marioonline

Of course nothing of a masterpiece is to be expected from a movie whose premise is a neighborhood war between a married couple with a newly born and a bunch of guys from a frat house hellbent on partying. Still, if you're able to pass the first truly atrocious minutes (what can I say, I'm too old) set in the frat house you're in for a funny (if at times truly gross) comedy. I think all the hate the movie is getting on IMDb is the same reason I kind of appreciate it (again, I'm old): it looks like a frat comedy for a young audience, but the humor (although often crass) is more for a middle-aged audience. Recommended on a night when you don't have anything to do and are looking for a couple of carefree hours. The scene where Rogen and Byrne talk Barinholtz into one of their plans is truly hilarious.

I watched this movie in a theater while I was on vacation in Spain when it came out. I only paid 2 euros (more or less 3 dollars at the time), but I still felt I was ripped off.

Given the upcoming "reboot", and as I memory is getting worse and worse with time, I gave it another try on TV last night. It was worse than I remembered.

Here's a short list of the most severe shortcomings of this work. 1) A severe lack of action sequences. The director (Bryan Singer) was so focused on the "human" side and family issues of the protagonist that he forgot that a Superman movie is a superhero movie, that is, a movie full of action sequences. There is only one fast-paced scene. Definitely not enough. 2) A severely mistaken casting. Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane must be one of the least likable character ever seen. Her wooden performance and ever perfect hair and make-up provide no opportunity to relate to her story of a (supposedly) torn mother and wife. Let's not speak about her son. If talented kids in Hollywood have a hard time growing up (see Daniel Radcliffe, Drew Barrymore etc.) this boy is more than safe. 3) A severely wrong script. This may be related to shortcoming #1, but I cannot repeat it often enough. This is a superhero movie. Nobody called for an overlong and uninteresting family story that would be considered rather scant even for an afternoon on the Lifetime channel, let alone in what is meant to be an action packed blockbuster.

Action hero movie fans, please steer away from this like it's kryptonite. If I think that Bryan Singer got out of the X-Men 3 project (eventually disfigured by the inept hands of Brett Ratner)...everybody lost a good chance to do good.

Better best avoided.

Although it is from 5 years ago, the movie can sport truly marvelous graphics when it comes to landscapes (Antarctica, ocean, and space). It can compete with Wall-E without hesitation. The plot features a very nice and original idea, too. Too bad, really, too bad that such wonderful eye-candies and the surprisingly good storyline are ruined by an overlong and useless series of embarrassing singing sessions that, without adding anything to the development of the movie, transform it from a potential Pixar-like masterpiece into a cheap, awkward, tooth-cringing musical. If you can survive the singing parts, you will be rewarded with breathtaking and adventurous scenes. Whether the endurance was worth it or not, remains to be established.