Among the current crop of filmmakers working in the genre of comedy, Adam McKay is probably the best filmmaker working today in comedy though recent films are suggesting he’s moving away from the genre to tackle more serious subjects. Nevertheless, McKay has managed to provide a body of work that doesn’t just play into the world of silliness as well as push the ideas of what is profane in comedy. Through his collaboration with comedy actor Will Ferrell, McKay would provide not just exploration of men dealing with their shortcomings but also face obstacles that pushes them to be better. Even as his films in recent years show that he’s willing to showcase a world that might be too complex for a wide audience yet give them something to relate to. As he’s about to emerge with a new film that would explore the controversial life of former American vice president Dick Cheney, McKay has already made his mark in mainstream American cinema with his eye on the absurdities of the world.
Born on April 17, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Adam McKay was the son of a jazz bassist and a cocktail waitress as he spent much of his young life living in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Like many kids living in rural or suburban areas near big cities, McKay spent much of his time escaping through films where video stores became the place to go to as he learned about the films of Akira Kurosawa and Federico Fellini while was also drawn by the comedies that were emerging during the early 1980s. In the late 1980s, McKay attended Penn State and Temple University where he would drop out from the latter just a semester-and-a-half before getting his bachelor’s degree feeling that college didn’t give him much to learn. In 1990, McKay moved to Chicago as he formed an improve comedy troupe called the Upright Citizen Brigade with Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Rick Roman, and Horatio Sanz. The troupe would later include Amy Poehler and many others as the troupe would become a hit in the Chicago comedy circuit.
Through his work with Upright Citizen Brigade and the Second City comedy team in Chicago, McKay attempted to audition for the famed late-night comedy-sketch show Saturday Night Live in 1995 for its 21st season as a featured player but executive producer Lorne Michaels noticed McKay’s work as a writer. While McKay would spend time in cameo appearances during the 1995-2001 series, it was his work as a writer and later a head writer during this time that showcased his talents for creating sketches. It was during this time he met Shira Piven (sister of actor Jeremy Piven) whom he would marry in 1996 while that time writing for the show also gave him a chance to work with two of the show’s main cast members in Will Ferrell and David Koechner as they would become collaborators. Notably in the former as the two worked with closely while McKay would bring in fellow Second City alum Tina McKay to join the show as a writer for its 23rd season. Following the end of the 26th season in mid-2001, McKay would leave the show wanting to pursue work as a filmmaker having gained experiences directing a few episodes of Saturday Night Live during his tenure.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
In the early 2000s during his time working for Saturday Night Live, McKay and Ferrell collaborated on ideas for a film that would eventually evolve into a project set in the 1970s about a news anchor and their sexism towards women at the time. The project attracted the interest of filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson who wanted to produce it as he was a fan of the work that McKay and Ferrell has done but found some of the ideas that included a parody of the 1993 film Alive which lead to Anderson leaving the project. Filmmaker David O. Russell came on board as an executive producer as would Judd Apatow who would eventually produce the film. The project eventually morphed from a series of bizarre stories into a more straightforward story about a news anchor who falls for his new co-worker only to share the lead anchor job with her.
With Ferrell playing the role of the titular character and Christina Applegate in the role of his love interest/co-worker Veronica Corningstone, the cast would include several of McKay’s associates in David Koechner, Second City alum Steve Carell, and Chris Parnell of SNL as well as Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Willard, and appearances from Ferrell’s Frat-Pack cohorts in Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Luke Wilson. The script would originally involve a story relating to a group of hippie bank robbers as well as other stories involving rival news organizations and Ron Burgundy dealing with changing times. The bank robber storyline wouldn’t be well-received during test screenings as McKay and Ferrell chose to re-write the script into something more cohesive as it play more in to Burgundy’s relationship with Corningstone and their eventual rivalry as well as a report about the impending birth of a panda at the San Diego Zoo.
Though the film was to be a starring vehicle for Ferrell who was becoming quite popular in comedy, both he and McKay knew that it shouldn’t revolve around him as they wouldn’t just make sure that Applegate’s role as Corningstone isn’t just some typical love interest. At the same time, Ferrell and McKay wanted to focus on the supporting characters such as Burgundy’s news team that included Rudd as the charming field reporter Brian Fantana, Koechner as the brash yet closeted sportscaster Champion “Champ” Kind, and Steve Carell as the loyal but dim-witted meteorologist Brick Tamland who would provide some of the film’s funnier moments. Much of the humor was improvisational due to many of the actors work in comedy clubs where they learned their craft. The film would also include this over-the-top sequence in which rival news team where Burgundy and his team face off against other teams led by Vaughn, Stiller, Wilson, and Tim Robbins as it adds to the sense of absurdity that Ferrell and McKay wanted.
The film made its premiere in late June of 2004 before going into a wider release in early July as the film received good reviews but some critics felt the film relied too much on gags and absurdity to be considered a well-rounded comedy. Yet, the film would prove to be a box office success grossing more than $90 million worldwide with $85 million in the U.S. against its $26 million budget. Upon the film’s home video release in December of that year, the film would grow into a cult classic of sorts with many quoting lines of that film as it would later be considered one of the finest comedies ever made.
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
During the post-production for Anchorman, McKay wanted to revive the poorly-received storyline involving the bank robbers into another film of sorts where and Ferrell along with the film’s original editor Brent White in re-assembling a version of the film that would include outtakes and alternate versions into an entirely different film. The film would feature much of the original cast of the film with rapper Chuck D, SNL actress Maya Rudolph, Kevin Corrigan, and Tara Subkoff as the bank robbers where it played into them robbing banks for some kind of cause with Corningstone getting kidnapped while on assignment for another story. McKay would re-tool much of what had been shot in the initial production of Anchorman while bringing in material that had been deleted from the original film and reuse it for this sequel of sorts.
The film was released in December of 2004 as a bonus release for anyone who purchased the Anchorman DVD as the film received mixed reviews from critics as well as fans of the original film. Nevertheless, the film was successful enough to ensure the growing cult following for Anchorman as it had become popular among fans of comedies.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The massive success of Anchorman wouldn’t just give McKay some clout but also helped make Will Ferrell a star that can bring in money as the two decided to work on another project that would play into another character who is unable to cope with reality. The film would be set in the world of NASCAR stock car racing as it relates to driver who becomes a racing champion as he would win all the time but struggles with father-abandonment issues as well as the emergence of a Formula One racer who would become his newest opponent. The film would have Ferrell in the lead role as it would be the second part of a thematic trilogy of films known as the Mediocre Man Trilogy relating to men dealing with their own insecurities and inability to deal with reality. With editor Brent White returning on board as McKay would gain another recurring collaborator in Oliver Wood as his cinematographer.
The cast, aside from McKay regular David Koechner, would include John C. Reilly as Ricky Bobby’s best friend Cal Naughton Jr., Sacha Baron Cohen as Bobby’s new rival Jean Girard, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, and Gary Cole. The film would be shot in North Carolina as it would play into the world of NASCAR with a lot of emphasis on product placement to establish the world that Bobby is in while it also had an element of satire. Yet, McKay didn’t want to make fun of NASCAR nor its racers as there’s cameos from several NASCAR luminaries including Dale Earnhardt Jr. who appears in a scene wanting an autograph from Bobby. It’s more about a man who wants to be in that culture of racing all because he wants to go fast and manages to become a star when he replaces a driver who quits during a race where he would become a superstar with his best friend becoming his teammate and the second-best driver in NASCAR.
Still, McKay wanted to show the flaws of Bobby as he always want his father to come and see him race since he was the inspiration for Bobby but he never shows up to a single race. At the same time, Bobby is forced to deal with the realities around him once he is unable to defeat Girard in a race as he loses his wife and everything else. It would eventually lead to his father coming back to help him as well as get inspiration from his longtime assistant who would get him to realize why he was a great racer. The film made its premiere in August of 2006 where it was a major commercial hit at the box office grossing more than $148 million in the U.S. box office with a worldwide total of $163 million against its $72.5 million budget.
The film would also receive positive reviews from critics as a lot of them had re-evaluated their opinion on Anchorman stating that McKay and Ferrell are a force to be reckoned with. The film also attracted positive notices from the racing community where the film’s climatic race was re-enacted somewhat when Carl Edwards ran towards the finish line after his car had crashed during a race at the 2009 Aaron’s 499. At the 2013 United States Grand Prix, racer Sebastian Vettel and his engineer Guillaume “Rocky” Rocquelin would make references to the film as well as pay homage to Bobby and Naughton’s “shake and bake” quote sustaining the film’s popularity.
The Landlord/Good Cop Baby Cop
During a break between film projects, McKay and Ferrell teamed up with writer/producer Chris Henchy in forming a project that would be a platform to create comedy shorts and ideas for people in the world of comedy. The production company that would become Funny or Die would begin as a comedy website to create shorts and ideas McKay teamed up with Drew Antzis in directing a two-minute short film about a man being confronted by his two-year old landlord. With McKay playing the small role, his daughter Pearl would play the landlord who confronts Ferrell about wanting her rent money while being intoxicated. The short film was seen on the Internet by millions in its initial 2007 release as it was considered one of the funniest videos ever shown which lead to McKay making another short film with his daughter and Ferrell.
The second short involves Ferrell as someone who refuses to cooperate with the police with McKay as one of the cops forcing to bring in someone that could break Ferrell which is Pearl. Pearl’s tactics would prove to be Ferrell’s undoing as she would assault him and give him insults to the point that Ferrell would confess. While the short didn’t have the big impact as its predecessor, the short was still successful though it would mark Pearl McKay’s final acting performance as she decided to retire at the age of two despite a cameo a few years later in Anchorman 2.
Step Brothers
During that break period between feature film projects and developing the Funny or Die production banner, McKay and Ferrell attempted to make a third film that would be part of a thematic trilogy with Anchorman and Talladega Nights. The project that was to become Booby Trap: The Tale of Rusty Butte was to revolve around a porn star and his skills in porn. Yet, the project never got off the ground as McKay and Ferrell would get another project in collaboration with John C. Reilly about two people meet and fall in love yet they both have unemployed slacker sons in their 40s who are forced to become stepbrothers against their own will. With McKay and Ferrell writing the script with Reilly receiving a story credit as it would star Ferrell and Reilly as the stepbrothers, the film would mark a major change for McKay in his approach to comedy as it had leaned towards element of satire and silly humor.
With Richard Jenkins playing Reilly’s father and Mary Steenburgen as Ferrell’s mother, the cast would include Adam Scott as Ferrell’s younger yet arrogant brother, Andrea Savage, and two regulars of the McKay ensemble in Kathryn Hahn and Rob Riggle plus a cameo from Seth Rogen. While McKay would also retain the services of his collaborators from previous films, he would gain the services of music composer Jon Brion who had been famous for his score music to the early films of Paul Thomas Anderson. The film would be shot largely on location in Southern California as McKay knew that this film would be different from previous films that often toed the line of what was acceptable and what was profane. Knowing that this film would be given a possible R rating for its brash language, McKay decided to forge ahead and create something that is confrontational and uneasy for a wide audience.
Among these scenes involve Ferrell and Reilly’s characters doing all sorts of things as it shows them not wanting to conform to the expectations of society such as this one moment where they both show up for job interviews in tuxedos proclaiming “we’re here to fuck shit up”. McKay also decides to give the other actors their moments with Kathryn Hahn in the role of Scott’s unhappy wife getting some scene-stealing moments as a frustrated wife who engages in a one-sided sexual affair with Reilly’s character. The film’s climax at this corporate wine mixer known as the Catalina Wine Mixer would play into the film’s protagonist who had succumbed to being part of society until Jenkins realizes how miserable they are. Even as it showcases a moment where an 80s Billy Joel tribute act is being heckled by a guest leading to its lead singer spewing profanity at the heckler to showcase the element of anarchy and rage that looms throughout the film.
The film was released in late July 2008 with a lot of anticipation where even though it made more than $128 million worldwide against its $65 million budget. It was considered a disappointment by some in the industry while the critical reception was polarizing as some didn’t like the film’s mean-spirited and confrontational humor though others found it to be fresh. The film’s home video release later in December would give the film an unexpected cult following that would grow as people would reenact certain scenes or say certain lines.
Eastbound & Down-Chapter 5
In 2006, McKay and Ferrell formed a production company called Gary Sanchez Productions named after a fictional financier from Paraguay as it would be a company that would develop films and TV shows where filmmaker Jody Hill had developed a project about a former baseball pitcher who returns to his hometown after years of failure where he becomes a middle school physical education teacher. McKay and Ferrell would serve as executive producers for the show that made its premiere in 2009 on HBO with Ferrell making an appearance as the owner of a car dealership. The show’s six episodes in the first season were directed by Hill and David Gordon Green while McKay would direct the fifth episode that featured Ferrell in an episode in which Ferrell’s character wants to challenge the character of Kenny Powers, played by Danny R. McBride, to face off against one of his foes played by Craig Robinson. It’s a moment where Powers wonders if he’s still got it after having been humiliated by his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend in the previous episode as it would become this big moment that Powers might return to the majors. The episode was a hit as it would give the show three more seasons on HBO to great acclaim and solid ratings.
The Other Guys
Having spent time producing and develop projects for other writers/filmmakers in comedy, McKay decided to return to the world of film though wanted to do something different while retaining his love for light-hearted comedy. During a dinner with Will Ferrell and actor Mark Wahlberg, McKay saw the two actors banter and laugh with each other prompting to create a buddy comedy for the two that would eventually be a spoof of sorts of the buddy cop films with Ferrell and Wahlberg in the lead roles. With Ferrell unable to take part in the writing due to other projects, McKay was able to get help from writer/producer Chris Henchy in writing the film. The film would more than just a buddy cop spoof sorts where it relates to two mismatched partners who try to prove their worth to the New York Police Department in filling the void of two revered cops who died on the job by taking on a case involving financial embezzlement.
The film’s cast would include Eva Mendes, Damon Wayans Jr., McKay regular Rob Riggle, Ray Stevenson, Steve Coogan, and Michael Keaton along with appearances from Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, an un-credited Anne Heche, and Bobby Cannavale as well as a cameo from Henchy’s real-life wife in actress Brooke Shields. Rapper/actor Ice-T would do some of the film’s narration as it would be shot largely in New York City as McKay retained the services of his many collaborators from the previous film. McKay would allow room for improvisation as well as provide moments for the supporting cast to do more such as Mendes and Keaton with the latter playing the police captain who also manages a Bed, Bath, and Beyond while unknowingly quote lyrics from the R&B group TLC.
The film would also include a subplot as it relates to a dark past that Ferrell’s character is carrying as he tries to deny the fact that he was once a pimp. It’s among some of the comical moments that McKay would create which is why Ferrell’s character often gets the attention of a lot of attractive women including Brooke Shields. Even as Ferrell’s character shows a dark side that is starting to re-emerge as McKay wanted to get that out in a funny way where he tells Keaton’s character “Gator needs his gat you punk-ass bitch!” The film would premiere on August 2010 where it was a big box office hit as it grossed more than $170 million worldwide against its $100 million budget. The film’s critical reception was also positive where the film would hint a new direction for McKay that was shown in the film’s closing credits.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
After many attempts to get Booby Trap out of development, McKay and Ferrell decided in making a sequel to Anchorman that began around 2008 where the two traded ideas. During the production of The Other Guys, McKay and Ferrell wanted to incorporate more satire as it relates to the rise of FOX News and its right-wing stance in creating stories that are supposedly untrue. When the rights to the original film and its characters were transferred from Dreamworks to Paramount after a buy-out from the latter in 2006, plans for the sequel were on hold despite the fact that Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell were willing to take pay cuts to lower the film’s budget. In 2012, Paramount ultimately decided on getting the sequel made which Ferrell announced as the character of Ron Burgundy on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show. With Christina Ricci and David Koechner reprising their roles from the previous film, the cast would also include Kristen Wiig, Meagan Good, Dylan Baker, Greg Kinnear and James Marsden in major supporting parts.
With appearances from Vince Vaughn, Fred Willard, and Chris Parnell reprising their roles from the previous film as cameos, several personalities would appear in the film in cameos such as Will Smith, Harrison Ford, John C. Reilly, Jim Carrey, Marion Cotillard, Kirsten Dunst, Kanye West, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Liam Neeson, and Sacha Baron Cohen where many of them appear for the film’s climatic news team battle. Shot on a $50 million budget with much of it shot in Atlanta with some parts of the film shot on location in San Diego and Jersey City, New Jersey as the production began in March 2013 where McKay brought in Melissa Bretherton to aid regular editor Brent White in the editing for its impending release later that December. The film would be set in the early 80s where Burgundy doesn’t just deal with losing a top anchor spot to love-interest Veronica Corningstone but also take part in the emergence of 24-hour news where he calls upon his old team to join him.
While the film would have gags and such that was prevalent in the original film, McKay would tone it down in favor of satire as it relates to Burgundy’s plan to become a big deal in the ratings in creating news that people want to hear rather than what they need. It showcases the idea of what news would become in the 1990s and later into the 21st Century with Burgundy becoming extremely famous and eventually alienating his loyal news team. The film also included a subplot in which the character of Brick Tamland gets a love interest of his own in an equally-idiotic typist named Chani who is played by Kristen Wiig which gives the film some offbeat humor as well as a couple for audiences to root for. Yet, the film does remain a character study of sorts in which Burgundy is also a father to a boy that he shares custody with Corningstone who becomes appalled into what Burgundy has done to the news forcing him to make a decision as a man in what he really needs to do.
The film was released on December 2013 to much anticipation as it was a major box office hit grossing more than $170 million worldwide against its $50 million budget. The film’s critical reception was positive though many agreed that it isn’t as good as its predecessor but still entertaining enough. The film’s success continued to maintain Ferrell’s status as box office draw in comedies while McKay would also gain some clout though he decided to take a step back to help develop other projects for other filmmakers.
The Big Short
Following a break in between films where McKay produced his wife Shira Piven’s directorial debut in Welcome to Me starring Kristen Wiig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, James Marsden, and Wes Bentley which received good reviews despite its limited release. McKay was approached by Paramount in taking part in an adaptation of Michael Lewis’ 2010 non-fiction novel as it would be produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment platform with Pitt taking on a small acting role. Working with screenwriter Charles Randolph who had been involved in the project since 2013 when Paramount bought the rights to the book. McKay is aware of the complexities of this story that relates to the 2007-2008 financial crisis though he had explored the world of finance in 2010’s The Other Guys. It would take time for McKay and Randolph to find an approach to the film’s narrative as it would revolve around three different storylines playing into a group of men who would make discoveries that would cause the financial crisis.
With the exception of Steve Carell and production designer Clayton Hartley, McKay would work with an entirely new cast and crew for the film as it would be a much more serious project than his previous films yet it would feature elements of satire. The ensemble would also include Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Hamish Linklater, Karen Gillan, and Tracy Letts. British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd would take part in the production which began in early 2015 in New Orleans with additional shooting in New York City and Las Vegas as it play into the vast environment of finances. Especially as the three different storylines would all be set in different places in time as well as different locations where these characters would make a discovery that would rock the financial world. Since the film would have taken on a complex subject that would probably overwhelm a wide audience, McKay found a way to explain these ideas.
In cameo roles, actress Margot Robbie, singer/actress Selena Gomez, famed chef Anthony Bourdain, and renowned economist Richard Thaler would appear as themselves in moments where the fourth wall is broken. The comical expositions from these individuals would define what these financial terms and ideas do and the effect it would have on a global economy. The approach would prove to be a difference-maker for the story as McKay would also show the immoral implications it would have where many of the film’s central characters deal with the consequences and face a world that is even more cynical in the wake of this crisis.
The film made its premiere at the AFI Film Festival in November of 2015 as it would be given limited release in early December before going wide a week later. The film would prove to be a major success both critically and financially as the film made more than $133 million worldwide against its modest $28 million budget. The film would give McKay not just his best reviews but also accolades as the film would receive five Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actor to Christian Bale, Best Editing to Hank Corwin, Best Picture, and a Best Director nod for McKay. Yet, the film would win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay to McKay and Randolph as it would mark a major career highlight for the former.
Succession (TV series)
Among the slew of upcoming projects that McKay is working on including a bio-pic about the entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes entitled Bad Blood that is to star Jennifer Lawrence. One of two projects that McKay is about to unveil is a limited-TV series created by writer/producer Jesse Armstrong with McKay directing the episodes as it’s about an American global-media family. The series would star Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kiernan Culkin, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun, Hiam Abbass, Matthew McFayden, and Alan Ruck. While there hasn’t been a release date on the series which will premiere on HBO, the project is still on board for a release as it is a mixture of comedy and drama.
Backseat
The second upcoming project from McKay that is slated for a December 2018 release is a bio-pic on the former American vice president Dick Cheney that will be portrayed by Christian Bale. The film would once again be co-produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment platform with Annapurna Pictures distributing as it is likely to be an unconventional film. With Amy Adams playing Cheney’s wife in her second collaboration with McKay, the film would also star Bill Pullman, Tyler Perry, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe, and longtime McKay regular Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfield with Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush. There is no clue on what the film will be like although McKay’s track record with past films will show that it will at least be interesting.
Whatever the outcome of his upcoming projects will be, there is no question that Adam McKay is one of Hollywood’s reliable filmmakers. While his films may cater to a wide audience, there is an element of substance in his approach in creating memorable and compelling characters as well as go into places that many comedies wouldn’t go into. Though he’s leaning towards more dramatic-based films, there is still that element of smart humor and satire that McKay is willing to put in to give audiences something to be engaged by. It is why Adam McKay is one of the small number of filmmakers in Hollywood who can create films to a wide audience as well as offer something unique to cinephiles that often doesn’t occur with mainstream films.
© thevoid99 2018
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 novel by Michael Lewis, The Big Short is about the financial crisis in 2007 and 2008 and how a small number of individuals knew it was coming and tried to salvage what they would be lost. Directed by Adam McKay and screenplay by McKay and Charles Randolph, the film is an unconventional take on the crisis with its mixture of humor, drama, and moments that break down the fourth wall. Starring Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei, Rafe Spall, Finn Wittrock, Hamish Linklater, Jeremy Strong, Melissa Leo, and Brad Pitt. The Big Short is a gripping and chilling film from Adam McKay.
Set in the mid-2000s just a few years before the world economy would collapse in such a massive way, the film follows the lives of a few different men who would make a discovery that would lead to its collapse. Told through three different narratives, the film follow the events of these men who wouldn’t just discover loans and bonds that would cause the housing market to become unstable but also do whatever they can to survive and profit from this upcoming financial collapse. The film’s screenplay by Adam McKay and Charles Randolph weaves through these multiple narratives as the storyline of the different individuals who would be part of this catastrophic event would all effect one’s narrative and such. Even as there’s moments where a character from one storyline is in the same place with other characters from that storyline but none of them really meet each other.
The character Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) is this oddball hedge fund manager who is socially-inept as he would start the whole story going when he would look into numbers involving high-risk subprime loans as he decides to make a bet against market-based mortgage-based securities by using a credit default swap. Dr. Burry’s plans had bankers laughing thinking he would fail as his actions wouldn’t just get the unwanted attention of his mentor Lawrence Fields (Tracy Letts) but also the attention of a low-level salesman for Deutsche Banks in Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) who is the film’s narrator. He would learn about what Dr. Burry is planning where he joins forces with Front Point hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) after one of Baum’s employees called Vennett by accident as the two analyze what Dr. Burry has found. From a prospectus that Vennett created, two young investors in Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) would find that prospectus as they would take part in the plan to buy credit default swaps with the advice of a former securities trader in Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt).
The film’s narrative would cross-cut through all three different storylines as well as explore all of the traits of these characters as Vennett is a man that is vain and interested in getting the money from the fallout that is to come while Baum is a man just trying to make sense of the world he’s working for as he’s also dealing with his brother’s suicide. The duo of Geller and Shipley are just two guys that wanted to be rich as they get the help of Rickert as they would make a move that would be big but there comes a moral price over what had happened as it would be a discovery that would make Baum not just uneasy but also realizing the large scale of what is to come. Each act opens with a quote as it play into these men making a discovery and see what would happen and then realize the massive scale of the risk as almost everyone in the financial world is against them. Yet, it’s a risk that is would showcase not just the sense of arrogance and indifference of these people in finance but also those who would be seriously affected by this crash.
McKay’s direction is definitely quite engaging for the way it explores the world of finance in all of its complexities and finding a way to make it accessible for anyone who has no clue about bonds, stocks, securities, or anything in the world of finance. Shot largely in New Orleans with some of it shot on other locations such as New York City and Las Vegas. McKay would create something that is grand in some scenes but maintain some intimacy in his usage of close-ups and medium shots as it relates to the drama. Especially in the usage of hand-held camera for these scenes while giving each storyline a different tone as the Dr. Burry storyline is often set in an office building while the stories involving Venette/Baum and the trio of Geller, Shipley, and Rickert also have different presentations though there is that one scene where the two groups are in the same sequence through an intricate tracking shot.
Since the idea of finances and all of the things that go on are considered very complex to anyone that has no idea about these things. McKay would use a few celebrities like actress Margot Robbie, singer/actress Selena Gomez, famed chef Anthony Bourdain, and the economist Richard Thaler to provide some comical expositions to reveal what is a mortgage-based security, a subprime loan, a collateralized debt obligation, and a synthetic CDO. McKay would also showcase images and footage of what was the culture of the world was like in the mid-2000s as people are unaware of what is happening as its third act is quite dark. Notably in the sense of immorality that is happening in the financial world and the people who really lose it all which makes characters like Baum and Rickert uneasy. Especially as it once again play into this air of cynicism and what often happens in the financial world on who is saved and who is left in the dust. Overall, McKay creates a haunting yet evocative film about a group of individuals who would make a discovery that would shake up the financial world in the late 2000s.
Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural and low-key lights for the scenes at Dr. Burry’s office as well as the lighter look of the scenes at Baum’s office as well as some of the stylish yet low-key lights for some of the scenes in Las Vegas. Editor Hank Corwin does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, freeze-frames and other stylish cuts to help find ways to create smooth transitions for the different storylines as well as using montages to play into the growing sense of time. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Linda Lee Sutton and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the look of the different offices as well as the garage office that Geller and Shipley work at and the home of Rickert. Costume designer Susan Matheson does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly casual with the suits that the men wear as well as shorts and t-shirt look of Dr. Burry.
Visual effects supervisor Paul Linden does terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects which is essentially set-dressing to play into the period of the mid-2000s. Sound editor Becky Sullivan does superb work with the sound as it play into the world of parties and meetings where it can be raucous but also quiet. The film’s music by Nicholas Britell is wonderful for its low-key electronic score that play into the drama while the soundtrack features an array of music from rock, hip-hop, and pop music.
The casting by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Rudy Eisenzopf as the mortgage-backed security creator Lewis Ranieri, Max Greenfield and Billy Magnussen as two young mortgage brokers who con people into getting bad loans, Byron Mann as a CDO manager Baum talks to in Vegas about synthetic CDOs, Karen Gillian as the ex-girlfriend of Shipley’s brother who meets Shipley in Vegas who dismisses him as she had just quit the SEC, Adepero Oduye as Baum’s colleague Kathy Tao, Tracy Letts as Dr. Burry’s mentor Lawrence Fields who is aghast over what Dr. Burry did, Melissa Leo as a Standard & Poor’s employee who make some revelations to Baum about some of the dark aspects of the financial industry, and Marisa Tomei in a terrific small role as Baum’s wife Cynthia who is trying to help him with his own revelations as well as the loss of his brother.
John Magaro and Finn Wittrock are superb in their respective roles as Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley as two young investors who discover Vennett’s prospectus as they try to take advantage of their discovery in the hopes they would get a chance to be part of the elite in finance. The trio of Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, and Hamish Linklater in their respective roles as Baum’s three employees in the optimist Danny Moses, the rash and impulsive Vinny Daniel, and the reserved Porter Collins as three men who help Baum in figuring out numbers as well as discovering how much would be lost. Brad Pitt is excellent as Ben Rickert as a retired securities trader who helps Geller and Shipley with their discovery as it’s a very low-key yet humorous role as a man who reluctantly returns to the world of finance but what he discovers would make him uneasy.
Christian Bale is brilliant as Dr. Michael Burry as a hedge fund manager who would discover the instability of mortgage loans as this oddball that loves to listen to heavy metal as a man who is great with numbers but awkward when it comes to people as he tries to profit everything and ensure the trust of his investors. Ryan Gosling is amazing as Jared Vennette as a low-level salesman for a powerful bank who would discover Dr. Burry’s report and take advantage of his discovery while teaming with Baum to make some money as Gosling’s performance is funny in display his air of arrogance. Finally, there’s Steve Carell in a marvelous performance as Mark Baum as a hedge fund manager for a financial company who would team up with Vennette in betting against the market as he would make a startling discovery of what is going to happen that consumes him with guilt as Carell has this air of energy and anger in his performance that is coupled with humility and sadness.
The Big Short is a spectacular film from Adam McKay. Featuring an inventive script, an incredible ensemble cast, and witty views of financing with stylish moments of exposition that prove to be helpful. It’s a film that explores a moment in time where the world’s finance industry was hit by their own stupidity and those who saw it coming and tried to warn them. In the end, The Big Short is a phenomenal film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Adam McKay and screenplay by McKay and Will Ferrell from a story McKay, Ferrell, and John C. Reilly, Step Brothers is the story of two forty-year old men who reluctantly become step brothers after their parents marry as they start off as enemies only to become friends in their love of chaos and leading a slacker lifestyle. The film is an off-the-wall comedy with elements of anarchy in which two men refuse to grow up as they try to do their own thing while endure some strange situations. Starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, and Rob Riggle. Step Brothers is a hilarious and confrontational film from Adam McKay.
A man and woman meet and fall in love at a convention where they both get married much to the dismay of their sons who are in their 40s as they’re forced to share a room together as they dislike each other believing they’re a detriment to their slacker lifestyle. That is pretty much the film in a nutshell as it revolve two guys who don’t want to grow up and refuse to get jobs as they start off as enemies only to realize how much they have in common as they create a lot of chaos much to the dismay of their parents. The film’s screenplay does follow a simple formula of these two men hating and then embracing each other while plotting to create their own business in order to get their parents off their back.
Yet, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) both share an equal sense of disdain towards Brennan’s younger brother Derek (Adam Scott) who often gloats his success as a helicopter licensing agent as well as do whatever it takes to humiliate Brennan. Though the script does follow a simple plot formula, there is a looseness to it in terms of its approach to dialogue and improvisation as well as the fact that it’s a story that doesn’t need a lot of plot schematics. It’s all about the idea of absolute and total chaos which does give the story something that can be described as an anarchist film of sorts.
Adam McKay’s direction may have simple ideas to compositions and creating moments that are light-hearted and funny yet it’s his approach to improvisation and total mayhem is what is key to the film. There is something confrontational about everything that is going on though it doesn’t start out like that first when Brennan’s mother Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) is at a convention watching Dale’s dad Robert (Richard Jenkins) give a speech as he look at her and all of a sudden the two fall in love and have sex though nothing gratuitous is shown. It’s when Brennan and Dale finally meet face-to-face is where the film starts to take shape immediately and building up slowly for this sense of unexpected and total sense of anarchy. Even as McKay knows where to shoot a scene to play into these moments of chaos such as Brennan and Dale’s first fight over the fact that Brennan touched Dale’s drum set and rubbed his testicles on them or the moment the two are sleepwalking and causing trouble. Then there’s these moments that push the envelope of good and bad taste such as a scene of Brennan and Dale being assaulted by middle school kids in which the former is forced to do something extremely awful.
The direction also showcase moments that are quite crazy which relate to a subplot in which Dale is having a reluctant affair with Derek’s wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn) who hates being married to Derek. There are also these moments that aren’t afraid to offend as it relate to Brennan and Dale trying to ruin Derek’s sale as McKay’s direction is very offbeat in those moments. The film’s climax at this event known as the Catalina Wine Mixer is definitely a culmination of everything Brennan and Dale have endured in their attempt to be free but also deal with expectations of conformity. What happens is this strange mixture of anarchy and beauty which is kind of indescribable but an absolute joy to watch and what better place to do than at the fucking Catalina Wine Mixer. Overall, McKay creates an outrageous and off-the-wall film about two immature men who become stepbrothers.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the colorful and sunny look of the locations in the day to the usage of lights for some of the interiors set at night. Editor Brent White does nice work with the editing as it has elements of style in the slow-motion cuts as well as some of the montages and other moments to play into the humor. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Casey Hallenbeck and art director Virginia L. Randolph, does fantastic work with the look of the house the brothers live in as well as their bedroom and the look of the Cataline Wine Mixer. Costume designer Susan Matheson does terrific work with the costumes as much of its casual including the tuxedos the stepbrothers wear for their job interviews.
Visual effects supervisor Rocco Passionino does some good work with some of the minimal visual effects as it is mostly set-dressing including some funny scenes involving the stepbrothers dealing with some awful kids. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in the way some of the chaotic moments in the film are presented via sound as well as some of the moments during the Catalina Wine Mixer. The film’s music by Jon Brion is brilliant for its mixture of jazz and kitsch to play into the funny moments of the film while music supervisor Hal Willner creates a fun soundtrack that feature music from Hall & Oates, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Vanilla Ice, Q-Tip, Dizzee Rascal, Dilated Peoples, KO & the Knockouts, Brenda Lee, the Mighty Bosstones, and the Kinks.
The casting by Allison Jones is great as it feature some small roles and appearances from Seth Rogen as a sporting goods manager, Matt Walsh as a heckler at the Catalina Wine Mixer, Horatio Sanz as a Billy Joel tribute band singer at the Catalina Wine Mixer, Gillian Vigman as a woman interviewing the stepbrothers for a job, Phil LaMarr as a man trying to buy the family home, Lurie Poston and Elizabeth Yozamp as Derek and Alice’s smug and spoiled asshole kids, Logan Manus as a co-worker of Derek, and Rob Riggle as another co-worker of Derek in Randy who wants to punch Brennan because of his ugly face. Andrea Savage is wonderful as Brennan’s therapist Denise who tries to help him only to deal with the fact that Brennan is in love with her. Kathryn Hahn is fantastic as Derek’s wife Alice who falls for Dale as she provides some of the funniest moments in the film about wanting to fuck Dale so hard in her hatred of Derek.
Adam Scott is excellent as Derek Huff as Brennan’s younger brother who is a total fucking asshole that thinks he’s better than everyone while rubbing his own success and ambitions on his brother as well as trying to make Dale’s father Robert as his best friend. Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins are amazing in their respective roles as Nancy Doback and Robert Huff with Steenburgen as the more sensible of the two parents trying to understand them but also put her foot down with Jenkins as the more strict of the two as he tries to get them to conform but also reveal his own faults on the idea of growing up. Finally, there’s the duo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Brennan Doback and Dale Huff as the two just go all-out in terms of being outrageous and off-the-wall with Ferrell as the more childish of the two due to his trauma and Reilly as being more of the funny guy as they’re just a joy to watch.
Step Brothers is a fucking wild and tremendous film from Adam McKay that features hilarious performances from Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Along with a great supporting cast, a premise that goes way beyond its simple idea, and scenes that play from the profound to the absolute profane. It’s a film that doesn’t try to do anything to go for laughs but rather be insane and confrontational enough to see some of the humor of it in the most inventive way. In the end, Step Brothers is a magnificent film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - The Other Guys - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the Marvel comic series by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Ant-Man is the story of a recently-convicted thief who is given a chance to find redemption when he meets a scientist, who had created a shrinking technology many years ago, who wants his help to stop his former protégé from creating something similar to what he made in the hopes of global domination. Directed by Peyton Reed and screenplay by Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, Paul Rudd, and Edgar Wright from a story by Cornish and Wright, the film is an origin story of sorts where this thief is given a chance to do good and fulfill the legacy of the man who was once donned the suit known as Ant-Man. Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Wood Harris, Martin Donovan, Michael Pena, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Damian Dastmalchian, and Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym/the original Ant-Man. Ant-Man is an exhilarating and whimsical film from Peyton Reed.
The film is a simple origin story of sorts of a man who shrinks to the size of an ant where he fights off bad guys and can go back to normal size whenever he can. Yet, it’s so much more as it is about redemption not just for the man who created the suit and myth but also the one who would don the suit and stop the creator’s former protégé from creating one of his own for his own gain. Plus, it’s also the story of what happens when something so brilliant as its creator realizes what could wrong as he also bears the weight of responsibility over what happened as it relates to the loss of his own wife. The film’s screenplay which was largely written by Adam McKay, with Rudd writing much of the comic dialogue, doesn’t just explore two men wanting to do things right but also cope with the responsibilities of themselves.
For Dr. Hank Pym, he was the man that found the formula to shrink himself into the size of an ant and succeeded to the point that he would become Ant-Man and would create a suit for his wife as Wasp. Yet, a mission that involved the two led to Wasp’s death where Pym felt deeply responsible as he had become somewhat estranged with his daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) who works for Pym’s protégé Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). Adding to the chaos for Pym is the fact that he refused to share his knowledge of what he created to anyone including his friends in S.H.I.E.L.D. where he realizes that Cross’ work on Pym’s formula is getting closer as he becomes uneasy about not in what could go wrong. It’s also in what happens if it goes into the wrong hands and used in ways that could make the world even worse where Van Dyne is aware of her father’s worries where she also works as a spy for her father. Upon meeting this recently-released thief in Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Pym realizes that there is a way he could fix the mistakes in his life.
The Lang character is also very interesting as he is just this brilliant thief that has just been released from prison as he also has a young daughter that he wants to be there for. Unfortunately, his criminal record prevents from finding work as well as be able to see and support his daughter while his ex-wife is about to marry a cop who doesn’t like Lang. When Lang meets Dr. Pym and Van Dyne, he isn’t sure about donning the suit which he stole early in the story while being unaware of its powers. Yet, he realizes that his skills as a thief and breaking into some of the most highly secure places can benefit where he would also bring in a group of criminals to help him and Dr. Pym in getting the suit that Cross has created. While the script does have a lot of exposition and a narrative structure that is expected from the world of superhero origins. It does have a lot of humor but also some big dramatic stakes as it relates to what Cross is up to and the people he plans on making money with that includes one of Pym’s former colleagues from S.H.I.E.L.D.
Peyton Reed’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of what is expected from a superhero origin story yet manages to find ways to bring in a sense of style into the story. Shot largely on location in San Francisco with some shots set in Atlanta, the film does maintain something that is more homegrown as it plays into Lang’s attempt to set his life back on course while Dr. Pym is forced to sit in the sidelines as his business has grown into something bigger than he realized under Cross’ leadership. Reed’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into some of the big moments in the film while using the latter for some of the intimate moments where Van Dyne would reluctantly train Lang in becoming Ant-Man in combat fighting. The meshing of genres do work where it’s not just in the action and suspense but also in the humor.
Much of the humor doesn’t just involve some of the action sequences and Lang’s banters towards situations and those he would meet. It’s also in the supporting characters such as Lang’s former cellmate Luis (Michael Pena) who would provide some of the funniest moments that involve people he know and what he heard in these dizzying sequences that are ridiculous but fun. Reed would also create an air of suspense that is part of a homage to heist films as it relates to the climax that would involve Lang and Cross where it is elaborate but also thrilling. Even as Reed maintains the idea of what is stake but also uncover some huge revelations about a world that Lang would encounter. Overall, Reed creates an engaging and fun film about a man who shrinks to the size of an ant to save the world.
Cinematographer Russell Carpenter does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with some stylish lights for scenes set at night as well as well as the way some of the film‘s action sequences are lit. Editors Dan Lebental and Colby Parker Jr. do nice work with the editing as it is quite straightforward with some stylish flair in some of the montages and in some of the action scenes without deviating into intense fast-cutting editing styles. Production designers Shepherd Frankel and Marcus Rowland, with set decorator Leslie A. Pope and supervising art directors Nigel Churcher and David Lazan, do amazing work with the look of Cross‘ lab as well as the home of Dr. Pym and the apartment where Lang lives with other former convicts. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does fantastic work with the look of the Ant-Man suit as well as the Yellow Jacket suit that Cross is designing while much of the clothes are very casual.
Visual effects supervisors Jon Capleton, Dinesh K. Bishnoi, Jake Morrison, Greg Steele, Dan Sudick, and Alex Wuttke do brilliant work with the visual effects from the look of the ants as well as the way Ant-Man would shrink and reverse at times along with a very surreal sequence set during the film‘s climax. Sound designers David Farmer, David C. Hughes, and Shannon Mills, with co-sound editor David Laurie, do superb work with the sound in the way some of the sound effects are mixed along with some of the natural moments in some of the locations and how Lang hears them when he‘s shrunk. The film’s music by Christophe Beck is terrific for its bombastic orchestral score that plays into the sense of adventure and comedy along with some of the dramatic moments while music supervisors Alejandro de la Llosa and Dave Jordan create a fun soundtrack that features music from Camilo Azuquita, Roy Ayers, the Commodores, HLM, and the Cure.
The casting by Sarah Finn is incredible as it features appearances from Hayley Atwell and John Slattery as S.H.I.E.L.D. co-founders Peggy Carter and Howard Stark, respectively, who deal with Pym’s departure knowing they’ve screwed things up while Anthony Mackie makes a fun appearance as Sam Wilson/Falcon who has a big encounter with Lang in a key scene. Other notable small roles include comedian Garrett Morris as a man in a car Lang meets, Gregg Turkington as a Baskin-Robbins manager who reluctantly fires Lang, Abby Ryder Fortson as Lang’s daughter Cassie, Judy Greer as Lang’s ex-wife Maggie who is reluctant to let Lang back into their daughter’s life, Wood Harris as a police detective named Gale, Tip “T.I.” Harris and David Dastmalchian as a couple of Luis’ friends who help Lang and Pym out for the film’s climax, and Martin Donovan in a superb performance as former S.H.I.E.L.D. executive Mitchell Carson whom Cross wants to make a deal with.
Bobby Cannavale is terrific as Maggie’s new boyfriend Paxton who is also a police detective that isn’t very trustful towards Lang as he later tries to find him after Lang escaped from jail. Michael Pena is great as Luis as a former criminal who has a lot of connections as he tries to help Lang out while later being part of a scheme to help Lang and Pym stop Cross as he is also the most hilarious character in the film. Corey Stoll is excellent as Darren Cross as Pym’s former protégé who created a formula similar to what Dr. Pym has created as he plans to make it into something bigger as it’s a role filled with some dark, comical humor and a sense of bravado. Evangeline Lilly is amazing as Hope Van Dyne as Dr. Pym’s estranged daughter who works for Cross as a spy for her father as she also deals with the fact that her father is hiding some things from her as it relates to her mother.
Michael Douglas is phenomenal as Dr. Hank Pym as the creator of a shrinking formula that he would use to be the original Ant-Man as he copes with the dangers of what happens when his formula is into the wrong hands while he deals with his own regrets as it’s a role filled with a lot of weight as well as some humor. Finally, there’s Paul Rudd in a marvelous performance as Scott Lang as a notorious thief who is trying to start over and do right for his daughter only to be forced back into crime where he meets Dr. Pym and get his chance at redemption where Rudd definitely exudes the idea of being a hero while also providing some funny banter along the way to make Lang more engaging as a person as it’s one of his finest roles to date.
Ant-Man is a remarkable film from Peyton Reed that features amazing performances from Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, and Michael Pena. Not only is it a fun action-adventure film but also a compelling one as it relates to the themes of redemption and wanting to do the right thing in a world that is often very complicated. Even as it is told in an entertaining fashion without deviating too much from the story. In the end, Ant-Man is an excellent film from Peyton Reed.
Peyton Reed Films: (The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes (1995 film)) - (The Love Bug (1997 film)) - (Bring It On) - (Down with Love) - (The Break-Up) - (Yes Man)
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Marvel Phase Three Films: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2016
