Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

31 Days of Horror: The Visit

We're the Millers

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber.

Jason Sudeikis

Jennifer Aniston

Emma Roberts

Will Poulter

Ed Helms

Nick Offerman

Kathryn Hahn

Molly C. Quinn

Tomer Sisley

Luis Guzman

Thomas Lennon

David (Sudeikis) is the local weed man in the Denver community where he lives. Yeah, I know. Circumstances dictate that he desperately needs to repay a debt to his supplier Brad (Helms). Brad tells him all will be forgiven if he goes down to Mexico and brings back "a smidge, smidge and a half" of weed. David hatches a plan to pose as a family hoping that he won't get harassed by Border Patrol that way. Since he doesn't have a family of his own, he has to recruit one. He gets troubled, but very different teens Kenny (Poulter) and Casey (Roberts) to play his kids. To complete the picture he gets Rose (Aniston), the stripper who lives across the hall and is facing eviction, to play his wife. And away we go.

Early on, We're the Millers does what it sets out to do. It makes us laugh. While Sudeikis is getting in lots of great lines, much of the humor comes from Kenny's naivete. Jennifer Aniston continues to poke fun at herself for, of all things, being her age and still looking great (see most of her movies in the last decade). The situations are appropriately zany, giving us the giggles on that front. Finally, Ed Helms is a riot. It all adds up to the first two thirds being fast and fun.

As it must in all movies, the third act eventually comes. When it does, things take a turn for the mundane. It's not really all that bad, just generic. In place of all the sizzle of the earlier parts, we get a steady descent into sentimentality. The filmmakers seem hell bent on making the ending as cute as possible. It comes off as them taking the easy way out. To do this, all of the loose ends are tied too neatly. This leads to predictability. In fact, nothing unexpected happens as the movie rushes toward its climax. Action picks up and the laughs mostly subside. Action and happy endings aren't inherently good or bad, but in the context of We're the Millers they're the expected and, therefore, less satisfying outcome.

Being pretty good for two thirds of the run time, however is a fate that befalls many a comedy. In trying to solve their conflicts, the last third is often filled with shootouts, explosions, and getting everyone happy. This is no different. In fact, it follows that pattern to a tee. Thankfully, WtM successfully humors us early, making it easy to forgive its flaws. It's still not enough to make us completely overlook them. If you don't laugh early, then forget it because it's not getting any better. For those of us that do, even if we have a number of deep belly laughs, we can't help but think it could've been much better.

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

Wanderlust

Directed by David Wain.

2012. Rated R, 98 minutes.

Cast:

Jennifer Aniston

Paul Rudd

Justin Theroux

Malin Akerman

Kathryn Hahn

Lauren Ambrose

Alan Alda

Joe Lo Truglio

Ken Marino

Jordan Peele

Michaela Watkins

Kerri Kenney

Linda Lavin

After losing his job, George (Rudd) and his wife Linda (Aniston) are forced to move out of their expensive Manhattan “mini loft.” Seeing no other options, the couple packs everything in their car and drives to Atlanta where George will work for his brother. On the way, they decide to stop at what they think is a bed-and-breakfast named Elysium, but turns out to be a 1960s style commune. Their immense enjoyment of the night, combined with the fact that George’s brother Rick (Marino) is relentlessly obnoxious, lead them to try and make a full-blown lifestyle switch. They decide they’ll stay at Elysium for a few weeks then decide whether or not to move there permanently.

The couple in question each struggles with their new surroundings in different ways. Of course, the jokes revolve around this. Specifically, we get riffs on the lack of privacy, drug use, the nudist wine-maker/novelist, and whether or not to engage in free love. It’s all rather hit or miss, mostly miss. Our two leads give stock performances. Neither is bad, just indistinguishable from most of their other roles. The problem is that they both work best when they’re not the primary source of humor. This renders them, and the movie, almost wholly dependent on the supporting cast for comedy while their interactions with each other come across more as drama. Each has a funny moment or two, but not enough to sustain an entire movie.

With that in mind, we must turn our attention to the rest of the ensemble. First, there is Seth, played by a very Charles Manson looking Justin Theroux. He spends the bulk of his screen time referencing dated technology and trying to get into Linda’s pants. He’s mildly amusing on occasion. Next is Kathy (Kenney) and Karen (Hahn). I mention them together because that is almost always how they’re seen. Indeed, they seem to be playing opposite sides of the same coin. One is passive-aggressive while the other is prone to angry outbursts. Again, just a laugh or two from each. Another pair is Rodney (Peele) and Almond (Ambrose), a couple expecting a baby. They’re more consistently funny than those previously mentioned. The actual birth scene, which only includes George not Rodney, is by far the funniest moment in the film. It is also as scary as anything you’re likely to see in a horror flick. Alas, they don’t get as much time on screen as the others.

The standout for me is Alan Alda as Carvin, the wheelchair bound owner of Elysium. He’s not uproariously funny, but his performance is just so natural and infectious. Oh, I almost forgot about Wayne (Lo Truglio), the naked guy. Whether or not you find him funny depends on your tolerance for dick jokes. Another bright spot is Linda’s perpetually drunk sister-in-law Marissa (Watkins). Unlike anyone else in the movie, I think she is hilarious. Unfortunately, she shares all of her scenes with Rick, her Stifler inspired husband who is just annoying as all get out.

As for our plot, it just meanders along while the comfort level of our lovebirds moves in opposite directions. Obviously, they notice this which leads to numerous arguments and eventually brings us to the not-so-funny and sorta action-packed finale. By that point, we’re left to shrug our shoulders and try to decide if we like it or not since it is never good or bad enough for us to figure this out earlier. Then we realize that if there’s a debate about whether we like it, we probably don’t.

MY SCORE: 5/10