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Trailer:
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There's just not enough here. It's first draft/first takes nearly across the board. This is an unfinished cut right? Only explanation. The shaggy archness of the whole thing almost kills the only truly good scene: the dinner at the end--the actors alone save it, bringing otherwise unearned poignancy. If someone described the plot and character beats, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a deft satire. The execution fails it tho, and lets the actors down besides. Very few laughs for me. Scant poison on these barbs.
I'm not over the Moon about it, but I was entertained! Apparently people are saying its a narrative on climate change? I disagree...I think you could inject any topic the government handles, and its a mockery of the ineptitude of government. Some of it is so ridiculous (particularly Jonah Hill) that I want to say some characters approach Idiocracy levels of hilariously stupid funny, but OTOH we saw [he who shall not be named] administration in actual existence.
As it was rolling, it became clear that it was gonna be all about the ending (for me). At ah...it did not disappoint.
Edit: Its in the trailer so not spoiling...as someone who only in last two years has been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, they way its portrayed here by Leo hit me in feels. I was worried it would actually trigger my anxiety but it didn't. I felt sympathy.
I find this McKay's best of his three prestige films, because it feels like a proper (angry) film rather an angry pop-up textbook (although I did have a false early "uh-oh" moment with the film pausing to have a cheap-looking pointer on Rob Morgan's job), even if it still falls short of actually cohering into good. But actual characters with actual forward narrative mark this above his previous two, with space for performances to breathe and some effective moments scattered throughout (the dinner scene). Still, I watched Anchorman for the first time earlier in 2021, and I wonder how getting into prestige filmmaking can rob McKay of his previous directorial skill in crafting films with a half-way decent cinematic eye. Where has that film's sense of actual compositions, non-shoddy editing, and pacing momentum gone? 6/10
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby > The Big Short > Vice > The Other Guys > Don't Look Up > Step Brothers >>>>> Anchorman
The Big Short ★★★★½
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ★★★½
Step Brothers ★★★½
Don’t Look Up ★★★
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ★★
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ★½
The Other Guys ★
Vice TBD
Great:
1. The Big Short
2. Step Brothers
3. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
4. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Okay:
5. Vice
6. The Other Guys
Bad:
7. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
8. Don't Look Up
Great:
1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
3. The Big Short
Okay, but disappointing:
4. Vice
5. Don't Look Up
Urgh:
6. Step Brothers
7. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Haven't seen The Other Guys.
The cast carries this as proudly as they can, and they are all very funny and gifted actors, but come on... This is not Dr. Strangelove or Network but it really seems to think it is. It's just one joke stretched very thin across two and a half hours of loud preaching to the choir. I don't hate it but I'll forget about it soon enough.
Adam McKay responds to criticism of his response to Don't Look Up criticism:
Quote:
My sweaty fever dream of a situation would be Joe Manchin sitting down with his family, thinking, “Let’s watch this, it’s supposed to be a comedy, my kids like Leonardo DiCaprio, my grandkids like Ariana Grande.” And then that ending comes. My dream would be that for one second, Joe Manchin feels it in his bones. For even a second!
Was Adam McKay created in a lab by the GOP to be the apotheosis of an irritating Hollywood limousine liberal? "If the right people just watch my movie we can stop climate change! Or covid! Or anything really! Just watch my movie. The future of the world depends on it!"
McKay has his heart in the right place. His cuts and camera set ups? Not so much.
Good news for you both (he isn’t directing this one tho)