Quick Movie Review: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)

I'm not sure I've seen a military comedy since Sgt. Bilko. Or maybe it was Operation Dumbo Drop. Nonetheless, this is a post-9/11 world. We just don't have the same levity with war like we used to. Especially when it comes to the war in Afghanistan. It's just something we don't do. But maybe it's time. Apparently it's time.

And who better for the role than Tina Fey? She plays Kim Baker, an American war correspondent who is sent to Afghanistan for a few months. A few months turn into a few years and she becomes an expert on everything Middle East. But as her life back in the states fades further into the past, she's realizing that Afghanistan is now her new home. We see her make this transition. It's one that's subtle, but felt by the end.

Fey is perfect for the lead. I honestly can't imagine anyone else who can just be as funny without being over-the-top and unrealistic. She gives us her same quirky and witty humor, but the film carries a much darker David Fincher-type of tone.

The jokes are never rapid fire, but always well-deserved. It makes the film more real. And that realistic tone places us in the mindset of the characters a bit easier.

Not too much about this film is cliche. Predictable, maybe, but not really cliche. Perhaps you can credit the source material which it's adapted from--an autobiographical novel entitled The Taliban Shuffle.

What I'm most impressed with is the balance of genre. Although it's a military comedy, it never feels like the film is pushing or pulling for one or the other. It's symbiotically both.

There's nothing obviously wrong with this film, in my opinion. I guess it may have failed to solve that "so what?" question for me, but it's still an entertaining watch. Maybe not one I would want to necessarily own on DVD. But that's not to say I wouldn't watch it again.

Twizard Rating: 84

Quick Movie Review: Sisters (2015)

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey have always had great chemistry. We know this. Put them in anything to make it work? They try this. It's usually hit or miss. I've always been on the fence about the two. And I was hesitant to see Sisters this soon out the gate, but I wanted to go to the movies tonight and it was the only thing playing.

The film follows two 40-something-year-old sisters (Fey and Poehler) on the brink of their parents selling their childhood home. With the sadness of losing all the memories they've compiled during their youth, the sisters plan to throw one last party at the house in spite of their parents. They invite all of their old high school classmates and the party turns into a wild rager as the two plan to get crazy.

I admit, however, it gets pretty funny. It's my type of humor. And after watching Daddy's Home, I needed a solid comedy. It doesn't pull any punches and takes plenty of risks. But it also feels like they display every single idea that was on the drawing board. Literally, this movie is jam packed with so many concepts. It has a very "trying stuff out" feel to it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's just, at times it gets odd and tends to shift the tone around--another side effect from the full-drawing-board strategy. But in a nearly 2-hour comedy with a not-so-hefty premise, they have tons of room to trim the fat.

But perhaps the film's biggest pitfall is that Fey and Poehler always seem to keep almost laughing at themselves. Like they know the cameras are on. They're having too much fun just being together and joking around. Sure, comedy can be obviously unrealistic, but you still want the characters in the movie to believe what they're saying and doing. You want them to commit to their jokes as though THEY'RE being serious.

The premise is a little weak and the characters' motives are tenuous, but there's a certain '80s nostalgia that's underlying the whole deal. Not a whole lot happens, but it never loses momentum while keeping your attention throughout.

Twizard Rating: 73

Quick Movie Review: This Is Where I Leave You

While this isn't an amazing film, it's not a terrible one either--far from it. The cast is great and the depth is there--albeit deceivingly--but I just simply couldn't relate. And it's not like I can't enjoy a film that I don't relate to, but it was a little more difficult since there wasn't anything else to sink my teeth into other than the personal lives of the characters. I suppose that I would have gotten a lot more out of this film if I came from a dysfunctional family and if my life was a mess.

And although there was a fairly original sense of humor that evoked genuine laughs, the drama isn't anything I haven't seen before--and at times, a little bit over-the-top. 

However, it's not completely pointless. It presents some great takeaway lessons about dealing with a sucky time in your life. And if nothing else, it makes you feel better about the good things you have going for you in your own life by comparing it to those of the characters in the movie. 

Overall, this is a movie that really does suck you in and you appreciate it for its genuineness. You never feel like the characters reactions are unrealistic, and the 3rd act doesn't try and force cliche conclusions for each character. And that is why you can applaud it in the end.

Twizard Rating: 76

Quick Movie Review: Muppets Most Wanted

While the plot is middle-of-the-road, the hilarious jokes and constant self-awareness that have always made the Muppets an amazing wonder are still present in this sequel to 2011's eponymous The Muppets. The songs in this one are on par with the ones from the first film. And although the story is slightly weaker than Segel and Stoller's, and not as uplifting and exhilarating, it's a pretty enjoyable follow up altogether, yet would have served fine as a stand-alone film.

Twizard Rating: 92