Life of the Party (2018)

I really like Melissa McCarthy. She is funny and has pretty good acting skills, which is why, in spite of the low rating on IMDb, I still decided to check out Life of the Party. And it's one of those decisions I immediately regretted. 

The film follows Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy), a dedicated housewife who sees her life turned upside down when her husband (Matt Walsh) suddenly dumps her for another woman (Julie Bowen). She never graduated as she dropped out of her last year of college when she got pregnant, so she decides to go back to college, in the same school as her daughter (Molly Gordon), who, of course, is humiliated at the thought of her mother trying to live the college life. 

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Nicholas Stoller

Country

USA

Cast

Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Kiersey Clemons, Beanie Feldstein, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jerrod Carmichael, Lisa Kudrow, Hannibal Buress, John Ealy, Selena Gomez, Kelsey Grammer, Brian Huskey, Clara Mamet, Nora Lum, Liz Cackowski, Billy Eichner, Abbi Jacobson, Sam Richardson

Storyline

When their new neighbors turn out to be a sorority even more out of control than the fraternity previously living there, Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) team up with their former enemy Teddy (Zac Efron) to bring the girls down.

Opinion

Sequels, why do they even bother making them if the result is this poor? I know Hollywood is constantly looking for a way to make more money, but isn't this a bit insulting towards the audience?

And that being said, "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" is easily one of the worst comedies of the year. And I'm sorry for saying that, because calling it a comedy is an insult to the other films of the genre.

Even though I didn't love "Neighbors", I was expecting - and I kind of wanted - this film to be like that one. Sure, the script was awful and loaded with clichés, and the dialogue was basically nothing but bad language. However, only now that I've seen this, I'm realizing how fun that one was. And I definitely had a good time watching it.

The same can't be said for this one. The script manages to be even worse, and while the first was just supposed to be a dumb film - at least I think so -, "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" seems like it wants to put in contrast young versus old and naive versus experienced, but it never focuses on that, or at least not long enough to consider it valuable. It also tries to make a statement pro gay couples and marriages, but, once again, the script doesn't focus enough on that.

Unlike in the past, this time around I was able to take sides. And I stood with the old couple, played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, because a, Zac Efron was helping them, and b, Chloë Grace Moretz's character was utterly annoying. And this is the second time this year she proves she is an awful actress.

I should have stayed away from this one, and I suggest you do the same. If you're in the mood of a no-brainy film, watch "Neighbors" instead. Like I said before, I didn't like it much, but I'd always pick that one over this one.

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Genre

Drama

Director

Mike Newell 

Country

USA

Cast

Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Annika Marks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson, Marcia Gay Harden, John Slattery, Marian Seldes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Topher Grace, Jordan Bridges, Laura Allen, Emily Bauer, Tori Amos, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Krysten Ritter, Lily Rabe, Terence Rigby

Storyline

Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), a very modern and free-thinking art professor, teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles.

Opinion

Have you ever wondered what a female version of "Dead Poets Society" would look like? If you have, this film might be for you. Of course this doesn't necessarily means that you are going to like it. I actually firmly believe the contrary as "Mona Lisa Smile" is a boring, useless, pointless waste of talent.

The whole plot had been stolen from "Dead Poets Society". Still, in spite of that, director Mike Newell managed to make a completely uninteresting film that has no idea what to focus on. With a title like that, I thought that the film was going to be centered more on Julia Roberts's character rather than the girls she has to inspire, but it doesn't. One moment it's focused on her, the next it's focused on the girls. And to be honest, the best moments of the film are focused on Roberts dealing with her own inequities rather than dealing with the system.

Sure, I'm a woman and I identify myself with the characters, because, even though it's 2016, we women are still seen like we have a role we were born for, like being a wife, being a mother, and too many people still think a woman has to do that in order to be a woman. Still I believe Peter Weir's film already represented everyone, regardless of gender.

Because of the poor script, poor direction, and lack of any original idea, the potential of the mostly feminine cast is completely wasted. The acting isn't awful, but an actress like Maggie Gyllenhaal, for example, deserves something better to work with.

Not even Julia Roberts's smiles can save this disaster.

Accepted (2006)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Steve Pink

Country

USA

Cast

Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Adam Herschman, Columbus Short Maria Thayer, Lewis Black, Blake Lively, Mark Derwin, Ann Cusack, Hannah Marks, Robin Lord Taylor, Diora Baird, Joe Hursley, Jeremy Howard, Anthony Heald, Travis Van Winkle, Kaitlin Doubleday, Sam Horrigan, Ross Patterson, Artie Baxter, Kellan Lutz, Brendan Miller, Ray Santiago, Greg Sestero, Ned Schmidtke, Jim O'Heir, Darcy Shean

Storyline

After being rejected from every college he applied, Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long) creates his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown.

Opinion

I don't remember watching this film before yesterday, but I have had this seen-it-all-before feeling throughout the whole film. So either I've seen it ages ago and forgot about it - but to be honest that never happens to me - or "Accepted" is just another college movie that uses the same formula that has been plugged into summer comedies since dawn of time. If I were to guess, I'd go with the second.

Anyway, the story is a little different than usual - a high school kid creates his own college just to impress his parents. But it's also kind of ridiculous and unbelievable. And predictable. And it has some troubles deciding between being an inspirational piece or a party movie. But it does manage to blend those two aspects of the story quite well and the inspirational part is very well done. 

The screenplay isn't particularly good, but it does offer some funny dialogue, unevenly balanced with a lot of cheap gags. It also offers no character development at all, and characters that aren't really characters, just stereotypes. But, while some are annoying and unnecessary, some others are slightly interesting and kind of fun to watch on screen.

But seriously, who cares about all that when the film is just supposed to be a stupid comedy. I kinda had a good time after all, some of the jokes are laugh-out-loud funny, and even though I wound't watch it again, it was worth seeing once.

Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Jeff Kanew

Country

USA

Cast

Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield, Andrew Cassese, Curtis Armstrong, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, Michelle Meyrink, Ted McGinley, Donald Gibb, Matt Salinger, Julia Montgomery, Lisa Welch, John Goodman, David Wohl, Bernie Casey, James Cromwell, Alice Hirson

Storyline

When lovable nerds Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Robert Carradine) embark on their freshman year at Adams College, little do they realize the perils that await them. They're beset by taunting from the jocks of Alpha Beta fraternity, which only worsens when the jocks accidentally burn down their house and toss the freshmen out of the freshmen dorm. To make matters more problematic Lewis develops a crush on pretty Betty Childs (Julia Montgomery), popular sorority sister and quarterback's girlfriend.

Opinion

Here I am again, watching and reviewing big hits of the '80s and failing to see why they were huge hits back then.

One of the many American college/sex comedies, "Revenge of the Nerds" is a lighthearted film that manages to be funny occasionally.

As you can guess from the title, the film is about nerds, who are either ignored or discriminated against by the popular 'kids'. Now, being a nerd myself, even though I'm a woman, I know the feeling of being not respected by others, and finally seeing them get even was amazing.

Despite being completely predictable, the story shows everybody that nerds are people too, and, most important, it teaches us an important lesson: be proud of who you are.

Another good thing about the film is that the nerds are a diverse group of people. While some are still stereotyped, as a whole they are very well portrayed.

All of this being said, I was still let down by the film because of the comedy. The juvenile humor did not bother me because it was exactly what I was expecting to find here, but somehow the films fails to be hilarious. There are a few good laughs, but nothing more.

However, the all-star cast is very likable, they all play their parts with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, and they make the film quite enjoyable.

Neighbors (2014)

Genre

Comedy

Director

Nicholas Stoller

Country

USA

Cast

Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Craig Roberts, Jerrod Carmichael, Lisa Kudrow, Hannibal Buress, Halston Sage, Ali Cobrin, Jason Mantzoukas, Brian Huskey, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Adam DeVine, Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, Kyle Newacheck, Keith Cashin, Jake Johnson

Storyline

Forced to live next to a fraternity house lead by Teddy (Zac Efron), Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne), a couple with a newborn baby, do whatever they can to take them down. 

Opinion

I was in the mood for a comedy, and I was sure a film starring Seth Rogen wouldn't disappoint me. I couldn't be more wrong.

Besides the funny moments seen in the trailer - not even that funny in the film itself, and the only laughable moments in the whole film -, Neighbors is a truly tedious - neither worse nor better - version of American Pie, whose sexual humour is a hundred percent unfunny. Of course, if you think a man trying to milk his wife or a frat boy winning over a fight using his erection are funny, you will definetly enjoy the film and laugh the whole time. 

Back to reality, the script is so unbelievably stupid and full of cliques that makes you cringe. For the most part, the dialogue doesn't go beyond the words fu*k, sh*t, and d*ck. The characters are awful, starting from the old couple, for which is hard to feel any empathy, to the frat boys, which don't look bonded to each other. Seth Rogen's character seems way too obsessed with Zac Efron's body, and it would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that he is neither a gay nor a woman. 

The performances are just awful. Seth Rogen, usually a very likable guy, in here is annoying from the beginning, and, along with Rose Byrne, does an awful job. Also, the chemistry between Rogen and Byrne is not much believable. Zac Efron, quite talented and handsome, is not that bad, but there is still nothing he can do with the horrible film and awful direction.