Movie Review: Identity Thief

Identity Thief

"Honesty is as Blonde does..."

Starring: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy

Synopsis: Unlimited funds have allowed Diana to live it up on the outskirts of Miami, where the queen of retail buys whatever strikes her fancy. There's only one glitch: The ID she's using to finance these sprees reads "Sandy Bigelow Patterson" and it belongs to an accounts rep who lives halfway across the U.S. With only one week to hunt down the con artist before his world implodes, the real Sandy Bigelow Patterson heads south to confront the woman with an all-access pass to his life. And as he attempts to bribe, coax and wrangle her the 2,000 miles to Denver, one easy target will discover just how tough it is to get your name back.

Actors Impression:
     I have been a Melissa McCarthy fan since her days on the TV show Gilmore Girls, so I'm not surprised with her enormous spike in popularity. She gives 100 percent to her character, and Identity Thief is no different. The character of Diana is a first for McCarthy, as a selfish yet lonely con artist filling her life with stuff instead of meaningful relationships and hard work. Her comedic timing and physical delivery was top-notch, playing well off her co-star, Bateman, and the other sub-characters in the film. 
     Jason Bateman has been a favored actor of mine since Dodgeball, and this new film didn't disappoint. Although, poor Bateman took way too many punches to the throat in this movie, I think, and was maybe a little too uptight after McCarthy's character (I think) proved her loyalty.

Plot Impression:
     I thought this movie was fun and original. The timeline of a week kept the story from getting too out of hand or off-track, and the different obstacles Bateman and McCarthy faced seemed "realistic" in terms of the type of film.
     I think the storylines of the bounty-hunter (WHY DIDN'T HE HAVE A NAME?) and the two other characters that were after Diana needed more explaining. I got that the guy and the chick were working for some guy that Diana sold stolen stuff to, but why was it so important to chase her across the country? And how did the bounty hunter survive a car accident, at least two days in the hot sun in a hot van, a shot to the face, and another car? Also, how did he get to 
     

Overall Impression:
     Overall, I think this was a funny film, but not one to stand up to the test of time. I loved the physical comedy, but I think it was taken too far with so many sexual/physical jokes. Honestly, we did NOT need that much of cowboy-Eric Stonestreet. 


The Blonde's Rating: 2.5/5 -rent it

That's all for now,
The Blonde

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare [SPOILERS AHEAD!] (Infernal Devices)

"Honesty is as Blonde does..."

THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Movie Review: Side Effects

Side Effects:

Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum

Synopsis: A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.

Actors Impression:
     I was disappointed with the lack of Channing Tatum's hotness in this film, but when he was on screen, his performance was starkly different from his past performances which, in my book, is good. He's never played this kind of character before, so he can't remind me of anything I've seen before. That aside, Tatum's presence in this film was lack-luster and forgettable. Basically, his character was there to be a catalyst to get the real conflict in the movie going, and it probably could have been replaced by anyone.
    Jude Law was marvelous in this film. His character transformed with the circumstances in this movie, and I was completely enveloped in his development.
    Catherine Zeta-Jones is an excellent actress, however right from the start of the movie, I felt like her character was up to something, that she did not have innocent intentions, and in the style of the film, I shouldn't have been able to detect that in the beginning. She played sketchy-as-hell very well, but she needed to begin her performance with "I'm-just-trying-to-help."
    Rooney Mara was excellent. She embodied her character throughout the entirety of the film and played well off of the other actors. Perfection.

Plot Impression:
   I was very surprised by the film and the plot line. This was partly due to the film promos being incredibly vague about the plot, but they gave enough of an impression to guess the story, and I guessed wrong. Which, as a writer, doesn't happen very often. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with the turn the Law-Mara plot line took halfway through the film. It was surprising, unexpected, and ended in a way that satisfied my preferences by the end of the movie. I was disappointed with the use of Zeta-Jones' character; she definitely could have been integrated into the developing story in a much better way, and it sort of left me feeling very... "Really? Really, this is happening right now?"
    The film could have definitely been set up in a different way to make the conclusion come out with much stronger convictions, which would have inevitably given Tatum's character more use and importance.
    Speaking from a writer's point of view, the story was good and surprising, but it definitely could have gone through another round of edits and become stronger.

Overall Impression:
   I enjoyed watching this film a lot more than I expected I would. While I obviously have critiques after thinking about it for a few days, walking out of the theater, I was singing nothing but praises.
   I think the music and score definitely improved the viewing experience of this film. The music was subtle and beautiful, and enhanced the experience in my opinion.
   Would I see this movie again? Probably not in theaters, but I'll buy it on DVD.


The Blonde's Rating: 4/5 ****
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Average Rating: 7.4/10


Thanks!
The Blonde

Hello,

I said I would review TV shows, and I will, but I won't do it episode by episode because I get so easily behind on some shows that by the time I'd update one, it would be, like, three episodes behind. 

So I will be reviewing TV shows on the day after their finale airs.

These shows will be:

Season 2

Season 1

Season 26: Fans vs. Favorites

Season 4

I could probably update it episode by episode for these last two shows, but I'm not going to break form.

Hope everyone is looking forward to these reviews!

Thanks!

The Blonde