The film is the simple story of two 40-something women who work and live together as they both lose their jobs as they decide to go on a vacation through a suggestion of an acquaintance of theirs unaware of a secret plot involving a madwoman who wants to destroy this place that caused her all sorts of emotional pain many years ago. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it play into the many typical clichés expected in a film where people go on a vacation and hoping for some fun in the sun yet writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo go into places that is way out there in terms of what is considered unconventional as well as just add a dosage of low-brow humor into the mix. The result is messy but it has this odd tone that makes it endearing due to the fact that the main protagonists in Barb and Star are these somewhat dim-witted yet heartfelt ladies who just live to have fun, have a few drinks, wear these pants known as coulettes, and be completely silly.
Upon their arrival to Vista del Mar in Florida, they meet a British man named Edgar (Jamie Dornan) unaware that he’s really a spy working for a madwoman named Dr. Lady (Kristen Wiig) who hopes to destroy Vista del Mar because of what happened to her as a teenager many years ago by unleashing a swarm of killer mosquitoes. Yet, Edgar is hoping that the mission succeeds so that he and Dr. Lady becomes an official couple yet finds himself falling for Star and questioning what he is trying to do. Adding to the chaos is Barb’s own quest for adventure as well as the fact that Barb and Star talk constantly in their Midwestern accent and are often oblivious to what is happening around them as it adds to the film’s offbeat tone.
Josh Greenbaum’s direction is all over the place in terms of what it wants to be yet it somehow manages to work because of how insane the script is in its approach to offbeat, low-brow humor. Shot on various locations in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with additional locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Nebraska, the film opens with a young kid (Reyn Doi) being a paperboy as he’s singing to Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb’s Guilty as it sets the tone for what is to come where it gets dark upon the appearance of Dr. Lady and who this young kid and it then cuts to Barb and Star at work shoulder-dancing to Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like a Woman. It is among these moments that showcase a film that isn’t going to this traditional vacation film mixed in with a spy thriller as the scene where Barb and Star arrive at the Vista del Mar hotel is presented as this lavish musical number. The usage of wide and medium shots do help with the musical numbers that include another one from Edgar as Greenbaum knows when to create some unique compositions that do pay tribute to musicals while keeping everything else simple. Even in intimate moments where characters are in conversation as it feature bits of humor including some of the most fucked-up moments that include a crab with the voice of Morgan Freeman.
Greenbaum also play into this realm of absurdist humor as it relates to Dr. Lady as she does have this strange back story that is weird in itself while the absurdity continues into a man Dr. Lady hires in Darlie Bunkle (Damon Wayans Jr.) who does a poor job in hiding as he tries to relay information to Edgar. The film also play into elements of surrealism yet Greenbaum keeps it to a minimum in favor of focusing on the friendship of Barb and Star as well as the chaos they find themselves in. Especially in the film’s climax where it is thrilling yet there is this odd sense of humor to it that is insane while not being afraid of being low-brow as it also has this what-the-fuck moment that is baffling but endearing. Overall, Greenbaum crafts a weird, imbecilic yet outrageously funny film about two women in their mid-40s going on a vacation where all hell and hilarity ensue.
Cinematographer Toby Oliver does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors for the scenes of Vista del Mar in the daytime/nighttime scenes as well as some low-key lighting for the interior scenes set in Nebraska and at Dr. Lady’s lair. Editor Steve Welch does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts and montages as it play into absurdist tone of the film. Production designer Steve Saklad, along with set decorator Mariana Castaneda and art director Rafael Mandujano, does amazing work with the look of the Vista del Mar hotel as well as the hotel rooms and some of the exterior locations as well as the quaint and kitsch home of Barb and Star. Costume designer Trayce Gigi Field does fantastic work with the costume in the design of the coulette pants as well as some of the cheesy clothes that Barb and Star wear and the clothes that Dr. Lady wears.
Special makeup effects artist Stephanie Pasicov, along with makeup artist Malinalli Contreras and hair stylist Lizeth Correa, does brilliant work with the look of Dr. Lady as well as the hairstyle that Barb and Star have. Visual effects supervisor Nicholas Hurst does terrific work with some of visual effects for a few action-suspense scenes as well as a few funny moments in the film as it is mainly set dressing. Sound editor Nancy Nugent and sound designer Jon Title do superb work with the sound in the way some of the parties sound as well as the sounds of oceans from the hotel rooms and in some of the sounds inside Dr. Lady’s lair. The film’s music by Christopher Lennertz and Dara Taylor is wonderful for its mixture of suspenseful orchestral music, kitschy jazz, and island-based beach music along with some original piano songs by the comedy-music singer Richard Cheese with songs about boobies and such while music supervisors Julianne Jordan and Justine von Winterfeldt provide a fun music soundtrack featuring Barbra Streisand with Barry Gibb, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Pitbull, and many others including some original songs including the lavish musical numbers.
The casting by Allison Jones is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Gerry Bednob as a motel owner, Michael Hitchcock as the Vista del Mar hotel concierge, Ernesto Godoy as a guy in a speedo, the trio of Nevada Arnold, Elizabeth Kelly, and Ariana Gancicova in their respective roles as the three-year old, seven-year old, and thirteen-year old Dr. Lady, Karen Maruyama as a caricature artist, Kwame Patterson as the hotel bartender, and Mark David Jonathan as his musical persona Richard Cheese. Other notable small roles include Wendi McLendon-Covey as Barb and Trish’s friend Mickey who suggests they go to Vista del Mar, the quartet of Vanessa Bayer, Fortune Feimster, Rose Abdoo, and Phyllis Smith as a group of ladies Barb and Star have important conversations with that are often comical with Smith’s character wanting to talk about horses, and Reyn Doi as the young paperboy named Yoyo who plays an integral part into the film’s unique plot.
Damon Wayans Jr. is fantastic in his small role as the spy Darlie Bunkle as someone who tries to make sure Edgar does his job though he does a terrible job in trying to do disguises and hide himself in awkward ways. Jamie Dornan is incredible as Edgar as a spy who goes to Vista del Mar to oversee the mission yet finds himself falling for Star where Dornan doesn’t just show that he is really funny but also can sing and dance in a weird yet exhilarating musical number as it showcases that there is a lot more to him than just being attractive. Finally, there’s the duo of Annie Mumulo and Kristen Wiig in their dual respective roles of the titular characters as these two women from Nebraska with these weird accents and they talk in a certain rhythm and say silly things as they just provide a lot of wit and endure their own individual adventures as Mumulo and Wiig are just so hilarious to watch while Wiig also brings a lot dark camp to her role as Dr. Lady in this strange and chilling performance that has Wiig just being downright weird for all of the right reasons.
Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar is an absolutely fucked-up and insane film from Josh Greenbaum that for some strange fucking reason not only works as a comedy but it’s also a film that refuses to be defined as anything which makes it work. Thanks in large part to the performances of Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo along with their outlandish and far-out screenplay as well as gorgeous visuals, offbeat gags, wild musical numbers, and a supporting cast including a hilarious Jamie Dornan. It is a film that not only refuses to take itself seriously but manages to embrace all sorts of low-brow and surrealistic humor that will baffle many yet also has a lot of heart. In the end, Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar is a sensationally fucked-up film from Josh Greenbaum.
Josh Greenbaum Films: (The Short Game) – (Becoming Bond) – (Too Funny to Fail)
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Chris Henchy, The Other Guys is the story of two mismatched NYPD detectives who take on a case while other detectives do bigger jobs as they make a discovery involving financial embezzlement and such. The film is a mixture of the buddy-cop films mixed in with humor as well as an exploration into the world of finance as it’s all narrated by rapper/actor Ice-T. Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans Jr., Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, and Michael Keaton. The Other Guys is a wild and adventurous film from Adam McKay.
The film follows two mismatched detectives working for the NYPD whose attempt to be taken seriously is met with constant ridicule by other detectives as they take on a case involving the world of finance. It’s a film that is a spoof of sorts of the buddy-cop films yet it also follow two different men who embark on a case that involves a multi-billionaire who has lost money to a client who wants him killed. The film’s screenplay by Adam McKay and Chris Henchy doesn’t just follow these two mismatched partners who aren’t treated with respect but also their effort to get respect from fellow officers despite the fact that neither man are considered great detectives. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a mild-mannered forensic accountant that likes to be on the desk as he’s teamed up with the very hot-tempered Terry Hoitz who is forced to team up with Gamble over an incident where he accidentally shot New York Yankees player Derek Jeter during the World Series. Following the strange death of two widely-revered but cocky detectives, Gamble and Hoitz try to take that spot as they compete with the more-experienced and respected detectives Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans Jr.).
During the course of their investigation of the billionaire Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan), Hoitz and Gamble get to know each other as the former is still eager to prove himself that he can be relied on as he’s also having issues with his ex-girlfriend Francine (Lindsay Sloane) due to his own faults. In the latter, Hoitz would learn that Gamble is married to an extremely-beautiful woman in Sheila (Eva Mendes) as well as get the attraction of a lot of beautiful woman that relates to a past that Gamble is covering up. Some of the investigation relating to Sir Ershon’s embezzlement scam is a bit complicated but it’s made up for the situations that Gamble and Hoitz endure as they had to make their reports to their superior in Captain Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton) who works a second job managing a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Captain Mauch is an oddball character not just for having a second job but also being secretive into what Gamble and Hoitz is trying to uncover. Another quirk that he has is the fact that unknowingly quotes lyrics from the famed 90s R&B group TLC.
McKay’s direction does have elements of style as it relates to a lot of the visual tropes expected in buddy-cop films while it also play with these tropes to create something that is simpler and with an offbeat sense of humor. Shot on location in New York City with additional locations in Staten Island and Albany, the film does play into a world in which its police department is considered one of the best where two men don’t feel like they’re part of that elite group. Even as they endure some very strange moments during their investigation such as talking to a couple who wants Gamble to have sex with his wife since she used to have a relationship with him back in college. While there’s some wide shots for some of the action scenes as well as some establishing shots of the locations. Much of McKay’s direction emphasizes more on close-ups and medium shots to play into the interaction with the characters and the growing partnership between Gamble and Hoitz.
Notably as the latter starts to open up about his anger issues while the former reveals to have a dark side that he’s repressing as his own personal life is about to change. McKay would also take breaks from the humor and action as it relates to the environment Gamble and Hoitz are trying to discover as it relates to Ershon and his business dealings. Notably in a final credits sequence where McKay reveals a lot about some of the financial scandals that happened in real-life showing how big it can affect everything and how it adds to Gamble and Hoitz needing to stop those going after Ershon who is already in trouble for his role. The film’s climax is definitely big as it’s expected in action films but also play into some of the silliness that occurs throughout the climax over the group of mercenaries hired to take out Ershon. Overall, McKay creates a fun and thrilling film about two mismatched partners who step in when everyone else is busy in saving New York City.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography as it has elements of style in some of the interiors and exterior scenes at night while much of the daytime exteriors is straightforward. Editor Brent White does brilliant work with the editing as it does play into the many conventional ideas of editing in action films while also providing something straightforward in capturing the humor in the film. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Jim Gloster, does fantastic work with the look of the offices including Ershon’s posh penthouse and a bar that Gamble frequents at. Costume designer Carol Ramsey does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with the more posh look of Ershon as well as some of the somewhat-skimpy clothing that Sheila wears.
Visual effects supervisor Gregor Lakner does terrific work with a few of the film’s visual effects as it largely relate to some of the action scenes in the film including a helicopter chase scene. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound as it play into the chaos of some of the action as well as the places that Gamble and Hoitz go to during the sequence where they unknowingly take Ershon’s bribes. The film’s music by Jon Brion is wonderful for its low-key score that is a mixture of bombastic orchestral music with some light-hearted jazzy pieces while music supervisor Erica Weis provide a fun mix of music ranging from acts like Little River Band, Phil Collins, Wyclef Jean, the Foo Fighters, Swizz Beatz, Donovan, the Black Eyed Peas, the Hit Crew, Goldfrapp, the White Stripes, Cee-Lo Green with Eva Mendes, Rage Against the Machine, the Mamas and the Papas, and TLC.
The casting by Jennifer Euston and Allison Jones is great as it feature cameo appearances from wrestlers Brian Girard James/Road Dogg Jesse James and Monty Kip Sopp/Bad Ass Billy Gunn, Tracy Morgan, Rosie Perez, and Brooke Shields as themselves at a New York Knicks game, New York Yankees player Derek Jeter as himself, Anne Heche as a CEO who targets Ershon, Josef Sommer as the district attorney who is angry over Gamble and Hoitz’s screw-ups, director Adam McKay as a seedy hobo named Dirty Mike, Bobby Cannavale as a detective who despises Hoitz for shooting Derek Jeter, Rob Huebel as Officer Watts who keeps coming to everyone about putting money into a fund which would play into the third act, Natalie Zea as a former girlfriend of Gamble in Chrisinith, Brett Gelman as Chrisinith’s husband who wants Gamble to fuck her, Tess Kartel as a Brazilian mercenary who is attracted to Gamble, Viola Harris as Sheila’s mother, and Andy Buckley as Ershon’s attorney who is targeted for his actions relating to Ershon’s finances.
Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are terrific in their brief yet respective role as the arrogant detectives Highsmith and Danson as two guys who do so much yet would do stupid things for the NYPD. Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr. are superb in their respective roles as detectives Martin and Fosse as two men who often make fun of Gamble and Hoitz for their incompetence as they try to take in the top spot that was once filled by Danson and Highsmith. Ray Stevenson is fantastic as Roger Wesley as a mercenary leader hired by the people that Ershon had stolen from as he does whatever he can to try and get rid of Gamble and Hoitz. Lindsay Sloane is wonderful as Hoitz’s former girlfriend Francine who isn’t eager to get back with him due to his anger issues as she later realizes why he is flawed as she’s unsure of taking him back.
Steve Coogan is brilliant as Sir David Ershon as a billionaire who gets himself into some trouble over money he’s stolen from a big corporation as he tries to bribe Gamble and Hoitz while dealing with the trouble he’s in. Eva Mendes is fantastic as Gamble’s wife Sheila as a doctor who is super-attractive as she knows about her husband’s dark past as she is something she refuses to take. Michael Keaton is amazing as Captain Gene Mauch as Gamble and Hoitz’s superior who is sympathetic in their need to prove to themselves while he is also offbeat for the fact that he manages a Bed, Bath, and Beyond and unknowingly quotes TLC lyrics as it’s one of Keaton’s funniest performances. Finally, there’s the duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz as two detectives who are totally different to each other in their personality as Wahlberg captures the eagerness and frustration of a man trying to do right but feels like a screw-up every time. Ferrell is more laid back as someone who is just wanting to do his job but also harbors a dark secret which starts to re-emerge where Ferrell displays a manic sense of energy where he and Wahlberg display a fun chemistry that is a joy to watch.
The Other Guys is a sensational film from Adam McKay that features top-notch performances from Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Michael Keaton. Along with its supporting cast, witty script, high-octane action, and some hilarious moments, it’s a film that manages to do more with buddy-cop action film while taking the time to explore different places while maintaining its humor. In the end, The Other Guys is an incredible film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) – The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the comic book series by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau, Big Hero 6 is the story of a tech prodigy who creates a robot that helps him fight against a masked villain with the help of friends. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams and screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson, and Jordan Roberts, the film is set in a futuristic hybrid-city of San Francisco and Tokyo where a young kid tries to learn what it means to be a hero as well as cope with loss. Featuring the voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez, Damon Wayans Jr., Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, and James Cromwell. Big Hero 6 is an exhilarating and touching film from Don Hall and Chris Williams.
Set in a futuristic city that combines San Francisco and Tokyo into a city called San Fransokyo, the film follows a 14-year old tech prodigy with little direction in life as he is encouraged by his older brother to use his talents where a tragic incident prompts the boy to become a hero and fulfill his brother’s wish to help people. It’s a film that isn’t just a boy coping with loss but also befriend a creation of his brother in an inflatable healthcare robot named Baymax (Scott Adsit) who would inspire him to do good. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just follow the young life of Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) who is this brilliant and smart kid that can create robotic stuff including micro-bots as it would be something he and Baymax would have to go against as it’s under the control of a mysterious masked villain. While Hiro and his friends do have a suspect as it relates to a tech entrepreneur in Alistair Keri (Alan Tudyk) who would give Hiro an offer for his micro-bots earlier in the film at a showcase. Yet, there are some things that become complicated as it relates to the grief Hiro has for his brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney).
The film’s direction by Don Hall and Chris Williams is definitely extraordinary for not just the setting of the film but also in creating something that bends a lot of genre but knows what it wants to be. The look of San Fransokyo is definitely a marvel as it does look and feel like a city that has its own unique style while Hall and Williams use some wide and medium shots for the locations while going for the latter in some of the intimate moments involving Hiro and Baymax. The close-ups would play into some of the emotional moments while the direction also has some humor as well as scenes that showcase Hiro’s talents along with the things Tadashi’s friends are able to do. It adds to some lavish sequences that are added with some gorgeous visuals due to the contributions of cinematographers Rob Dressel and Adolph Lusinsky in how some of the scenes at night are lit.
Aided by production designer Paul A. Felix and art director Scott Watanabe as well as visual effects supervisor Kyle Odermatt in the way some of the scenes in the sky look with Odermatt creating a very surreal sequence that occurs late in the film. There is a richness to the animation while it also leans toward the world of comic books as Hall and Williams definitely maintain that look of a comic book as the characters in the form not only are inspired by comics but also play up its sense of whimsy and adventure. Overall, Hall and Williams create a fun and heartfelt film about a young tech prodigy fulfilling his brother’s wish to do good by becoming a hero.
Editor Tim Mertens does excellent work with the editing as it has some nice rhythms to play into the action as well as in some of the humor without deviating too much into fast-cutting techniques. Sound editor/designer Shannon Mills does amazing work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as in the way Baymax sounds. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is fantastic as it has these amazing orchestral flourishes in the strings as it play into the sense of adventure as well as in the drama and suspense as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Jamie Sparer Roberts is great as it feature some small yet notable voice roles from James Cromwell as a tech college professor who sees promise in Hiro’s work with micro-bots, Maya Rudolph as Hiro and Tadashi’s aunt Cass who raises them and runs a café, and Alan Tudyk as the tech guru Alistair Krei whom Hiro and Tadashi’s friends suspect as the mysterious masked villain because he wants the micro-bot tech that Hiro created. Genesis Rodriguez is wonderful as chemist wiz Honey Lemon who becomes part of the team due to her creation of powerful chemicals while Jamie Chung is fantastic as GoGo as an electromagnetic wiz who is also very athletic. Damon Wayans Jr. is superb as Wasabi as neurotic laser engineer who creates weapons involving lasers as he is also the most cautious. T.J. Miller is excellent as Fred as the school’s mascot who is the biggest comic book nerd as he is the wild card of the team.
Daniel Henney is brilliant as Tadashi as Hiro’s older brother who shows Hiro the things he can do and his ambitions where an incident would lead to his passing yet would find a way to give his younger brother some wisdom. Scott Adsit is amazing as the voice of Baymax as this robot who is this object of innocence as his object is to help people in need as a medical robot as it’s a character that is so complex where it shows something that has a lot to offer as it’s one of the most adorable and heartfelt characters in a film. Finally, there’s Ryan Potter in a marvelous performance as Hiro Hamada as a fourteen-year old robotics prodigy who deals with loss as well as a lack of direction where he is determined to solve the loss of his older brother as well as deal with growing pains as Potter’s performance is a highlight of the film.
Big Hero 6 is a phenomenal film from Don Hall and Chris Williams. Featuring some amazing imagery, top-notch art direction and animation, a great voice ensemble, and a heartfelt story about doing good and coping with loss. It’s a superhero film with heart as well as providing something much more than just being entertaining and fun. In the end, Big Hero 6 is a sensational film from Don Hall and Chris Williams.
© thevoid99 2016
