Imagine That
Murphy stars in this family film that may sell his comedic talents short and hand out the same moral that many better family films have come to preach. In this movie Murphy plays a busy father who spends more time working than with his young daughter. All that changes when he loses confidence and drive in work and things start to go downhill. But his salvation is found in his daughter’s imaginary world where he finally has the chance to discover himself and find the success and happiness he always wanted. While the idea of choosing family over work is a good one, there are a number of movies that do a better job of stressing that point than this. Cute and sweet but not very memorable.
Year One
This movie stars Jack Black and Michael Cera in the sort of run of the mill slapstick comedy we’ve come to expect. In this one they are a pair of lazy (big surprise) hunter gathers who are kicked out from their tribe (yet another suprise) and go on an epic adventure through the ancient world (wonders never cease). From this point you can pretty much figure out the rest of the plot yourself, they find themselves in the perfect position to rescue the beautiful maiden and regain the respect of their tribe. Critics were almost unanimous in their hatred of this film, but if you are willing to, rent it and give it a try.
Anvil: The Story of Anvil
If you are in the mood for something funny and incredibly brilliant then this is the movie you should find. With a 98% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes and some of the highest praise you’ll see critics give this year, this film is not to be missed. The film is a documentary that follows the story of Anvil, a heavy metal band that influenced rock greats like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Anthrax, but never got their own turn. This film follows the two men on tour as they continue to follow their dream of rock stardom while dealing with an inept manager, stingy club owners and audiences too small to fill a closet much less an arena. Watch and see this two aging men who have been friends their entire lives continue to chase the dream in one of the most endearing and humorous movies you’ll see this year.