TV series - "Platonic Season 1" (2023) *****

 Just a great show. Funny, smart, with heart, different. Magnificent chemistry of the leads and the support are wonderful.

Movie review - "Despicable Me 4" (2024) **

 Some funny jokes but it's sluggish. Gru goes into witness protection program - there's a heist of a mascot and a man getting revenge on Gru and he hasn't bonded with his son. I wanted more minions and less Gru but who am I to argue with success.

Movie review - "The Super Mario Bros Movie" (2023) **

 Bright colours, full of action. Some funny moments, like the scene with the dog at the beginning that doesn't really touch on the story. Seems to lack heart - or a key relationship. They seem unsure how to pitch the princess - bright pink, a warrior, who still stands back while Mario does the key stuff....? I get these things are tricky to navigate. Luigi doesn't do much. I like Donkey Kong.

Movie review - "Doolittle" (2020) **

A film that hasn't gotten a lot of love and it's certainly flawed but I watched it with my five year old who loved it and we had a grand time.

The debits are easy to spot - Downey Jr's Welsh accent which is badly dubbed in, the undercast kids, the failure to milk dramatic moments (especially with the boy, why not have people trying to kill Doolittle more?), the not particularly good effects. I think a few more reshoots and clarifying of the drama would have worked wonders.

Still, it's a quest, and an adventure, and Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen ham it up with the right tone - this film needed more adult actors to play it that way. And my daughter laughed a lot.

Movie review – “The Disaster Artist” (2017) ***1/2

Warm, affectionate look at the making of The Room, which reminds in many ways of Ed Wood – though it’s not as comprehensive/complex in part because pretty much everyone depicted in this film is still alive so they couldn't go in as hard.

It's really just about the relationship between Tommy and Greg, a bromance given extra resonance by casting two brothers. Both Francos are superb - James has the showier part, which he nails, but Dave is good, too.

There's lots of stuff about acting and giving into the emotion. Occasionally I wouldn't have minded another subplot or something - and every now and then all the well known actors in the support cast make it feel a bit too much like "Hey we're in the cool group" (this is my problem not the film's): Seth Rogen, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas, Zac Effron, Ari Graynor (a standout), Jackie Weaver (also hilarious, when she faints), Sharon Stone (I wish we'd seen her character again), Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson, Melanie Griffith, Hannibal Buress.

It's lovely, though - much kinder-spirited than the book on which it's based.

Movie review - "Bad Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" (2015) ***1/2

This wasn't as popular at the first. In part I think because it felt unnecessary - the first one had a point, in that Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne didn't want to be old and Zac Effron didn't want to grow up. So they're going back to the same old well. (It probably wasn't a good idea to start with the gag of Rogen and Byrne having odd sex again.)

However they've given it a fresh feminist twist by basing it around some girls who want a sorority because they're not allowed to party the way they want. There's some solid satire, with a real point, about the lecherous behaviour of boys and the importance of female friendship. (Also on a progressive note it was great how Effron was so matter of fact about the sexuality of old mate Dave  Franco).

The teen boy audience who went to see the first one may not have enjoyed how they were mocked in this - maybe it would have done better if say there had been a college student who fell in love with one of the girls, or at least befriended them. I was also hoping for an older generation appearance - say Rogen's dad played by James Caan, a hard core partier or something (like Sean Connery in the third Indy film) But I'm fan fictioning now.

This is very funny. There are some brilliant jokes, and I found the script well structured. It lacks the freshness and energy of the first but was enjoyable.

Movie review - "Steve Jobs" (2015) ****

Flamboyant, gloriously wordy, entertaining look at the life of Jobs via three product launches in his life. Having made that decision, Aaron Sorkin locked himself into the fact that major events need to happen off screen, which plays better on stage than film. He kind of tries to get around that by having brief cut aways to said event - Jobs and Woz in the famous garage, Jobs getting fired, etc.

Danny Boyle's direction is energetic and pacey, even if there are times I wish he'd slowed down to milk the emotion. The acting is uniformly excellent - but Michael Fassbender isn't a star and I think the movie would have benefited with someone more likable. Kate Winslet does wonders with that Sorkin standby, the faithful assistant (Sarah Snook is thrown in as another one for good measure - a girl with clipboard); Seth Rogen is really good as Wozniack; Jeff Daniels I was prepared to be getting sick off but he's great as the guy who sacks Jobs; Katherine Waterston is okay in perhaps the most sketchy role, the mother of Jobs' kid. It's smart and brave and I wish it had done better at the box office.

Movie review - "The Interview" (2015) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

One of the most politically significant films in recent times - how many movies spark an attack from an overseas country, in this case a cyber attack from North Korea? It's actually got a lot of funny moments in it as well as actually giving two decent roles to Asian-American comedians - Randall Park is hilarious as Kim Jong-Un and Diana Bang even funner as a North Korean officer.

The beginning is a bit iffy - too much time was given over to James Franco riffing and crapping on - there wasn't that much fresh about his character: a hyper actively slightly idiotic TV host. Seth Rogen is fair more likeable but even then scenes where we set up his character's dissatisfaction seemed odd - everyone does celebrity journalism now and 60 Minutes would leap at the sort of stories he and Franco are doing on their show.

Also it felt mean that they went over there to assassinate Kim Jong. This might sound dim but that's not a very nice thing to do - not when there's no personal reason for doing it for either character. If one of them had a relative or lover who had been kidnapped/killed by North Koreans it would have made more sense or at least meant more. We know North Korea is a threat to world security but it's not that much of a threat.

Lizzy Kaplan was wasted - ditto that snobby reporter friend of Rogen's. I kept expecting both to turn up in the third act. And it cheats by recreating history.

Having said that there's lots of funny jokes and the movie got better as it went along. I loved how Frano and Park bonded over Katy Perry. It's also a really good looking, stylishly shot movie.

Movie review - "Neighbors" (2014) ****1/2

One of the funniest films I've seen in ages - maybe the rating is too high, especially for a movie where the young characters aren't really well developed (I would have loved to have seen more of Zac Efron's girlfriend), but the laughs are consistent and are of blockbuster quality. Seth Rogen is born to play this sort of role, Rose Byrne matches him excellently, the film is made by people who actually like and admire women so her role carries weight, Zac Efron surprises in a confident portrayl, James Franco offers strong support. The baby is genuinely cute, Lisa Kudrow is perhaps the most believable college dean in the history of cinema (solely obsessed with headlines). Tremendous fun.

Movie review - "For a Good Time Call" (2012) **1/2

Cheerful enough "womantic" comedy has a bright central idea - two young girls on the make in New York City run a phone sex line together - and strong lead performances. But it never gets it's tone entirely right, being unable to resist going for broad comedy bits which don't feel realistic (eg Kevin Smith wanking in a cab with a passenger in the back, Seth Rogen going for it on the toilet).

There's also a lack in plot development - it needed a baddie, or a complication. One of them has parents who don't approve but since she's living in New York away from them that doesn't mean much. Maybe this should have been set in a small town, and/or about middle aged people with kids... something to give it some more stakes.

Ari Graynor and Lauren Miller have good chemistry, and I love the depiction of female friendship. There are some funny jokes, plenty of heart and plenty of cameos from famous people but it felt as though the script needed another couple of drafts,

Movie review - "The Guilt Trip" (2012) **

A great title and seemingly can't-miss idea - Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as mother and son taking a trip together - becomes dull and uninteresting. You know you're in trouble by the first ten minutes - the characters aren't set up beyond broad stereotypes (pushy Jewish mother! nervous Jewish schleb!) and the set up to the simple story is agonisizing amateurish. Dull and obvious.

Movie review - "This is Forty" (2012) ****

A follow up to Knocked Up was not as popular despite a similarly strong cast and script full of observant moments. Yes it's long but so was Knocked Up. I think the relative lack of popularity stemmed from two things: stories about turning forty aren't as inherent appealing as ones about falling pregnant (the latter is the start of a new chapter, the former is a mid point next stop death); and secondly, Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd can't carry a film as stars. I admit that's a harsh, personal judgement - both are very talented, capable actors, likeable and all that... but they're not stars. They're not Jason Segel or Kristen Wiig or Seth Rogen or even Katherine Heigl and it hurts in a film on which so much is dependent on these two.

Compounding the problems are the two Apatow kids as the Mann/Rudd children. They were weak in Funny People too - the elder daughter more so than the younger - and that problem is repeated. They are okay, but they're not exceptional, and character driven comedies like these need exceptional casting.

This becomes more obvious when the lead four actors engage with the superb support cast: Segel, Albert Brooks (some brilliant work as a funny very reluctant late in life father), John Lithgow, Rob Smigel, Melissa McCarthy (again, brilliant), Lena Durham and even Megan Fox who is really funny. When the lead four characters engage with them is when this really comes alive. Even with them it's still pretty good - full of honesty and warmth and funny observations (husbands sneaking off to the toilet to get alone time, partners fantasizing about killing each other in a loving way).

Movie review - "Fifty Fifty" (2011) ***1/2

The Apatow cool group take on cancer, with results that are warm and funny, as befitting something based on a true story - the screenwriter's. Since he went on to write a movie you can guess it has a happy ending (although apparently originally the character based on him was going to die) but it still has an honesty you only get from personal experience: people who he tells making the news all about then; the strains it puts on a bad relationship; a friend trying to use it to pick up chicks; unexpected perks (e.g. being able to buy marijuana, instant sympathy).

Occasionally it falls into cliche - once his patient friend introduces his wife you know she's going to be a dead duck - but it's full of warmth and humour and very good acting. It's also well structured - the makers of Not Suitable Children ought to take note. I'm not convinced Joseph Gordon Levitt is a film star, he's too introverted and passive, but he is a good actor, and Seth Gordon is a delight as his friend.

Movie review – “The Green Hornet” (2010) **1/2

Few writers are better at getting into the heads of a twelve year old boy than Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, which is the take of this superhero adaptation. Rogen’s lead may be a millionaire but he’s mostly into doing cool stuff with his cool friend (eg build gadgets, disguises). Rogen and Jay Cho (as Kato) never have the easy camaraderie that say the boys in Superbad do – the fact is, Kato is still an employee. And what’s Cameron Diaz doing in this film? She’s too old and not believable as a potential love interest of either. Some terrific production design and clever action sequences, and this is probably the best version of this story these guys could have come up with, but it didn’t quite work.

Movie review – “Paul” (2011) ***

The third big screen teaming of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost lacks the verve of Edgar Wright’s direction but it still an enjoyable take on sci fi and chase flicks. It’s got a bright Galaxy Quest-esque idea – two sci fi nerds doing a tour of UFO sights find an actual alien – some good jokes and very funny support performances from Jane Lynch, Kirsten Wiig (playing “the girl” but given a real character to play), Jason Bateman and Seth Rogen (excellent special effects here). It’s a bit too loud and frantic in places, there are too many gay jokes and I felt it was a bit mean for the nerd FBI agent to be scarred for life. Has any film in recent years taken such a dig at creationism?

Movie review – “Funny People” (2009) ****

Half a masterpiece. So much of it is wonderful, it’s a shame they couldn’t trim and shape it a bit more. And for all the whiff of reality that permeates every frame there’s still a sequence where someone races to the airport at the end. I think it goes a bit wonky in the second half; Leslie Mann and Eric Bana have talent but aren’t quite good enough actors to manage that delicate balancing act of comedy and pathos which the first half does so well. They're both too broad. Adam Sandler is sensational – funny, believable, self loathing. Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwatzmann are brilliant as is the female comic. So many great bits, though: the stuff with the doctor, the by-play of the comics, the crappy sitcom and movies they make, Sandler picking up two girls at a gig.

Movie review – “Superbad” (2008) ****

I held off from seeing this for a bit but really enjoyed it. Wonderfully cast, as most films from the Judd Apatow stable are, with a great simple plot: two best mates try to rid themselves of their virginity by buying alcohol to get certain women drunk – adventures ensue. Sometimes things get broad but it always comes back to truth. The three leads are brilliant and Seth Rogen and the other guy are hilarious as cops. Didn’t quite believe Jonah Hill could score that girl at the end - but that's very Judd Apatow, too.

Movie review – “Zac and Miri Make a Porno” (2008) ****

Kevin Smith proves yet again that he’s learned his lessons from Jersey Girl – you can go commercial, but don’t leave your vision behind. So here we have a well-structured script, with sympathetic protagonists, etc, etc. and lots of warmth and romance but also Smith’s trademark swearwords and filthy humour. 

I thought it was wonderful, a foul mouthed comedy with a lot of heart. Elizabeth Banks is excellent in what is a growing long line of attractive female leads who can believably pull off the fact they find the dork hero lovable (Katherine Heigl, Catherine Keener, Drew Barrymore). 

Seth Rogen is the perfect Smith hero and Justin Long and Brandon Routh are hilarious – one of my only two grips is that these two didn’t reappear in the film. The other gripe was there didn’t really need to be a three month gap or whatever it is at the end. It could have happened a week or so later. But that doesn't explain why this wasn't a massive hit - buggered if I can figure it out, it should have been huge.

Movie review - "Knocked Up" (2007) ****

The director of The 40 Year Old Virgin follows it up with a film that manages to be raunchy, true and very sweet all at the same time. It sort of ambles along in the way many scripts by directors do, lacking the tightness of structure - but this means the film is less predictable (for instance, there is no "appearance of an ex" scene for the two leads, or an overdone ticking clock).
Seth Rogen is magnificent as the slacker hero and Katherine Heigl very likable as the TV girl who gets preggers - she's perhaps just a bit too beautiful and nice to go for Rogen; I know a lot of stressed out TV girls who would go for him, because he makes her laugh and because to be blunt they're desperate to get hitched, but we don't see that here - she's young, seems to be well adjusted and well liked, so is threatens the reality of the piece, but you like the actors and the whole thing so much you go with it. (Heigl has just earned the worship of the entire overweight-underweight-comic-book-reading-section of the Western World - she could spend the rest of her life making money out of attending sci-fi conventions).
 Some of the arguments between couples are so spot on and funny - not just between the lead duo but between her sister and brother in law (I especially liked the "just because you're shouting doesn't mean its not mean" exchange and the "I'm hormonal I'm allowed to be angry").
The film "goes there" in the way many pregnancy comedies don't - we see the crowning (nb the baby sfx, pregnant tummy, etc is very well done), there is a s*x scene involving pregnant Heigl. Several lovely moments - the girls trying to get into a nightclub, the initial seduction, the montages.
And it is the best film in recent memory when it comes to supporting characters - there is a dazzling gallery of them, from the wonderful bitchy workmate of Heigl's, Rogen's loving dad (Harold Ramis, perfect), Heigl's chilly mum (Joanna Kerns, also perfect - she encourages her to have a "proper baby"), the stressed out Chinese doctor, the stoner Asian, Rogen's flatmates (who have a definite hierarchy, with the guy with the beard a sort of sophisticated slacker). Judd Apatow is clearly a man who loves actors and characters and it comes through. Wonderful.

Movie review - "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005) *** 1/2

Unexpectedly sweet comedy about a very late starter in an area of life, painfully shy virgin (Steve Carrell). There are some gross out moments - dick jokes, urine jokes, talking about women having sex with a horse - but the Saturday Night alumni have been shown by Adam Sandler that sweetness and pull them in as much as grossness.

Catherine Keener has a very difficult role - a woman attracted to the virgin. Keener pulls it off - she plays the character as a bit of an aging rock groupie, a single grandmother, so it makes sense that she likes him. This makes the whole film work.

Good work from the support cast, even the little roles like the hen's night slapper the virgin picks up, the woman doing the body wax, the kids in sex class. Many memorable moments - constant use of that guy from the Doobie Brothers in the store, the way the male characters keep getting distracted by the TV during deep and meaningful moments.