American Wedding

Year: 2003
Directed By: Jesse Dylan
Written By: Adam Herz

RYAN’S REVIEW

Like the second movie, this is also very stupid and follows that same pattern of comedy sequels I went on and on about in the American Pie 2 entry.  However I think this movie gave Seann William Scott a good platform to be funny and increase his popularity.  While I thought he over did it for most of the second film I don’t get that impression from this one.  It’s funny, but I tend to forget this movie actually stars Jason Biggs, it’s only watching it now and during the last couple of films that I even remembered who he was to begin with.  I know that probably sounds stupid, but I always think of this as Seann William Scott’s series and he is at his best in the third film.  I also hold the belief that no matter what kind of movie, or television show is being made, when you add gay guys into the storyline it gets better. This especially holds true with comedies, their characters are often exaggerated and very vibrant but they breathe life into otherwise boring story lines.

I remember expecting very little when I watched this movie for the first time and being pleasantly surprised when I laughed the whole time.  This movie is the reason I bought the trilogy pack when I saw it, that and because I don’t like gaps in a series I have collected. I was surprised to find out recently that there is a fourth film being made for an early 2012 release.  I guess that was extraordinary news for Jason Biggs, he must have turned back flips when he got that call from his agent.  In truth I look forward to another American Pie, titled American Reunion, and I will probably go see it when it comes out.  It’s because I found this movie so funny that I would even give a fourth movie consideration.  American Wedding is a funny movie and a must see if you like the series, it is worth your time to watch.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I liked this one so much more than the second one. The first, the original is still my favorite, but I find this one funny and outlandish, but believable. I feel like we all have a Stifler in our lives. We try to hide him from our parents, family and some friends. We have one too, don’t worry. Ryan is right when he says this is his movie. For the longest time I thought that Stifler was the only character that Seann William Scott could play, but now having seen him in other roles (Role Models, Southland Tales) I know that he is actually more than just the asshole Stifler character. That makes him funnier to me somehow. He really does shine in this film. The writers here really know how to embarrass a character, which makes for a great story line. Very funny movie, if you have seen the first and second one, give it a go.

NEXT MOVIE: Annie Hall (1977)

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Year: 1995
Directed By: Steve Oedekirk
Written By: Jack Bernstein

RYAN’S REVIEW

While I suppose you can call the first Ace Ventura movie vaguely serious, the second is much sillier and sometimes seems stupid.  However, I think this one is the funnier movie, the lack of seriousness allows Jim Carrey full range to be as funny as he wants to be with less limitation.  I think this film serves more as a platform for Carrey’s own crazy style of comedy than it does as a traditional film.  That works though, there is nothing wrong with that.  Jim Carrey is a seriously funny guy and a really talented entertainer.  He doesn’t miss a beat in this movie, it is relentlessly funny.  Jim Carrey is a different person these days, he has become a different person in his stardom.  While he is still a fantastic actor he just has a different style, he has evolved.  In this movie we see Jim Carrey as he was when he first burst onto the scene as someone who did something different. He was a new comedian with adult ADD and his comedy seemed to never end, somewhere along the line it was as if someone gave him Ritalin.  He calmed down, and part of that explosive relentless comedian was lost as he showed us he could do more, he showed us range, and that he was more than just a wacky guy.  Jim Carrey has had an excellent career, but sometimes I miss the guy he used to be, the days when he really was Ace Ventura.

This movie is hilarious, it has some of the all time funniest scenes I’ve ever seen.  “So you must be the Monopoly guy,” that scene will always make me laugh, and it barely compares to Ace Ventura being born from that Rhino along the safari trail.  It’s rare, and even was in the mid 90s, that a sequel is made only a year after the original film.  It’s even rarer that a sequel is rushed out and turns out funnier than its predecessor but that is the case with this film.  As I mentioned in my review of the first Ace Ventura, I think Steve Oedekerk is a better director than Tom Shadyac.  I haven’t really liked anything else Shadyac has done besides the first Ace Ventura, but Oedekerk directed, wrote, and starred in a different film that is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen.  So I don’t think it’s coincidental that he made a funnier Ace Ventura movie.  I still hope that one day Jim Carrey quits taking whatever medicine is calming him down and we see a third Ace Ventura film.  Great movie totally worth your time, SHAKAKA!!

AMBER’S REVIEW

The sequel. To me, this one is funnier than the second one. It is even more outrageous and Jim Carrey really comes into the role. The hair, the attitude and the outrageous sayings are all better than the first. In this one he travels to Africa to save a bat, an animal he is afraid of, and spends the the movie in search of the animal while interacting with tribal villagers. When I was younger we used to recite the words to the entire film. We loved it so much. To this day I will even use some of the sayings or recite a scene when I am hanging out with my brother. One of our favorites is “Bumble Bee Tuna.”

What are your favorite Ace Ventura lines?

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Year: 1994
Directed By: Tom Shadyac
Written By: Jack Bernstein

RYAN’S REVIEW:

I remember going to see this movie in the theater when I was ten years old in 1994.  My dad was a huge Miami Dolphins and Dan Marino fan so naturally he took us to see the film.  While I may have been too young to understand certain scenes in this film I still thought it was hilarious and it has remained funny for the past 17 years.  This movie made Jim Carrey a superstar, he had a busy and successful year in 1994 also starring The Mask and Dumb and Dumber that year but it all started with Ace Ventura.  Jim Carrey owns this role, and the success of the film is his alone.  I am not a big fan of Tom Shadyac and I happen to think Steve Oedekerk made an even funnier movie the following year.  Courtney Cox does her job, she looks good in this movie and that is all that was really required of her.  When I was 10 years old I couldn’t really appreciate how cool it was for the Miami Dolphins to collaborate so well with a movie.  You don’t see that in mainstream films very often but I think it worked really well here. Ace Ventura still makes me laugh, and I think it will continue to do so for a very long time.  Excellent movie that is totally worth your time.

AMBER’S REVIEW

My parents didn’t watch a lot of television when I was growing up. They were very guarded about what they let us watch and because they never rented anything we only had choices of what was on the meager VHS rack. This movie was one of them. My dad didn’t watch a lot of movies, but he loved Jim Carey, and so did we. This movie is very nostalgic for me and takes me back to lying on the couch with my brother and sister and laughing so hard at Jim Carey. To this day I can recite most of the lines from both movies verbatim. The movie still continues to make me laugh, and I feel I can laugh harder knowing that Jim Carey went on to become an amazing actor, not just another comedian. I love that Courtney Cox played the love interest and she played the part great. This movie is hilarious, and I would be surprised if you haven’t seen it already, but in that rare instance…see this one and the sequel, I find the sequel even more funny.

1941

Year: 1979
Directed by: Stephen Spielberg
Written by: Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale

RYAN’S REVIEW

A truly fantastic film that is far too often forgotten about.  Stephen Spielberg has had such a successful career that a film like 1941 tends to get lost in the mix. This film is fast, funny, and star studded.  The only problem is that this day in age the typical viewer would probably need a history lesson to really appreciate most of the humor in the film.  The film plays off the fear and pandemonium that struck California following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  In reality this wasn’t something that was very funny, but over 30 years later it was something everyone was ready to laugh at.  This film has great roles performed by John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Slim Pickens, Christopher Lee, John Candy, and Tim Matheson.  My personal favorite scene in the movie is when the Japanese force, made up of descendants of “ninja assassins,” invades the mainland and encounter the Slim Pickens character Hollis Wood.  The Japanese look so goofy dressed as Christmas trees and Slim Pickens steals the scene.

Stephen Spielberg has been making hits for over 30 years now, he is still one of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood.  1941 is a great movie and it’s really funny, but honestly it is low on the totem pole of many great Spielberg films.  When you are great at what you do it isn’t hard to amass a career full of fantastic films.  When your resume lists titles like Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan a comedy about a time period people are starting to forget just doesn’t measure up in the eyes of some.  I still love the film and encourage anybody who has the opportunity to see it.

AMBER’S REVIEW:

I had a tough and long week you guys. I’ll be honest, I fell asleep during this flick. However, this is what I will say about this film. It has all of the elements for a great comedy, Dan Akroyd, John Candy (I miss you), John Belushi, however this film’s comedy is outdated. By 2011 all of it has been seen before. It has it’s moments like the scene where the Japanese dress up like trees and try to blend into the scenery while Hollis Wood is trying to cut them down. I laugh every time at that scene. However, this movie goes on and on and on. I know this post is short, but like I said I fell asleep, that may say something about the movie, or my week…you decide. It is still worth seeing if you haven’t ever watched it before.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Year: 2005
Directed By: Judd Apatow
Written By: Judd Apatow and Steve Carell

RYAN’S REVIEW:

Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, and even Jonah Hill with his small role.  These guys started a journey together with this movie that has produced many great comedies over the years.  I have faith they will continue to be successful for some time.  However this is very much Steve Carell’s film, and he owns it.  I think he is hilarious as the 40 year old virgin, I also think he was successful in continuing to play that exact same character for 7 seasons of The Office.  I do like Steve Carell but I am not a fan.  I think he has his moments but by and large he overacts and takes things too far.  His leaving The Office has been categorized as a tragedy by some but I disagree.  I don’t know if the show will survive without him or not, but I know that far too often the character Michael Scott makes me feel uncomfortable. His character becomes not funny but ridiculous and awkward at those moments.  I do not like to feel uncomfortable and awkward while watching a comedy, it should be funny not stupid.  Neverthless, Steve Carell does have his moments of greatness and I can understand why people love him so much.

This film was a sure thing going in wasn’t it? When you decide to go there, when you decide to make a film about a 40 year old virgin the possibilities are just unlimited.  Those jokes go in a hundred different directions and they write themselves.  The Judd Apatow crew doesn’t disappoint with this either. The cast is fantastic, Seth Rogen and Jane Lynch both make the most of their opportunities with their roles. Everyone is funny and the laughs don’t stop.  The only problem is that there may have actually been too many jokes and funny scenarios crammed into the film.  It’s long, but the movie maintains it’s humor and in the end it was all worth it.  This is a great movie, but six years later I happen to think that it was the lesser film of some of the funnier people in the film.  Specifically the aforementioned Apatow crew of Apatow, Rogen, and Hill. This is the best it gets for Steve Carell and he deserves special recognition.

AMBER’S REVIEW:

I would like to start by saying, I love this movie.

I distinctly remember watching the trailer for this movie and literally asking myself, “what the hell, is this for real?” Well, yes they were for real and they succeeded. This is one of my favorite comedies. If I am remembering correctly, this is one of the first films I watched that starred Steve Carell. This movie keeps you entertained throughout with amazingly funny people including Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Apatow’s own wife, Leslie Mann. An interesting fact about this movie is that a lot of it was ad libbed. The scene where Steve Carell’s character had his chest waxed is a great example. I’m not sure what it was about the pain that made him scream out “Ahhh Kelly Clarkson” but I loved it and laughed my ass off. This movie also started a game that is still played by college guys everywhere…”You know how I know you’re gay?”

I also want to take a second to mention Leslie Mann. Her role was short in this film, but her scene is one of my favorites. To this day, I randomly say “I’m starvin’. Let’s get some fuckin’ french toast.” Timeless.