Tim joined guest host Tom Hauser on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM Friday to review “American Underdog” and “The Tender Bar.” Click to listen to below. All of Tim’s segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Click HERE to hear Tim’s review of “American Underdog” on “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” with Tom Barnard on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on NBC affiliate KARE on the news program “KARE 11 News at 11”.
The “Ocean’s” franchise is riding a whole new wave with “Ocean’s 8,” an entertaining continuation of director Steven Soderbergh’s and actor George Clooney’s trilogy that began in 2001. Loosely tied to the original set of films, “Ocean’s 8,” while built again on a heist narrative, still feels fresh and ultimately makes for a solid introduction to a potential new phase of the franchise.
Sandra Bullock stars as Debbie Ocean, who like her older brother Danny Ocean, has a proclivity for thievery in her DNA. Finishing up a five year-prison stint after being ratted out by ex-boyfriend (Richard Armitage), Debbie immediately gets back in the game and assembles a crew to pull off a heist during the prestigious Met Gala in New York City, where they plan on boosting a $150 million Cartier necklace. What makes the heist even more daring, though, is that they plan on lifting the necklace off the mega-star actress (Anne Hathaway) who will be wearing it at the big event, even though she’ll be surrounded by bodyguards at all times.
AUDIO: Tim reviews “Ocean’s 8” and “Hotel Artemis” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” (segment begins 1:30 in).
Directed by Gary Ross, “Ocean’s 8” is loaded with a star-studded ensemble cast, including Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson as Debbie’s fellow con artists, and the always great Helena Bonham Carter as a once famous but currently struggling fashion designer without any criminal experience who takes part in the heist to get out of millions of dollars in debt.
While the build-up to the big score feels familiar and is par for the course, the centerpiece of “Ocean’s 8” – the elaborate heist scene – is executed beautifully, which alone makes the film worthwhile. Plus, like the original film, there are twists that play out in the film’s third act, making “Ocean’s 8” even more satisfying.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
Director Jodie Foster gets a big return on her investment in George Clooney and Julia Roberts with “Money Monster,” an intense hostage drama clearly inspired by the hype and hysteria surrounding real-life “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer and the hypothetical effects his advise has on would-be investors.
The stakes are higher in Foster’s cinematic Wall Street world, however, as blue-collar working stiff Kyle Budwell (Jack Reynor) pulls a gun on and attaches a bomb to “Money Monster” host Lee Gates (Clooney) during a live broadcast. With his thumb on a detonator, Budwell isn’t interested in recouping his $60,000 investment in a tech company that disappears overnight in a shady, high-frequency trade deal; but simply wants to know how his and other investors’ money – to the tune of $800 million – could go “poof” due to a technical glitch. Not only does Budwell want answers from Gates, but from megalomaniac trader Walt Camby (Dominic West), who’s mysteriously MIA during his company’s most dire hours.
While Clooney, Reynor and Roberts (as Gates’ producer who tries to navigate her boss out of the hostage crisis) are impressive in the leads, the true star of “Money Monster” is Foster, who in her fourth turn behind the camera expertly constructs a sharp thriller that finds balance with unexpected bits of humor throughout. While “Money Monster” is far from a perfect movie – the plot becomes far-fetched, if not silly as it unfolds – it’s an entertaining film nonetheless.
“Our Brand is Crisis” (R) 2 1/2 stars (out of four)
A terrible title is not the only thing wrong with “Our Brand is Crisis,” a political dramedy based on a 2005 documentary of the same name. Starring a stunning Sandra Bullock and talented cast of co-stars including Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie and Zoe Kazan, the film — about dueling political strategists in the 2002 Bolivian presidential race — will likely only appeal to political junkies that is if they aren’t already burnt out by America’s exhausting race for the White House. Ultimately, though, the film is hurt by its own identity crisis.
Bullock stars as “Calamity” Jane Bodine, a whip-smart former political strategist coaxed out of retirement to help former Bolivian President-turned Sen. Pedro Gallo (Joaquim de Almeida), who is struggling in the polls to regain his old job. With only 90 days to go before the election, Bodine must find a way to boost Gallo 30 points in the polls – that is if she can find a way to out-maneuver her old nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), who is helping the election’s frontrunner.
Bullock’s talents as both a comedic and serious actress are put to good use in “Our Brand is Crisis,” although the film (produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov) is too silly sometimes for its own good. And therein lies the biggest problem of “Our Brand is Crisis” – looking for a platform for Gallo to run on, Jane stresses how the politico should stress the “crisis” the country is going through, so suddenly, the madcap antics of the strategist feel awkward when the film gets serious. On top of that, Jane, as it turns out, has some complex issues plaguing her psyche, which are revealed as the film unfolds.
Character issues aside, “Our Brand is Crisis” is ultimately about politics, and politics being politics, the candidates eventually show their true colors and reveal themselves as slimy politicians that steal and lie; and the strategists do their best to manipulate the outcome of the election with their dirty, underhanded tricks. If anything, the film is a disheartening, defeating peek behind-the-curtain of the political system as a whole, and sadly, the world is just as scummy as you would expect it to be. There’s a crisis alright, and it starts with the people constituents put in charge to prevent them from happening in the first place.
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In brief:
“Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” (R) 2 1/2 stars (out of four)
In a film and television world over-saturated with the zombie genre, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the gory comedy “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” is death warmed over. A cross between the clever horror classic “Shaun of the Dead” and the amped-up zombie sensibilities of “World War Z,” “Scouts Guide” starts off in a deep grave before the film miraculously climbs out for a wild and inventive final half. Tye Sheridan (“Mud”) is sharp as the leader of a trio of teen Boy Scouts who put their skills to expert use when a zombie epidemic takes over a small town, and Sarah Dumont adds some edge to the film as an ass-kicking cocktail waitress who joins the teens in their plight for survival. David Koechner and Cloris Leachman are hilarious in their supporting roles as a trooper leader and neighbor lady, respectively. In the end, “Scout’s Guide” really works best for millennials and older teens, as the humor in the movie is squarely aimed at the key demographic.
Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers
