Grown Ups 2 Review

Last night the whole family went out to the movies. We don't usually get out to the theatre, mainly because the movie-going experience is often so poor. Luckily, there is a playhouse near us that runs new movies and we were 3 out of about 12 people at the show. Great seats, no lines and only $8.50 a person. Why we went also had to do with the movie playing, Grown Ups 2.

We loved Grown Ups when it came out in 2010 and own a digital copy we rewatch on occasion. It is the story of 5 friends (played by Adam Sandler, Chris Jock, Kevin James, David Spade and Rob Schneider) getting together with their families to say goodbye to their basketball coach and reconnect with their youth. Laughs and hilarity ensue. Grown Ups was billed as a slapstick comedy and delivered on that well.

Some of our '80s favorites all in one backyard

Grown Ups 2 takes place after Lenny (Sandler) has moved his family from Hollywood back to his home town and shows the events of the last day of school before Summer break. The day is spent with four of the friends (Rock, James, Sandler and Spade) doing various insane things they are probably too old for and enjoying being together again.

Nothing wrong with a good ol' tire roll

Grown Ups 2, which has been panned by critics, is silly, outrageous and over the top. However, it is fun and provides laugh-out-loud comedy. At one point, my wife couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard. We all had a good time and probably the best comment (again from my wife) after the movie was, "They should just keep making these and stream them right to my house, I'll watch them." There really isn't any major tensions in the movie, they are all lightened by the antics and humor. It is just a family, partially gross-out, coming-of-age, reconnecting with your youth comedy and, if you can suspend your disbelief and aren't expecting a take-itself-seriously type movie, Grown Ups 2 is well worth your time.

Wait, is that Shaquille O'Neal?

One of our favorite characters is Kurt Mackenzie's (Rock) son Ronnie played by Kaleo Elam. Ronnie is cute and fun and scrappy and steals most of the scenes he is in. Taylor Lautner is also in the film, playing a college frat boy who is one of the main antagonists for Sandler and crew. Grown Ups 2 has plenty of innuendo, fart jokes (including the burp-snart) and too tight clothing shots (on men and women) but delivers exactly what it advertises: silly humor that is fun without being serious. A popcorn movie worth seeing. I give Grown Ups 2 four Mick Happies. We will see it again and again in the coming years when we need a fun laugh.

The official movie trailer

Madagascar 3 Review

The daughter and I caught the preview to Madagascar 3 and were sucked in by the image and accompanying song above. We had seen the first Madagascar film from Dreamworks Animation and enjoyed it but didn’t see Madagascar 2.  Yesterday we went to see the movie (non-3D) and here’s what we thought:

Madagascar 3 is the story of Alex the lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (voiced by Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (voiced by David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippopotamus (voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith) who are living in Africa but dreaming of returning to the zoo they left in the first film.  We get to follow along on their journey to try and find their way back home.

Madagascar 3 brings in all of the usual elements of the series. The penguins are extremely smart and witty. King Julien the lemur is over the top and as usual there is a song that will get stuck in your head - an earworm. In Madagascar it was “I Like To Move It, Move It” and here it is “Afro Circus” (see trailer below).

The story is definitely geared to the tween and younger crowd. At one point the crew rehearses for a few hours and in the next scene puts on a circus extravaganza, but hey – it’s a movie about talking animals don’t take it so seriously. All of the kids in the audience enjoyed it and laughed and that is good enough for me. The writers also seem to make fun of themselves with Skipper the leader of the penguins (voiced by Tom McGrath) stating at one point that they could have bought a plane if they hadn’t bought a circus.

The penguins are a riot as usual and Chris Rock’s Marty has the most memorable moments in the film with his dance and song. This is a fun one to take the kids too for a matinee. I give Madagascar 3 three Mick Happies. You will not get "Polka Dot, Polka Dot – Afro Circus" out of your head.