It was pretty clear "Despicable Me 3" would dominate the new movie releases last week. And even though it debuted slightly below some early estimates in the United States (U.S.), it was still a big hit, raking in just under $100 million in the U.S. over a very long July 4th holiday, and just over $241 million in total, if you add in worldwide markets.
So, rather than review this critic-proof animated feature, I decided to take a look at the two very adult films opening opposite it. One of them is surprisingly entertaining and the other is unbelievably awful.
If you aren't interested in seeing this weekend's guaranteed super-duper-monster blockbuster "Spider-Man: Homecoming", choose very wisely if you are heading to the local cinema.
The House (Rated C)
Cast: Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas
Genre: Comedy
Dwight's Rating: Pretty Awful
I spoke too soon!
Last week I declared "Transformers: The Last Knight" to be the "dumbest, loudest, longest, lousiest... stupidest" and "WORST movie so far for 2017".
However, the new adult comedy "The House" did briefly make me question that proclamation. While ultimately not worse than that crashing, alien-robot debacle, it does, without a doubt, join "The Last Knight" and "Fifty Shades Darker" in the very close race to be considered the worst thing to play on the big screen in the last six months.
Between its ludicrous plot and lackluster acting performances, there are no redeeming qualities for this shockingly unfunny "comedy". Mercifully -- and unlike the latest "Transformers" flick -- it is a short 88 minutes. (That's still about 80 minutes too long, though!)
The film's title, "The House", is a reference to the casino term -- as in "the house never loses". Desperate couple Scott and Kate Johansen (Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler) join forces with their neighbor Frank (Jason Mantzoukas) to start an underground casino in his home. The Johansens are hoping to earn some money after their daughter's college scholarship falls through. As the cash rolls in and the good times fly, Scott and Kate soon learn that they may have bitten off more than they can chew.
Channeling some of the successful adult comedies over the last decade or so, "The House" aspires to some of the successes of "The Hangover" et al. And its married-couple-in-crime/illegal-activities theme may be reminiscent of Jim Carrey-Tea Leoni in "Fun with Dick and Jane" (2005) or even Steve Carrell-Tina Fey "Date Night" (2010).
Whether you were fans of those mentioned flicks or not, "The House" falls way short of all of them, totally missing the mark with an overly crass, unnecessarily violent production, functioning under a foolish assumption that images of people being physically harmed is hilarious. Newsflash: there are very few ways to make people getting shot or having appendages severed amusing.
And again, that's the biggest problem for "The House". It's just plain not funny -- a complete waste of the talents of "Saturday Night Live" alumni Ferrell and Poehler, and thus, a complete waste of time.
Baby Driver (Rated C)
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm
Genre: Comedy
Dwight's Rating: Very, Very Good
Last weekend's far better option was "Baby Driver".
The surprise of the year so far, "Baby Driver" feels like a throwback to movies of a bygone era. Countless films from the 1950's straight through to the '80s (and even early '90s) fit this mold -- good boy at heart gets in with the wrong crowd, but the love of a girl compels him to seek to change his ways.
Ansel Elgort ("The Fault in Our Stars" and The "Divergent" film series) plays talented getaway driver Baby (yes, that's right!). He relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. After meeting the woman (Lily James) of his dreams, he sees a chance to ditch his shady lifestyle and make a clean break. Coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), Baby must face the music as a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.
In the past, you could easily have seen a James Dean or Paul Newman or Robert Redford or even more recently an '80s-era Tom Cruise in the role of Baby. Here in 2017, we have Elgort -- an unexpected and surprising but apparently perfect choice. He's afforded the amazing opportunity to showcase the sensitivity we saw from him in cancer love story "The Fault in Our Stars", and that he can also effortlessly and credibly be an action star.
There's a definite "Bonnie & Clyde" feel to the whole production, with its blend of action and love story, and with the great chemistry Elgort has with Lily James ("Cinderella"). It's also clear that writer and director, Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead"), has been influenced by Quentin Tarantino, especially in the way music is incorporated into even seemingly minor scenes.
Along with Elgort, the spectacular chase scenes are what really makes "Baby Driver" shine. Unlike most action films today, these realistic scenes actually look like they were done in real vehicles and on real streets. When was the last time this happened, as opposed to the actors sitting on benches in front of a green screen?
The result is real edge of your seat action -- the kind that has you moving in your chairs and shouting at the screen. Be it chases in cars or chases on foot, everything is perfectly choreographed and very authentic feeling.
The plot, on the other hand, is a little over the top. At times it feels like we're watching a big video game. Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx and Emmy-winner Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") and their bad guy characters are major contributors to that, as is double Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, who's apparently doing his best impression of a Bond villain. You also get the feeling that crime is being romanticized a tad.
But that's largely nitpicking. When the film starts to veer off into ridiculous fantasy, a harsh dose of realism and warmth usually jolts it back on course and towards something amazing and fun.
I'd begun to lose hope for real entertainment this summer. But now we get an action film with true conversations and actual character development to accompany all those loud crashes and explosions. These things weren't always mutually exclusive.
And we can still pray that today's latest Spider-Man reboot, and the next chapter in the current "Planet of the Apes" franchise in a few weeks, will join "Baby Driver" in the "hit" column in a summer that has become a little too heavy with "misses".
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
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