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Tim Lammers reviews the Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig R-rated comedy “Sausage Party,” and the Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster crime thriller “Hell or High Water” on “The KQ Morning Show” with Tom Barnard and the crew. Hear the segment starting 14 minutes in.
“Ghostbusters” (PG-13) 1 1/2 stars (out of four)
Don’t bother calling … the new “Ghostbusters” is a mere specter of its former self. Dull and uninspired, the reboot of the 1984 smash no doubt boasts a talented cast and director in Paul Feig – yet it feels like they are all operating under some strict studio mandate and following marching orders to avoid doing anything risky that will taint the “Ghostbusters” brand.
Despite a new story and characters, the new “Ghostbusters” ultimately feels like a rehash of the original, where a ragtag group of scientists (Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon) and a street savvy New York City transit worker (Leslie Jones) try to rid the Big Apple of some very nasty spirits and the evil human force who’s unleashing them.
The biggest problem with “Ghostbusters is that it’s a PG-13 film that’s preventing the hilarious R-rated comedy team of Feig, McCarthy and Wiig (who first did “Bridesmaids” together) from doing what they do best.
Had Feig (who also directed McCarthy in “The Heat” and “Spy”) been allowed to turn loose his performers in the territory they know best – bawdy, R-rated comedy – the film would have been infinitely better.
Apart from some obviously improved visual effects, the new “Ghostbusters” is a tremendous disappointment considering the level of talent involved.
Not even cameos from most of the original cast can juice up the newfangled proton pack: Bill Murray is given the most to do although his two scenes are brief, while Dan Aykroyd’s appearance is short, silly and of no consequence.
On the other hand, the turns by Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver (in the end credits) are welcome, and even the late, great Harold Ramis is represented in the form of a golden bust in a blink or you’ll miss it scene at the very beginning of the film.
Rick Moranis, who dropped largely from the public eye for the last 20 years, declined a cameo, and perhaps smartly so. Some franchises are better left untouched.
Hear Tim’s review of “Ghostbusters” and more above with Tom Barnard and the “KQ92 Morning Show,” beginning at 7:30 in.
“Deadpool” (R) 4 stars (out of 4)
The Marvel Comics superhero movie genre has turned a big page with “Deadpool,” an insanely entertaining origins story of the anti-hero superhero that erases the stained memories of the character’s big-screen debut in “X-Men Origins” in 2009. Oddly enough, “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds also played the “Merc with a Mouth” in that film — which was trashed by fans – but makes things right with this gritty, F-bomb-laden, ultra-violent and hilarious R-rated adaptation of the comic book icon.
Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, an ex-Special Forces op who, after meeting and falling in love with former call girl Vanessa Carlysle (a stunning Morena Baccarin), is diagnosed with terminal cancer. But through a mysterious invitation, Wade is given a chance at a cure that involves a sadistic experiment that turns him into a mutant with miraculous healing capabilities. Unfortunately, the treatment left him horribly scarred, leading him on a path of revenge in the guise of a blood-red suited vigilante he names “Deadpool.”
Interview: Morena Baccarin talks ‘Deadpool’
Reynolds, whose career has been uneven in the past few years (including the lukewarm movie version of “The Green Lantern”), makes a storming comeback here, and he’s clearly in his element every minute he’s onscreen. If there ever was an actor to the-bad-guy-who-Fs-up-the-worse-guys, Reynolds is it. As entertaining as Reynolds is, he gives plenty of room for his supporting cast to shine, which includes the hilarious T.J. Miller as his wise-cracking best buddy and confidant, Weasel, and Ed Skrein as the scientist, Ajax, who unsuccessfully failed in his bid to turn Wade into a killing machine for his own, sick purposes. MMA star Gina Carano also packs wallop as Ajax’s deadly assistant, Angel, and Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hildebrand create a welcome X-Men presence as Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, respectively.
“Zoolander No. 2” (PG-13) 2 stars (out of 4)
There’s a scene early on in “Zoolander No. 2” where long lost fashion stars Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) are invited back to the runway for what seems to be their comeback, but instead are duped into wearing costumes that come with the labels “Old” and “Lame.”
Old and lame. Got that right.
Sadly, lame is the best way to describe “Zoolander No. 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the hilarious 2001 original. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many places to take vacuous characters like Derek and Hansel, because if they do become self-aware or smarter, for example, they simply wouldn’t be Derek and Hansel.
There’s a reason it took 15 years for this movie to make it the big-screen, and the new film – which manufactures a plot around a “chosen one” male model — is utterly disappointing. Filled with forced humor and multiple meaningless (and sometimes embarrassing) star cameos, the film only comes off as mildly entertaining thanks to the wild antics of Will Ferrell (returning as fashion mogul Mugatu) and Kristen Wiig as a Donatella Versace-like designer with some tricks up her sleeve.
Quick Takes:
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (PG-13) 3 stars (out of 4)
“The Finest Hours” 3 1/2 stars (PG-13) (out of 4)
“Kung Fu Panda 3” (PG) 3 stars (out of 4)
“Where to Invade Next” (R) 1/2 star (out of 4)
Although she’s experienced amazing success on TV with “Saturday Night Live” and the big screen with the 2011 blockbuster comedy “Bridesmaids,” Kristen Wiig said doesn’t take anything for granted as she continues to savor every step in her ever-burgeoning career.
Following a voice role in the summer smash “Despicable Me 2″ and a hilarious turn as Brick Tamland’s (Steve Carell) love interest in “Anchorman 2,” the latest and greatest opportunity to come Wiig’s way is a starring role opposite Ben Stiller in the actor-director’s fantastical dramedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Wiig told me in an interview that the biggest thrill of her latest big-screen adventure is the fact that the film doesn’t rely on her comedic skills. The film has laughs, to be sure, but it’s also loaded with heartfelt moments that lets the actress, 40, show that she’s capable of engaging audiences in a much different way.
“I was extremely flattered when Ben thought of me for the role because I knew he wasn’t going for a broad comedy,” Wiig recalled. “I love to have the opportunities to do other things and in this past year, I worked on three smaller films that are much more dramatic in tone. You have to be given the chance to do that and prove that you can do it or at least try.”
That’s not to say Wiig spurns her work as a comedic actor. In fact, she’s very grateful for it. But having great success at it can work against a performer, too.
“I think it’s natural for people to associate you with the work that you’re known for, and that makes complete sense to me,” Wiig said. “I had been on ‘SNL’ for seven years and did a handful of movies, all of which were comedies, so I totally understand why people think that’s all I do. So for Ben to think of me in this role, which I really wouldn’t say is comedic even though it has funny moments, is great. For the most part, it’s pretty subdued and subtle, and I was really excited for the opportunity.”
New on Blu-ray and DVD (Fox Home Entertainment) “Walter Mitty” follows the title character, a longtime photo editor at Life magazine who spends his time daydreaming of an extraordinary life, including ways he can inspire a romance with his relatively new co-worker, Cheryl Melhoff (Wiig).
But when word comes down that the company is ceasing its print edition and he’s responsible for a big part of the final issue, Walter finally finds a way to connect with Cheryl, who is pivotal in helping him embark on an amazing trek across the globe that’s more extraordinary than anything he could have envisioned.
Based on James Thurber’s classic New Yorker story from 1939, Stiller’s version of “Walter Mitty,” written by Steve Conrad, is an updated tale for modern times — and the inclusion of Wiig’s character is a big part of it.
“The short story is very different in that regard, but in this movie, Walter really needed that relationship,” Wiig explained. “He needed a person to be supportive. The way that Steve wrote it, Cheryl is a huge inspiration for Walter. She’s really the only person that understands him and propels him into this journey, which is very different for him.”
Despite the updates, Wiig assured that fans of the original work shouldn’t worry about the story losing its essence.
“What Steve did when he wrote the script was really special and brilliant in he took what we love about the character of Walter and modernized him in a way that we can all relate to,” Wiig said.”I think that’s one of the reasons that the story is so timeless, because we can all relate to Walter. We’re all a little bit of Walter in that we have a fantasy life and we all daydream. We all imagine our lives to be different.”
In “Walter Mitty,” Wiig definitely got the chance to live the life of a rock star, where in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, she strums a guitar and sings David Bowie’s classic song “Space Oddity.”
But while we get to hear Wiig singing Bowie’s famous lyrics, including “Ground control to Major Tom,” she admits the rest of what you see involves a bit of movie magic.
“The actual guitar you’re hearing is not me, but I did take guitar lessons so it looked like I was playing the chords as we filmed it,” Wiig said. “Of course, as we were shooting it, everything went out of my brain and I don’t even know if I was moving my fingers.”
Since Wiig’s rendition of “Space Oddity” morphs into Bowie’s original version in the film, I suggested to her that she say she’s actually done a duet with the rock icon.
“That’s what I do say,” Wiig said with a huge laugh. “People are like, ‘Wait, you sang with him?’ and I’m like, ‘No, not really.’ But I pretend that that’s what happened.”
