Baywatch (2017)

Genre: Action / Comedy

Directed by: Seth Gordon

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario

Time: 116 minutes

Lt. Mitch Buchannon and his group of lifeguards go on a dangerous mission to protect the Baywatch beach from a drug lord trying to take over that area of Emerald Bay and its real estate.

Considering the reviews this film got, I went in with very small expectations. In the end, I was entertained. Sure, it is over-the-top and cheesy to no end. Sure, the acting is nothing spectacular. This is not great cinema. But, it is a great excuse to turn off your brain for a few hours and laugh at a movie that has the charm of not taking itself seriously. That helps greatly. The David Hasselhof cameo was a nice touch too.

Rating: «««

George Carlin: Complaints and Grievances (2001)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Rocco Urbisci

Cast: George Carlin

Time: 55 minutes

The great George Carlin was back to the Beacon Theatre, in New York, in late 2001, for his 12th HBO special. It was originally supposed to be called I Kinda Like It When A Lot of People Die, but the title was changed to Complaints and Grievances after the events of 9/11. In this show, Carlin briefly deals with these tragic events and he does so in masterful fashion, considering how sensitive of a subject matter it still was at that point. Here, the comic also discusses traffic accidents, things we all can find on our bodies, people who ought to be killed and the ten commandments. This last bit has become somewhat of a classic which has made tons of people laugh and others frown. The tone is hard and acerbic here, but it is so very funny. The material is strong. It will make you laugh, it will make you think; it will thoroughly entertain you, if you are not overly sensitive. Otherwise, steer clear.

Rating: «««««

I Feel Pretty (2018)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Abby Kohn

Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski

Time: 110 minutes

Renee Bennett lives a low-profile life working from a basement office managing the website for cosmetics firm Lily LeClaire. Her lack of self-esteem greatly impedes her daily life. After hitting her head during spinning class, she starts seeing herself with more favorable eyes, which will greatly improve her social standing.

Maybe I simply was not the target audience, but I was completely bored watching this one with my wife last weekend. I even fell asleep at one point, and I don’t even feel like watching it again to see what I missed. The acting felt fake and uninspired, the story did not appeal to me and I never managed to get remotely emotionally invested in these characters. Yawn.

Rating: «

Creed II (2018)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Steven Caple Jr.

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Time: 130 minutes

After his defeat to Ricky Conlan and a series of victories, Adonis Creed faces heavyweight champion Danny Wheeler and wins. Now, Ivan Drago, the man who killed Adonis’ father in the ring, comes knocking, with his son Viktor, who is also a boxer. The challenge is laid, and Creed wants to take it, in spite of Rocky Balboa’s reservations.

This was a truly solid follow-up to the first Creed film. Stallone is so damn good in the role of Rocky, it is unbelievable. He created it and he knows how to inhabit it fully. He makes that man come to life in front of our eyes. Michael B. Jordan is also getting better to hold his own against the veteran actor.

Creed II is filled with many touching moments, full of wisdom, and of funny moments too. Sure, it is not as fresh as when the Rocky franchise began, in the 70’s, but it is still so very good.

Rating: ««««

Creed (2015)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Time: 133 minutes

Adonis “Donnie” Johnson is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed. After bouncing around from one group home to another, he is adopted by Creed’s widow. Now an adult, his goal is to follow in his dad’s footsteps as a boxer. After failing to get trained at the gym owned by a friend of the family, he travels from LA to Philly to seek out the help of retired boxer and friend/opponent of his dad, Rocky Balboa.

This film serves as the start of a sort of spinoff to the original Rocky franchise. The focus is no longer mainly on Balboa. The problem is that Stallone is so good here that Michael B. Jordan has a hard time keeping up at times. Nonetheless, Creed is a very good movie. It may feel like a reheated Rocky at times, but it all feels so genuine and real that you cannot help getting on board. The story is riveting and the acting is solid.

Rating: ««««

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Sylvester Stallone

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia

Time: 104 minutes

Rocky Balboa is now retired from boxing and he operates an Italian restaurant named after his late wife Adrian. When a computer-generated fight on a sports show has Rocky defeating actual heavyweight champion Mason “The line” Dixon, Balboa finds himself challenged to get back in the ring for an exhibition fight against the champ.

This was the proper conclusion that the original Rocky franchise deserved. Rocky V was such a letdown to the actor/writer himself and to the fans. In that film, the Rocky character was turned into a pathetic shadow of himself in a setting that felt fake and manufactured. In Rocky Balboa, we get our great underdog back. Sure, he has hard times, but you can root for him again. It felt sincere and honest too. The Marie subplot was interesting too.

Overall, while not perfect, this installment was a grand improvement from the previous offering. And I love how they went for a reasonable ending. In Hollywood, that is quite a feat.

Rating: ««««

Rocky V (1990)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: John G. Avildsen

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone, Tommy Morrison

Time: 104 minutes

As he’s coming back from Moscow, after defeating Ivan Drago, Rocky Balboa is still feeling the ill-effects of multiple punches to the head. His celebration is short-lived, as the Balboa family finds itself broke, due to mismanagement by their accountant. Rocky wants to fight again to pay his debts, but a doctor confirms that he has suffered brain damage. So, he retires, and the family moves back to the old Philly neighborhood. Soon, Rocky starts training Tommy Gunn, a young up-and-comer looking for coaching, but George Washington Duke, a boxing promoter, is there to cause issues.

This is where the Rocky franchise truly fell apart, until it rose from its ashes. All along, we could root for the ultimate underdog, Rocky Balboa. In this fifth installment, all you could do was pity the fool, in the immortal words of Mr. T, and feel bad for him. The script felt empty and went nowhere, and the acting was mostly uninspired. A few good scenes saved this from being totally awful, but it was still not enough to make it good.

It is also sad to think of Sage Stallone and Tommy Morrison both finding untimely deaths years later.

Rating: ««