– JUNE –
22 Jump Street
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell, Amber Stevens
Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Out: 13 June 2014

Officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) go deep undercover at a local college to crack another drug ring. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team (played by Kurt Russell’s son Wyatt) and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. In addition to cracking the case, the two freshmen must figure out if they can have a mature relationship like real men… ’21 Jump Street’ was a surprise hit critically and commercially. This has the same directors on board and the same great chemistry between the leads. In fact it’s very much a repeat of the first movie (something they reference constantly to amusing effect). Confidence is even higher this round and they care even less about the detective story. It goes a bit overboard with the bromance plotlne but there’s lots to amuse from beginning to end. It’s a very funny film. Jonah Hill’s run in with Ice Cube at the college is particularly amusing. [Critics: 85%] [Public: 7.2] – Excellent

They Came Together
Starring: Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Ed Helms, Jack McBrayer
Director: David Wain
Out: 27th June 2014

Parody of rom-coms and their cliches. When Joel (Rudd) and Molly (Poehler) meet, it’s hate at first sight: his big Corporate Candy Company threatens to shut down her quirky indie shop. Plus, Joel is hung up on his sexy ex. But amazingly, they fall in love, until they break up about two thirds of the way through, and Molly starts dating her accountant. But then right at the end…well you’ll just have to see. (Hint: Joel makes a big speech and they get back together.) From the director of ‘Role Models’ and ‘Wanderlust’, this is a reunion for the team behind ‘Wet Hot American Summer’. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler have great comic chemistry and this is sharply observed, if a little uneven (either you’re doing ‘Naked Gun’ sight gags or you’re not). For a spoof it’s misleadingly marketed, and too subtle for its own good, the poster looks pretty much like a conventional rom-com, which has caught romance fans out and caused a lot of negative feedback. Even watching it many have missed the satire and written it off as just being a “bad, cliched rom-com”. Others have got annoyed that it’s “taking the piss” out of the beloved genre. Which is a shame. Not that it’s the most gut-busting satire ever put to film, but it’s full of smirk-inducing moments. [Critics: 68%] [Public: 5.5] – Mixed Reaction

– JULY –
Sex Tape
Starring: Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry, Rob Lowe, Jack Black
Director: Jake Kasdan
Out: 2 July 2014

A suburban married couple (Segal, Diaz) hope to reinvigorate their love life by taking a night off from their kids and making a sex tape. But the next morning they realise they’ve accidentally synched it to a handful of iPads they gave out as gifts (including to her mother and the postman), leading to a frantic quest to retrieve them. Not least because she writes a parenting blog for a living. Rob Lowe plays the conservative head of a toy company who also unwittingly ends up with a copy. Jason Segal has lost a shocking amount of weight for the role, saying he doesn’t want his R-rated nudity to be the joke. Diaz and Segal previously played a couple in ‘Bad Teacher’, which was also directed by Jake Kasdan. That turned out so-so, but here they completely screw up a stronger premise to create a laugh-free comedy filled with relentless Apple product placement. [Critics: 17%] [Public: 5.1] – Avoid

Tammy
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates
Director: Ben Falcone
Out: 2 July 2014

Tammy (McCarthy) is having a bad day. She’s totalled her clunker car, gotten fired from her thankless job at a greasy burger joint, and caught her husband cheating. Time to get out of town. Her alcoholic grandmother (Sarandon) is the only option with a car, cash, and an itch to see Niagara Falls. Not exactly the escape Tammy had in mind. But on the road, with grandma riding shotgun, it may be just what Tammy needs… The lead character is based on one McCarthy played on stage at the Groundlings Theater in LA. She co-wrote the script with her husband, who’s directing. It’s his debut, having previously concentrated on improv comedy acting – including small roles in most of McCarthy’s movies, such as the air marshal in ‘Bridesmaids’. Last year’s ‘Identity Thief’ was a disappointing McCarthy road trip but despite a different creative team and years of prepping the character, this is just as jumbled with misjudged tonal shifts. [Critics: 23%] [Public: 4.7] – Avoid

– AUGUST –
Let’s Be Cops
Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans, Jr., Rob Riggle, Andy Garcia
Director: Luke Greenfield
Out: 13 August 2014

Two directionless best friends mistakenly dress as police officers for a masquerade party and become neighbourhood sensations. But when the two newly minted “heroes” get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must show the balls to back up their fake badges. This reasonably intriguing comic premise is being explored by the director of Rob Schnieder’s ‘The Animal’ and ‘The Girl Next Door’. It stars Jake Johnson, an actor who’s been around for a long time, most recently on TV’s ‘New Girl’ but has never had a breakout role. And Damon Wayans Jr., who had a supporting role in ‘Dance Flick’ but otherwise has been knocking around small parts, and that same TV series ‘New Girl’. Strange that the movie is built off the back of two virtual unknowns (although Damon looks near identical to his famous father), and it suggests that name comic talent didn’t think the script was good enough. The result isn’t inspired, the situations nowhere near as hilarious as they should have been, but it is a serviceable studio action-comedy with a pair of leads that are likeable (even if Wayans’ performance is too restrained). They’re backed up by good pacing, and support from Rob Riggle (‘The Hangover’) and the always excellent Keegan-Michael Key (‘Key and Peele’) who steals every scene he’s in. Simply, if you like the trailer you’ll like the movie. [Critics: 18%] [Public: 6.5] – Mixed Reaction

Life After Beth
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon
Director: Jeff Baena
Out: 15 August 2014

A young man (DeHaan) finds his recently deceased girlfriend (Plaza) has mysteriously returned from the dead, oblivious to what’s happened. Her doting parents (Reilly, Shannon) don’t want to tell her, and he finds her new mood swings an increasing challenge to deal with. As the outbreak spreads and her transformation becomes more pronouced, he’s going to have to make some tough choices… This is an indie with a fairly low budget, from the writer of ‘I Heart Huckabees’. As a rom-com-zom, or a satire of romantic comedies and zombie movies with a sideways glance at relationships, it treads similar ground to ‘Warm Bodies’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’. It feels very lightweight compared to the latter, but it does have a likeable cast, Plaza’s performance is fun, and although it starts off slow, things improve as the world comes crashing down and situations become increasingly zany. [Critics: 45%] [Public: 5.7] – Ok

September 2014 >

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