Film: Central Intelligence

GENRE: Action, Comedy

RATING: PG-13 for violence, language & some nudity
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 47 minutes

STARRING: Dwayne Johnson (Furious 7, Pain & Gain, WWE)

Kevin Hart (Ride Along, Get Hard), Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)

DIRECTOR: Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball, We’re the Millers)

WRITERS: Ike Barinholtz & David Stassen (Mindy Project)

Thurber (Dodgeball)

PLOT: A former fat kid (now a secret agent) works with the former cool kid (now accountant) on an important case. Hilarity and action ensues.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I went in with pretty low expectations

STORY STUFF: There are funny scenes throughout but the storyline was terrible. It was predictable and boring. And even the funny scenes could have been funnier.  

ACTING STUFF: Johnson & Hart have some fun chemistry together, but I was actually hoping that Hart would have had more funny things to say. There was more potential that could have been used. I enjoyed a few of the cameos in the film. Also liked seeing Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) getting some work.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Not much to report here. Some good song choices. Didn’t like the fanny pack.  

VERDICT: Two and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You really like Kevin Hart

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Secret Lives of Pets

Film: Finding Dory

GENRE: Animated, Adventure

RATING: PG for mild thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 37 minutes

STARRING: Ellen DeGeneres (Finding Nemo, Ellen)

Albert Brooks (Concussion, Drive), Ed O’Neill (Modern Family)

DIRECTORS: Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo)

Angus MacLane (newcomer)

WRITERS: Stanton (Toy Story 3, Wall-E), Victoria Strouse (newcomer)

PLOT: Dory, hampered with short-term memory loss, tries to find her parents and home with the help of Marlin & Nemo.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I loved Finding Nemo

STORY STUFF: I was worried that this sequel would not live up to the original (like Cars 2) but this film really does compliment Nemo. Pixar is so good at telling stories. This film brings you on an emotional and adventurous journey. I was captivated the whole time.  

ACTING STUFF: Of course, DeGeneres kills it as Dory. But I also loved hearing Sloane Murray as Young Dory. Her voice was so cute. Also enjoyed hearing the voice of Ty Burrell (Modern Family) as Bailey the Beluga who was wonderfully neurotic. The sea lions were also fun.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The animation is stunning like usual. Loved the giant aquarium and the camouflage antics of Hank the Septapus. I also thoroughly enjoyed the opening Pixar short, Piper. The young bird was adorable and the animation of the sand was incredible.  Also, stick around until the end of the credits to revisit some old friends.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You enjoy Pixar films and have a heart

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Central Intelligence

Film: The Jungle Book

GENRE: Adventure

RATING: PG for scary action and peril
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 46 minutes

STARRING: Neel Sethi (newcomer), Bill Murray (Groundhog Day),

Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List), Idris Elba (Thor, Luther)

DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf, Cowboys & Aliens)

WRITER: Justin Marks (newcomer, upcoming Top Gun 2)

PLOT: After being threatened by a tiger, a boy learns about himself with help of a panther and bear. The animals talk by the way.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Was not a fan of the animated Disney flick.

STORY STUFF: Found the story to be quite engaging and action-packed. I thought it would have been nice if there was a bit more humour though. Lots of other animals could have brought more fun to this film.

ACTING STUFF: Newcomer Sethi is a treat to watch. When you consider he’s acting alongside all CG characters and running around a green screen all day, his acting is even more impressive. Great voice casting too. Loved Murray and Kingsley in their gentle roles. Also loved Elba and Johansson with their menacing voice. And Christopher Walken is classic Christopher Walken.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Glad I saw it on the big screen, the visuals are incredibly impressive. Animals and scenery are beautifully done. Why did Favreau have to ruin it with the lame book closing and cheesy Disney closing credits?

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like the story or just enjoy seeing jungle life in general

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Finding Dory

Film: Now You See Me 2

GENRE: Action

RATING: PG-13 for some violence & language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 9 minutes

STARRING: Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network, Batman vs Superman)

Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Avengers); Woody Harrelson (Hunger Games)

DIRECTOR: Jon M Chu (Step Up 2, Jem, GI Joe: Retaliation)

WRITER: Ed Solomon (Charlie’s Angels, Men in Black, Bill & Ted)

PLOT: The Four Horsemen are forced to steal a tech thingy.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed the first film and like seeing magic tricks.

STORY STUFF: The story was interesting enough. However, I thought there were too many reveals of motives to the point where I wasn’t really surprised. The plot could have used a little more trimming. Also, I find it hard to believe that the general public would care that much about magicians. Do they even know these corporate people they are exposing?

ACTING STUFF: Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls) was a vast improvement over Isla Fisher from the last one. Caplan added an extra dose of sarcasm and fun. I did not enjoy Harrelson playing dual roles. The bad twin was pretty lame. I also enjoyed Dave Franco (Neighbors) more this time around.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: I love seeing all the magic tricks and when they reveal how they accomplish some of them. I like that many of the tricks are not just CGI stuff.   

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like magic and enjoyed the first one.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Finding Dory

Film: Popstar - Never Stop Never Stopping

GENRE: Comedy

RATING: R for graphic nudity and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 27 minutes

STARRING: Andy Samberg (SNL, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hot Rod)

Jorma Taccone (Hot Rod, SNL); Tim Meadows (SNL, Mean Girls)

DIRECTORS: Akiva Schaffer (The Watch) & Taccone (MacGruber)

WRITERS: Schaffer, Taccone & Samberg (Hot Rod)

PLOT: A mockumentary of a boy band solo artist who falls on tough times when his second album is a failure.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love the Lonely Island (Schaffer, Taccone & Samberg) SNL digital shorts and albums.

STORY STUFF: Being a fan of The Lonely Island, I found myself laughing a lot during this film. The story is basically a pop update of Spinal Tap with fun mockumentary interviews and short segments. It’s a predictable storyline but highly entertaining in a frat boy sort of way.

ACTING STUFF: Lots of funny performances. Samberg does a great job as the self-centered Connor 4 Real. This film is jam packed full of celebrities cameos. They get some fun music insiders to talk about the ups and downs of Connor and his crew. I absolutely loved the skewering of TMZ with Will Arnett as the water bottle chugging boss. So funny.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some outrageous sets and costumes but the real highlight are the songs. Songs about being humble, equal rights and the Mona Lisa have some wonderfully funny lyrics. I wish there were a few more song performances/videos in the movie.  

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You enjoy SNL digital shorts from a few years ago

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Now You See Me 2

Film: X-Men - Apocalypse

GENRE: Action, Sci-Fi

RATING: PG-13 for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 24 minutes

STARRING: James McAvoy (Atonement, Wanted, Gnomeo & Juliet)

Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs); Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games)

DIRECTOR: Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, X-Men, X-Men 2)

WRITER: Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes, Fantastic Four, Jumper)

PLOT: The first mutant resurfaces and wishes to ‘cleanse’ the earth. The X-Men must find a way to stop him.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m pretty much watching X-Men movies now because I already invested time in previous installments.

STORY STUFF: I wasn’t a huge fan of the story. There were some cool elements here and there but I didn’t care too much for the Apocalypse character. Also Oscar Isaac is a little too short to play the big bad here. He didn’t seem all that intimidating. I also got a kick out of a plan to turn off generators that fizzles because the X-Men get distracted by someone, way to forget your mission you ADD kids.

ACTING STUFF: Good dramatic acting by everyone but again it’s Evan Peters as Quicksilver that steals the show. His attitude and reactions are pitch perfect. Unfortunately, some of Sophie Turner’s work as Jean Grey reminded me of Sansa in Game of Thrones.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The pre-credit opening is beautifully shot. I was mesmerized by the cinematography and effects used in that sequence. The rest of the film is also well shot.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the other X-Men movies
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Popstar – Never Stop Never Stopping

Film: Money Monster

GENRE: Drama, Thriller

RATING: R for language, some violence, brief sexuality
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 38 minutes

STARRING: George Clooney (Descendants, Michael Clayton, ER)

Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich); Jack O’Connell (Unbroken)

DIRECTOR: Jodie Foster (Little Man Tate, The Beaver)

WRITERS: Jamie Linden (Dear John, We Are Marshall)

Alan DiFiore (Grimm, The Bridge); Jim Kouf (National Treasure)

PLOT: A man with nothing to lose takes a financial TV host hostage when the stock market takes a large dip.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was sucked in by the big names. Also, having just taught it in my Business class, I understood some of the stock market lingo used in the film.

STORY STUFF: I found the story and energy less Network-ish as many critics cited and more like a film called Mad City which starred Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. The story kept me invested (sorry, bad pun) for most of the time but the ending felt flat and left me unsatisfied. Also, there were some police procedures that seemed highly questionable. The story also made me roll my eyes at the New York public and their selfishness.

ACTING STUFF: Great acting all around but I come to expect that from Clooney and Roberts. It was nice to see O’Connell hold his own with these A-list stars.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: There’s not much to focus on creatively. Foster does a fine job but nothing amazing. I guess I like the real-time aspect of the movie.     

VERDICT: Three stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Clooney and understand stocks a bit.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: X-Men: Apocalypse; Popstar

Film: Captain America - Civil War

GENRE: Action, Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 26 minutes

STARRING: Chris Evans (Captain America, Avengers, Snowpiercer)

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man); Anthony Mackie (The Night Before)

DIRECTORS: Anthony & Joe Russon (Winter Soldier, next Avengers)

WRITERS: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Narnia, Captain Americas, Agent Carter, Pain & Gain)

PLOT: Captain America and Iron Man are on different sides of a bill demanding political oversight. Oh there’s a lot of fighting.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a long time. Especially after this dull April.

STORY STUFF: I found the story engaging because I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Apparently, it is very different from the comics (which I haven`t read). I wish that I didn`t know in advance who all were going to appear in the film, it would have been an awesome surprise. Thanks a lot, internet. I was confused as to why Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) had such a small role as Everett Ross. After some research, it seems he factors into the Black Panther storyline. Oh, those Marvel universes.

ACTING STUFF: Glad to have Paul Rudd as Ant-Man bringing in some much needed comic relief. Also Tom Holland is pretty fun as the new Spider-Man, he does a great job showing his age. The rest of the Avengers are great as usual.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: Beautifully choreographed fight sequences. Hand to hand combat and the big epic battle were top notch. Don`t know why this was in 3D though as it didn`t enhance a thing, so I suspect a money grab.   

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Marvel movies

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Money Monster, Angry Birds

Film: Allegiant

GENRE: Action

RATING: PG-13 for violence and partial nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours

STARRING: Shailene Woodley (Divergent, Fault in Our Stars)

Theo James (Insurgent); Jeff Daniels (Newsroom, Steve Jobs)

DIRECTOR: Robert Schwentke (Flightplan, RED, Insurgent)

WRITERS: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage (Accepted, Tower Heist)

Noah Oppenheim (Maze Runner)

PLOT: Tris and her friends find out what is beyond the wall and things are not what they seem.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I didn’t read the final book, heard it wasn’t that good.

STORY STUFF: Be aware that like all young adult books turned into movies, they have divided the final book into two parts. It was pretty obvious that they were taking their time to justify another film, some looks linger a bit too long. If you break down what really happens plotwise, not much goes on. This story would be my least favourite of the three so far but it wasn’t terrible or anything, just not as gripping.

ACTING STUFF: Everyone does a good job on screen. These actors know these characters and give it all they can. I did like seeing Jeff Daniels in his role as David (boring character names btw). It’s hard to believe that Daniels was in Dumb and Dumber.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: You can tell there was a lot of CG going on this movie. Being the future, some of that is understandable, but at other points, some realism would be nice. I found the over abundance of red, white and black kind of dull. I also wasn’t really impressed with the futuristic building designs. You could also tell that Four does not like white, he changed into his black outfit as quick as humanly possible.  

VERDICT: Two and half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You’ve already seen the other two films.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Captain America: Civil War

Film: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

GENRE: Action

RATING: PG-13 for violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 31 minutes

STARRING: Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, Argo, Daredevil)

Henry Cavill (Man of Steel); Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

DIRECTORS: Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel, Watchmen)

WRITERS: Chris Terrio (Argo) & David S Goyer (The Dark Knight)

PLOT: After Metropolis is wrecked, Batman wants to keep Superman in check so he takes him on with some extra egging on by Lex Luthor.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I had low expectations after watching the just okay Man of Steel.

STORY STUFF: While I felt they did a pretty good job justifying Batman wanting to fight Superman, I didn’t understand Lex’s motives much. Wonder Woman is given a good introduction but Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg are left on the peripheral.

ACTING STUFF: Everyone does a good job but there is not really a standout in the lead roles. I usually don’t like Laurence Fishburne (Matrix) but I really enjoyed his work this time around as Perry White. I actually cared about him as opposed to his weak introduction in Man of Steel.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The dark palette continues much like Man of Steel and Nolan’s Batman trilogy. I did not like Batman’s Iron Man suit complete with glowing eyes and platform shoes; too bulky. Unfortunately, the last third of the movie spirals out of control as Snyder makes the action busier and busier. Also, based on the dream sequences, I fear that Bruce Wayne has narcolepsy.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You love broody superheroes and explosive action
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Allegiant

Film: Zootopia

GENRE: Animation, Action

RATING: PG for some action and rude humour
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes

STARRING: Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time, Ed)

Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses); Idris Elba (Thor, Pacific Rim)

DIRECTORS: Byron Howard (Tangled), Rick Moore (Wreck-It Ralph)

WRITERS: Jared Bush (newcomer) & Phil Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph)

PLOT: A bunny cop and slick fox work together to find some missing animals and a greater conspiracy.

FULL DISCLOSURE: They had me at the sloth trailer.

STORY STUFF: The plot moved along a pretty good pace. I really enjoyed the themes of the film. Not only does it take on racial equality but also the idea of following your dreams (which they beat you over the head with Shakira’s “Try Everything” song). There are some great moments throughout but the best, by far, is the sloth scene at the DMV. It’s worth watching again and again.

ACTING STUFF: Really great voice acting all around. Even though I knew it was Goodwin doing Judy’s voice, it still reminded me of Amy Poehler.

ARTISTIC STUFF: This film looks a couple a steps shy of a Pixar film. There’s cleverness in the backgrounds and beautiful animation but it looks like it could go a bit further. Also the supporting characters needed more pizazz, like the mayor.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: Love clever Disney animated films

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Batman vs Superman, Allegiant

Oscar WrapUp 2016

So I got the same score as last year with 17 predicted right. Those short films did me in, I didn’t get one of them right. Chris Rock was pretty good as host. I thought the girl guide cookies fell flat but I loved his comment on what males wear and the clips of black people having a hard time in white movies. The music was weird this time around. The Ride of the Valkyries as play off music sounded awkward as was the music played for Brie Larson’s win for the emotionally draining Room. Oh well. I did enjoy the nomination packages again this year. I know I’m a nerd. Let’s see who won:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

STUTTERER

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

BEAR STORY

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

A GIRL IN THE RIVER

SOUND EDITING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (predicted)

SOUND MIXING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (predicted)  

ORIGINAL SCORE

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (predicted)

ORIGINAL SONG

WRITING’S ON THE WALL

VISUAL EFFECTS

EX MACHINA

MAKE-UP

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (predicted)  

COSTUME DESIGN

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

PRODUCTION DESIGN

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (predicted)  

FILM EDITING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (predicted)   

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE REVENANT (predicted)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

AMY (predicted)

ANIMATED FEATURE

INSIDE OUT (predicted)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

SON OF SAUL (predicted)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE BIG SHORT (predicted)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

SPOTLIGHT (predicted)

BEST DIRECTOR

ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU [THE REVENANT] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ALICIA VIKANDER [THE DANISH GIRL] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

MARK RYLANCE [BRIDGE OF SPIES]

BEST ACTRESS

BRIE LARSON [ROOM] (predicted)

BEST ACTOR

LEONARDO DICAPRIO [THE REVENANT] (predicted)

BEST PICTURE

SPOTLIGHT (predicted)

How did you do?

Oscar Predictions 2016

It’s that time of year again for my fearless Oscar predictions. This is probably the hardest Best Picture winner to predict. My gut, my head and my heart are still fighting to choose. Just as a reminder, I’m not predicting who I want to win but who I think the Academy will vote for. From smaller to bigger, here we go:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

AVE MARIA

(It’s a heartfelt comedy with nuns)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

SANJAY’S SUPER TEAM

(It’s Pixar. World of Tomorrow is close second)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

BODY TEAM 12       

(Red Cross deals with Ebola outbreak. Relevant)

SOUND EDITING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(Let the tech award haul begin)

SOUND MIXING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(For the flaming guitar guy alone!)

ORIGINAL SCORE

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

(Ennio Morricone is the man)

ORIGINAL SONG

TIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU [THE HUNTING GROUND]

(Lady Gaga on her way to her EGOT)

VISUAL EFFECTS

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(Wish Star Wars would get it but the car fights are awesome)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(Even with the shaved heads)

COSTUME DESIGN

CINDERELLA

(Oscar loves period stuff and ball gowns)

PRODUCTION DESIGN

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(I’ll say the cars win this one)

FILM EDITING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(Great action. Hoping Big Short doesn’t get it)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE REVENANT

(Beautiful landscapes and bear attacks)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

AMY

(Amy Winehouse is all the rage right now)

ANIMATED FEATURE

INSIDE OUT

(They better get this one.)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

SON OF SAUL

(Everyone is predicting this one)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE BIG SHORT

(Clever writing with its celebrity explanations)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

SPOTLIGHT

(A powerful film praising journalistic efforts)

BEST DIRECTOR

ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU [THE REVENANT]

(He knows how to make an interesting film)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ALICIA VIKANDER [DANISH GIRL]

(She is everywhere and deserves some recognition)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

SYLVESTER STALLONE [CREED]

(It’s the Rocky award he should have one for the first Rocky)

BEST ACTRESS

BRIE LARSON [ROOM]

(She is mesmerizing as broken mother putting on a brave face)

BEST ACTOR

LEONARDO DICAPRIO [THE REVENANT]

(He practically killed himself for this award)

BEST PICTURE

SPOTLIGHT

(I feel like the Academy wants the winner to be a movie that means something years from now. The Big Short seems to crazy and The Revenant is just too raw. Spotlight is my heart choice.)

I only got 17 right last year. 21 right the year before.  Let’s see how I do on Oscar night this Sunday.

Film: Deadpool

GENRE: Action, Comedy

RATING: R for strong violence and language with some nudity
RUNTIME: 1 hours and 48 minutes

STARRING: Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, Green Lantern)

Morena Baccarin (Homeland, Firefly); TJ Miller (Silicon Valley)

DIRECTOR: Tim Miller (newcomer)

WRITERS: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Zombieland)

PLOT: A ‘hero’ with quick healing powers seeks revenge on the man who experimented on him. And he likes to swear.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I only vaguely remember him from Origins: Wolverine.

STORY STUFF: The beginning and ending of the story is well paced and full of humour. The experiment that makes Deadpool into the guy he is was pretty boring. Maybe it was because the bad guy didn’t have much gravitas. I enjoy how the film tells the story in a non-linear fashion. I did not like the X-Men connection. Could care less about Colossus and who the hell is Negasonic Teenage Warhead?

ACTING STUFF: Reynolds finally has an action hero worth watching. You can tell that he is having so much fun playing this role, it makes you want to root for him even more. Miller and Baccarin do well to support Reynolds. The rest of the cast is blah.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Fantastic opening titles, fun slo-mo images mixed with sarcastically perfect credits. Just like the story, the beginning and ending are full of violent fun, the middle is snooze-ville. Deadpool loves to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience. His comments on X-Men are hysterical. Great meta fun. This film also has a kickin’ soundtrack from pulsing DMX to cheesy Wham!

VERDICT: Three and a half stars

SEE IT IF: You aren’t offended easily by gratuitous language & violence

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Zoolander 2, Zootopia

Superbowl Commercials 2016

Maybe watching Superbowl ads all at once following the big game is not as fun as watching them during the game. I wasn’t too impressed with the commercials this year. I hope they improve for next year, when we, in Canada, are finally able to see the American spots. In any case, here are some of my favourites but aso the ones that made me go ‘huh?’

FUNNIEST COMMERCIALS

Avacados from Mexico – Aliens

Strange but at least mocks Scott Baio.

Doritos – Ultrasound

Need to get past why these two are married.

FUN USE OF CELEBRITIES

Bud Light – The Bud Light Party

Seth Rogen & Amy Schumer go over the line, but still fun.

TurboTax – Actoring

Nice to see Anthony Hopkins getting work

BEST USE OF A SONG

Marmot – Love the Outside

The use of Flight of the Conchords made this work for me.

INSPIRING COMMERICAL

Pantene – Dad-Do: Strong is Beautiful

Very cute watching football players try do their daughter’s hair

GREAT PSA COMMERCIALS

Colgate – #EveryDropCounts

A great reminder.

Budweiser – #GiveADamn

Helen Mirren is so ‘polite’ calling out the drunk drivers of the world

NOT SURE ABOUT  COMMERCIALS

Heinz Ketchup – Weiner Stampede

The dogs are cute but the family of ketchups kind of deflates it

NFL – Superbowl Babies

Funny but weird to sing about your parents. It was hard to understand all the lyrics in the beginning. This ad also went on way too long.

BIZARRE HEALTH  COMMERCIALS

OIC is Different – Envy

Have constipation? Talk to a doctor. What? No pill or remedy being promoted?

Xifixan – IBS

Who came up with this mascot?

Jublia – Toenail Fungus

It was odd last year, and now they have NFL celebrities helping out. Huh?

TERRIBLE MESSAGE COMMERCIAL

QuickenLoans – What We Were Thinking

Are they trying to create another financial crisis?

MISGUIDED USE OF CELEBRITY COMMERCIALS

Skittles – The Portrait

Steven Tyler is not relevant anymore. Also tired of Dream On.

T-Mobile – Drop the Balls

Very timely with Steve Harvey but just not funny at all.

Also thought the Apartments.com ad was pretty cheesy with Weezy.

“WHAT?”  COMMERCIALS

PayPal – New Money in Town

Glad they showed Canadian bills but how new is PayPal?

Mountain Dew – Kickstart

Puppymonkeybaby. What am I watching?

Anyway, that’s my assessment of the ads this year. Here’s hoping for better next year.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Deadpool; Zoolander 2