Nicholas Stoller

Film Review: ‘Captain Underpants’ Saves Us From the Summer Snooze

CHICAGO - I’m sure from the title you can glean the level of seriousness to expect, but how funny “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” turns out to be is no laughing matter. The film’s surprising irreverence and respect for the comic book genre makes this the animated hero we’ve needed, and the second best superhero film out this weekend (SEE: Wonder Woman).

Film Review: Funny, Spontaneous ‘Storks’ Really Delivers

CHICAGO – I’ve waited all week to write that headline, and I will be joining the 100,000 other similar headlines out there. Hey-ooh! “Storks” is a lot of fun, without the dire need for any “message” or heavy handedness that is too familiar in the current animation environment. It’s just funny.

Film Review: Pointless Trip Back to ‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’

CHICAGO – The original “Neighbors” was a funny enough movie, that still boasted at least a couple of big laughs. “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” only manages the occasional chuckle here and there. As far as big budget studio comedy sequels go, it’s not as bad as “The Hangover 2.” It’s more in line with “Ghostbusters 2”.

Film Review: ‘Sex Tape’ a Comedy Sorely Lacking in Laughs

CHICAGO – Jason Segel is usually fun to watch in just about anything, but he sure isn’t fun in “Sex Tape,” a big studio summer comedy with a fatal flaw - it doesn’t seem to know what’s funny. So like a stand-up comedian on a bad night, it feverishly and desperately throws anything it can think of at the screen in the vague hope that it might be funny even incidentally.

Film Review: Funny But Familiar Trip to Frat House in ‘Neighbors’

CHICAGO – I have a high tolerance for Seth Rogen, but he begins to show some signs of creative exhaustion in “Neighbors,” a raunchy frat house comedy that’s never quite as funny as it should be. Rogen’s onscreen persona here comes dangerously close to schtick.

Blu-ray Review: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt in Fun ‘The Five-Year Engagement’

Five-Year Engagement, The

CHICAGO – There’s a great movie buried in the bloated “The Five-Year Engagement,” a comedy that nearly feels like a rough cut at a ridiculous 125 minutes in its theatrical form or 132 minutes in its unrated version. The stars are incredibly charismatic and I like a lot of what Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller are trying to do with their tale of how life sometimes gets in the way of love but the movie is just too long, making it merely good despite having greatness within.

Film News: James Bobin, Nichols Stoller Sign on For ‘The Muppets’ Sequel

The Muppets

CHICAGO – Here’s some news that will bring joy to those that think life’s a happy song. Director James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller have officially signed on to create a sequel to “The Muppets.” However, the good news does come with some bad news as well. Apparently, Jason Segel’s schedule is too full to fit in the next Muppet project.

Blu-Ray Review: Very Funny ‘Get Him to the Greek’ With Jonah Hill

Get Him to the Greek

CHICAGO – Like a lot of comedies, “Get Him to the Greek,” now available on Blu-ray and DVD, actually plays better at home than it did in theaters. It doesn’t hurt that the Universal Blu-ray is a beauty, a package with excellent, hilarious special features that enhance the film instead of serving as mere filler. It’s one of the best comedy BD releases of the season.

Russell Brand, Jonah Hill Rock in Very Funny ‘Get Him to the Greek’

Get Him to the Greek
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Taking a character who was created as an obnoxious supporting one and giving him his own spin-off movie sounds like a recipe for disaster. Despite generally liking its stars and enjoying “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” I was dreading the quasi-sequel “Get Him to the Greek”. There were just too many screenwriting pitfalls in which the film could have and should have fallen in.

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