CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
Zach Galifianakis
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Can’t Smooth Its Bizarre Fabric
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 8, 2018 - 6:08pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Although I am an admirer of Oprah Winfrey, it’s unfortunate that the best way to describe “A Wrinkle in Time” – with her role as goddess problem solver – is Worst. Episode. of. Oprah. Ever. The film, based on a novel from 1962, caves into effects over cohesiveness or story.
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ Delivers the Usual Laughs
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 10, 2017 - 10:51amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The LEGO Batman Movie” is more of a parody than the laugh-out-loud hijinks of the surprising “The LEGO Movie,” but the legend of The Bats is ripe for a good skewering, and the movie has a lot of fun doing it. Will Arnett reprises the voice as the title character, with Zach Galifianakis taking on the antics of The Joker.
No Need to Bother ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 25, 2016 - 10:04amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Keeping Up With The Joneses” illustrates how hard it really is to make a funny action comedy. After watching this, I have begun to think that the ones that work are something of anomaly – more often than not they’re like this. An amiable but aimless project that can’t quite grasp what it wants to be and doesn’t have the vision or the laughs to sustain itself.
Unfunny ‘Masterminds’ is a Complete Waste of Talent
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 30, 2016 - 11:15amRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tick…tick…tick. That is the sound of your life frittering away, if you choose to experience the 94 minutes, that feels like two weeks, for “Masterminds.” The film that has virtually no laughs – in categorizing itself as a comedy – and is an almost criminal waste of some decent comic talent.
Michael Keaton Soars in Mesmerizing ‘Birdman’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 23, 2014 - 5:58pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are parts of “Birdman” that are absolutely breathtaking, in dialogue, performance and visual acumen. Even its subtitle, “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” has a wonderful payoff. Michael Keaton provides an Oscar worthy performance as the title character.
‘Are You Here’ Feels Like Mashup of Two Different Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2014 - 10:20amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You would think that a film written and directed by Matthew Weiner – the creator of “Mad Men” – would be worthwhile company, especially when the cast includes Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler. It is disappointing to note that not only was this cliché-ridden mess unpalatable, but it also switched gears two-thirds of the way through to evoke a different mood, and that schizophrenia didn’t help the overall product.
Muppets Still Know How to Entertain in ‘Muppets Most Wanted’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 21, 2014 - 8:34amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is a comfort, like a favorite drink in a childhood mug, about Jim Henson’s legendary Muppets and their standard of entertainment and humor. It’s brilliant that Walt Disney Studios continues to understand what makes them work, producing their latest, “Muppets Most Wanted.”
Worse Than a Real One, ‘The Hangover Part III’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 23, 2013 - 7:58amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With a lazy, over-plotted story, and a cast that are desperately going through the motions, “The Hangover Part III” is the latest example of a contract obligation disguising itself as a movie. Writer/director Todd Phillips sluggishly pounds out another one, with simply no originality.
Predictable ‘The Campaign’ Hinges on Hilarious Newlyweds Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on August 10, 2012 - 10:36pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Will Ferrell makes five new proclamations loud and clear: he’s a comic dream-team duo with Zach Galifianakis in “The Campaign,” punching a baby and then a dog are seriously funny, real-life politics should take a lesson from this over-the-top smear campaign, you need one supporting Korean weapon and there’s nearly no such thing as a 100% comedy that delivers on 100% of its comedy.
‘Puss in Boots’ Coasts Through Familiar Animated Antics
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 28, 2011 - 5:10pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Animated family films have made a pact with their audience. For our participation – and extra 3D glasses fee – they deliver the latest in computer generated eye candy, familiar voice talent and heroes that always win while making pop culture references. Antonio Banderas is “Puss in Boots.”