the main characters aren't that interesting, the 'heart-felt' moments feel contrived, and even though the runtime is just over two hours it feels like it's never gonna end. It's another dumb voice, awkward Sandler character bumbling and stumbling through a paper-thin plot. 

The one positive about the film is that it's fun to see the ridiculous amount of cameos in the film. "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jimmy Kimmel, Dana Carvey, Darius Rucker, Mike Judge, Penn Jillette, Henry Winkler, Jon Lovitz, Chris Rock, Judd Apatow, Jay Leno, and a long list of others pop in at various points throughout.

Overall, it's a bad movie and I can't honestly think of one person I know that would actually enjoy it.

I give this one a 0 out of 5.

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Ranking The Pixar Films

For over 20 years Pixar animation has been making films that are fun for the whole family. The most recent addition to the Pixar library, ' Toy Story 4', was just recently released and I thought it would be fun to take a look back at all these films for an overall ranking. I have done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (to check out that list click here). I update those rankings after each new film comes out and I plan on doing the same with this one. As with my Marvel rankings, this is just how I see the films when I compare characters, story, and overall rewatchability. I'm only going to be ranking the major theatrical releases, no animated shorts or direct to DVD movies.

#21 The Good Dinosaur (2015) 

One of these had to be the worst and I found this film thoroughly unenjoyable.

#20 Cars 2 (2011)

Barely escaping the bottom spot on this list is the dumb, misguided 'Cars 2'. If you haven't seen it, don't bother.

#19 Finding Dory (2016) 

It all worked in 'Finding Nemo' but this entry felt stale and about 10yrs too late.

#18 Ratatouille (2007)

This is odd one in that, though it's not a bad film, it's just forgettable. I often don't even remember that it's a Pixar movie.

#17 Cars 3 (2017)

I wrote a whole review on this one that you can check out here. In short, it's fine. Some good animation and a laugh or two, but nothing special.

#16 Inside Out (2015)

A lot of people fell in love with this one, so maybe its just me, but I thought this one was really underwhelming. The voice acting is solid and I like the concept, it just didn't work for me.

 

#15 A Bugs Life (1998)

It's a cute, entertaining movie. It's not amazing but I enjoyed it when it came out and it still holds up ok.

#14 Up (2009)

This was a hard one to rank because it starts out really strong. Unfortunately, for the most part the film is just average with a decent moment or two scattered throughout.

 

#13 Brave (2012) 

I'm not going to rave that this is an excellent film, but I do think it's a bit underrated by most.

#12 Monsters University (2013) 

This one is a mixed-bag. It's not nearly as good as 'Monsters Inc.' but there's still some funny moments and I like all of the characters.
 

#11 Cars (2006) 

Unlike it's two sequels, I actually do like the first 'Cars' film. I've rewatched it a few times and always enjoy it.

#10 Toy Story 2 (1999) 

This one, in my opinion, is the weakest of the 'Toy Story' films. However, it's still a real good movie. 
 

#9 The Incredibles (2004)

Pixar's attempt at a superhero movie ended up being one of their better ones.

#8 The Incredibles 2 (2018)

I like this one better than the first. It's not an all-time great film, but it is fun.


#7 Toy Story 4 (2019)

Toy Story 4 is a completely unnecessary sequel, but a ton of fun nonetheless.


#6 Coco (2017)

Though it may move up or down a spot on this list with more viewings, I think it's safe to say this one is a return to form after a few films in a row that I found underwhelming.

 

#5 Wall-E (2008)

Usually I have a good idea of what I'm going to get going into these movies, 'Wall E' was a rare exception. While it's not perfect, it was far better than I expected it to be.

#4 Finding Nemo (2003)

This one effectively combines a simple but interesting plot with unique characters and some really impressive animation.

#3 Toy Story 3 (2010)

 This one hit every beat I was hoping it would when I first went to the theater to check it out.
It's a really solid movie, with a lot of heart.

#2 Monsters Inc. (2001)

I love this one. It's a ton of fun, and still enjoy it with every repeat viewing. Mike and Sully are right up there with Buzz and Woody as my favorite set of Pixar buddies playing off one another.

#1 Toy Story (1995)

This is the gold standard by which I always compare Pixar films too. It's fun, the characters are great, it's enjoyable start to finish, and it represents a milestone in animation.


Do you agree with my rankings?
How would you rank all these film?
Let me know in the comments below.

Today's Movie: Cars 3

'Cars 3' is the latest movie in a long line of mostly decent animated films from Pixar. I'm not a massive fan of this franchise and I think that the two previous 'Cars' films were a mixed bag at best. The first one was halfway decent and the second was pretty lousy overall. 

This one, as expected, isn't perfect but there are a few positives: The animation was solid in the previous two films and this one is no different. Also, thankfully 'Tow Mater' (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy and easily one of the most annoying Pixar characters) isn't in this this one too much. The plot was pretty straightforward and it was mostly entertaining. 

There are, however, a few areas in which this film could have been improved. First off, the 'Cars' films haven't had the best cast of characters. Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is likeable, but not to the level of other Pixar standouts like Buzz Lightyear, Woody, or even Mike Wazowski. This one really doesn't add much in terms of memorable new characters. Also, while it does have a heartfelt ending it's a bit too bland and predictable, and a lot of the jokes don't hit the mark. 

Overall, it's not Pixar's best nor is it their worst. It's just OK. If your a fan of the 'Cars' characters and enjoy either of the previous two films then you'll like this one. 

I give it a 2.5 out of 5

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The Mummy (2017)

"The Mummy" is the most recent attempt by Universal to kick start a connected Avengers-style universe featuring all the classic monsters (Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, etc.). Now, I'm a big fan of all the classic Universal monster films including 1932's 'The Mummy' starting Boris Karloff. Additionally, I enjoyed 2 out of the 3 Mummy films with Brendan Fraser. Were they great like the original with Karloff? No,  but they were fun adventure flicks.

So,  is this latest Mummy film any good -or- does it deserve much of the hate it's getting from critics? 

Well, a little of both. Again, I'm a fan of monster movies and, anyone who reads this blog regularly will know, I'm a fan of Tom Cruise so I was excited to see this. 

Well, I enjoyed it. Is it perfect? Definitely not, but it was entertaining and I thought it was a decent mashup of action and horror. Some of the world-building to established the connected universe was slightly distracting. The action is mostly good, and the CGI is pretty solid. There are a few comedic moments as well, some good and some of which don't stick the landing but it never took me out of the film. 

Overall, It's entertaining. I definitely enjoyed it more than the last film I reviewed... (you can check out my Wonder Woman review by clicking here). Despite a few flaws, I actually had a blast watching this one

I give it a 4 out of 5.

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Wonder Woman

'Wonder Woman' is the latest attempt by DC Comics and Warner Bros. to get the ball rolling on a successful, cinematic universe that they hope will rival what the folks at Marvel Studios have been doing since 2008. 'Man of Steel' was underwhelming, 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice' was overstuffed and kinda boring, and 'Suicide Squad' was just a mess. So, is Wonder Woman the shot in the arm the DCEU needs and is it a film worth checking out? The answer to both is 'Yes'... for the most part. 

'Wonder Woman' is the best this extended universe has to offer thus far. It's not perfect but the good outweighs the bad. I did enjoy it being set during WWI as most movies set during a World War opt for WWII (probably because everyone knows the Nazis were bad, and that makes for an easy good vs bad dynamic). I think Gal Gadot was a great choice to play Wonder Woman and the rest of the cast is good enough. Also, in contrast tosome of the previous DCEU entries this isn't a bleak, gloomy movie. There are action scenes that aren't in the dark or the rain, and there's even some comedy that works. However, while the scenes with Wonder Woman kicking ass are genuinely entertaining, the rest of the film is pretty average. 

Overall, if you like comic book movies (which I do) then this is probably a good one to check out, but if super heros aren't your thing then this isn't a 'must-see' that's going to blow you away. 

I give it a 3 out of 5


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