The Hangover Part II

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Another night that no one can remember, ends in Stu (Ed Helms) getting a face deformation, Phil (Bradley Cooper) getting an arm injury, and Alan (Zach Galifianikis) getting a baby-- only this time his baby is a monkey.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianikis, Ken Jeong, Mason Lee, Justin Bartha, Jamie Chung, Paul Giamatti, Sasha Barrese, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson, Gillian Vigman, Aroon Seeboonruang, Yasmin Lee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! If you want to see another Hangover, you'll get what you came for. But, since you've seen one before, everything that was fresh and original about the first one is gone, and even the surprises won't be that surprising.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: As with the last one, the hardest laughs are in the slideshow at the end... And also, the monkey does have a banana on his hat.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: That depends on how you feel about chicks with dicks. Hey, you were warned by the fact that this takes place in Bangkok.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This gets the prize for Consistency. Whatever they did last time, they found a new way to do it all again.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Sometimes, when I stare into Bradley Cooper's steel blue eyes, or I catch a glimpse of his red-lipped, toothy smile, I can't help but wonder... why has he never played a vampire? Separately, I'd like to note that from now on, when someone tries to insult what I'm doing by telling me, "A monkey could do it," I'm going to assume they're talking about the monkey in this movie, and be flattered.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The first half is really slow and predictable. It even gave me time to wonder who could possibly be the one to get married in The Hangover Part III. I don't think Bradley Cooper can, because he's such a dick that his only redeeming quality is his marital status. Ed Helms is already on his second-- although they gave him a lot of good reasons to get dumped in the plot of this one. And Zach Galifianakis is pretty much undateable.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: They take everything so far in this one that you almost feel like you can't come back from it. And actually, their attempt to do so is passable at best.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Hangover Part II Trailer

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The Soloist

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a book, that's based on newspaper articles, that are based on a true story, this movie explores the relationship that is formed between a homeless musical prodigy and the L.A. Times reporter who befriends him in the hopes of writing about his story.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Justin, Martin, Stephen Root, Rachael Harris, Tom Hollander, Lisagay Hamilton, Marcos De Silvas, Esa-Pekka Salonen

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. On every level this film tries too hard to be important, and it would have been more so, if we didn't see everyone working so hard to matter.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I thought Jamie Foxx's hairstyle was funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not even close. Which is probably its biggest failing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They thought about it last year, when they started showing previews at just the right time for awards consideration, but then they pulled the release from last year's required deadline, and released it now, at a time that is no less defeatist than waiving the white flag.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Robert Downey Jr. is his usual perfect self. Jamie Foxx has the bigger challenge of playing a character with a mental disorder, without coming off like he's acting. Does he succeed? I don't know enough schizophrenic people to say for sure, but his performance may be a good argument for casting unknowns as characters who have mental disorders, so at least you don't spend the whole time knowing that the guy isn't really schizophrenic.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Not one to experiment with naturalism, or the theory that the director should be invisible, Joe Wright likes to remind the audience at every turn that THIS FILM HAS A DIRECTOR. (Also see Atonement.) Some audience members may fall for his "look at me" style, but I find his over the top visual aides distracting and pretentious.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The true story and the book likely both had a stronger emotional impact than the movie does. The pace is slow, and by the end you feel neither inspired nor moved. That said, it's in no way hateable.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-soloist/30936/main

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