Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013, dir. Adam McKay)

I liked "Anchorman 2".  It has a lot of laughs and I think it is even better than its predecessor.  Mind you, it is stupid.  But we can all use some stupid humour every now and then and Anchorman 2 is chock full of it.

The film starts with Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) having relocated to New York City since the first film's locale of San Diego.  Suddenly, he finds himself fired (while his wife is given a promotion) and goes into a downward spiral.  He gets a lucky break when a man offers him a spot on GNN a new global news network that runs news 24 hours a day.  He reassembles his old news team and the legend continues.

But, the plot is irrelevant in a movie like this.  What matters and delivers is the constant barrage of episodic comedy where new situations provide increasingly funny moments.  This films takes place in 1980 and there are constant riffs and allusions to the popular culture of that moment.  The supporting players are amusing but Will Ferrell is the cornerstone of this film and the main source of all the humour.  Unlike some former SNL cast members who's comedic energy has seemed to taper off in recent years, Ferrell shows no sign of slowing down.

This film proves that sequels can outdo the original in the series.  There is also a part near the end where a large number of celebrities have cameos in a huge fight scene.  The film is not weighted to be stronger at the beginning, middle, or end but is consistently funny all throughout.  This is one of the best comedies of 2013.

Bringing Up Baby (1938, dir. Howard Hawks)

Its difficult watching these old, supposedly "classic" comedies from the 30's through 21st century eyes.  Often they don't hold up to the evolution that cinema has undergone over the past 75 years.  "Bringing Up Baby" is no exception.  It may be considered one of the greatest screwball comedies of all time.  It was in the AFI Top 100 list, I recall.  But, to me it so often just seems stupid.

The film stars Carey Grant as David Huxley, a paleontologist at a museum who has spent the last 3 years assembling the bones of a brontosaurus.  The last piece is coming in the mail and he is to be married the following day.  At a golf game with the lawyer of a probable donor, he meets Katharine Hepburn's Susan.  Things start to go downhill after that (Susan causes all kinds of trouble for Huxley) and you can guess that they'll probably end up together in the end.  Throw in a leopard that they have to look after (named, Baby) and you get the gist of the comedic situations of this film.

I would like to go into why films such as this that were so funny and enjoyable in their day seem silly and unfunny today.  Although there are undoubtedly some who would still find pleasure and amusement in "Bringing Up Baby" today, young, modern-day viewers are more accustomed to the lightening-fast editing and popular culture references that are relevant to today's culture.  Film has changed drastically since 1938 and the MTV generation has new demands and viewing habits.  Acting styles have changed too with the advent of method acting in 1950's and the style today is much more naturalistic and realistic. 

That said, "Bringing Up Baby" has its moments.  If one can suspend their cultural prejudices and try to watch the film as one from the time it came out, he or she may actually get a fair amount of enjoyment out of it.  To this reviewer though, the comedy isn't often funny and the plot is almost non-existent.

Heaven Is For Real (2014, dir. Randall Wallace)

In Randall Wallace’s “Heaven Is For Real” a young boy, after a near-death experience, claims to have witnessed Heaven and had contact with Jesus Christ.  When his father, Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) a preacher at a church announces to his congregation the experiences of his son Colton (Connor Corum) there is an uproar and negative reaction.  The film is a story of the Burpo family’s journey through near-tragedy, social scorn, to the community’s love and admiration.

Part of the viewer’s investment in this film will be whether he or she does believe that heaven is, in fact, for real.  I suppose not many atheists would go to a film with such a title as this, so the majority of audience members will be in the category of “believer”.  There is a strong Christian message behind this film and it will appeal to that sort of viewer.

The success of this film is dependent on the performance of its principle cast members, mainly Colton (Corum) the young boy who as the vision of the afterlife.  I think it is a success in this regard.  The young actor is cute but not in a way that detracts from the enjoyment level of the movie.  He is believable and sympathetic and is well cast.  Greg Kinnear does a fine job as well as the man who has doubts about his son’s experience but gradually grows to believe and accept his story.

There is not a lot of depth to this film, however.  It is a relatively straightforward retelling of a real-life experience.  It is short on style and flash but it will appeal to viewers who are looking for a heart-warming, family story of a world that is scientifically unexplainable but is believed in by a large majority of North Americans.  It won’t garner any nominations and will probably be forgotten in a few months but will appeal to a lot of people. 

A Million Ways To Die In The West (2014, dir. Seth MacFarlane)

In Seth MacFarlane’s new, comedic Western “A Million Ways To Die In The West”, the director stars as Albert Stark, a pessimistic, poor sheep farmer.  Albert doesn’t have much going for him:  his girlfriend, Louise (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him near the beginning and the West, where he lives, basically sucks.  He rambles on to his friend Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) about his plight and the fact that death, here in the West, is constantly waiting in the wings in a variety of potential circumstances.

Enter Anna (Charlize Theron), the wife of the fearsome bandit Clinch (Liam Neeson) who comes to Albert’s town to wait for her husband arrival.  She strikes up a friendship with Albert and teaches him to have more courage and self-esteem and to shoot a little more accurately.

This movie has some hilarious moments and situations thanks mostly to a device used previously in “Shanghai Noon”.  In that movie, Owen Wilson’s cowboy had a dry, ironic outlook that didn’t seem at home in the setting and time but was more a contemporary, twenty-first century outlook.  This strategy is used, effectively again in “A Million Ways To Die In The West” where Albert’s condescendingly bleak outlook and manner of speaking is more of a product of modern day vernacular than what you would expect from the late 19th century.

At one point Albert and Edward are walking down a street in town and see a young boy running down the street with a hoop and stick.  The comment which Albert makes is something to the effect that today’s children are losing the power of concentration and attention because of their preoccupation with this new toy.  This, obviously an allusion to present-day children’s love of video games and other electronic devices, is an ironic, hilarious example of this film’s sense of humour in looking at the old, wild West through contemporary eyes.

There is a lot of really crass, juvenile, bodily-function jokes having to do with farting, shitting, and sex.  This is what you would expect from the creator of Family Guy and Ted but is also relevant to the time and setting of the film.  Sarah Silverman has a funny role as Ruth, a prostitute who is in a relationship with Edward, a bible-thumping Christian.  Despite having close to twenty customers a day, Ruth and Edward haven’t consummated their relationship yet and are waiting to be married.

Also be on the lookout for brief cameos by big Hollywood names.  Ewan MacGregor turns up at one point so briefly and unexpectedly that you would miss him if you blinked.

This film has a fun time playing with the conventions of a genre that has become one the most familiar in all of cinema.  The genre has surpassed the revisionist model and the only thing left to do is a send-up in the style of this film.  There are hilarious and gross-out moments that will entertain you.  Unfortunately, it’s all pretty predictable and you know from the start who’s going to end up in the arms of who in the end.  But, its funny and a good time.