The Spy who Dumped Me

Family Movie Night

by Karyn Bowman

The other day I started writing my column when I realized I was going to have to scrap it.

My youngest son had to go to the ER. What started out being flu-like turned out to be appendicitis. Surgery took place on Friday morning and the weekend was spent at the hospital.

By the time you read this, he will be at home resting. With any luck he will be well on the way to recovery.

For everyone who sent well wishes and all those who gave up prayers, please accept our thanks and appreciation.

When I started writing this week’s column, I was talking about The Spy Who Dumped Me. This action/comedy stars Mila Kunis as a woman who was recently dumped by her boyfriend by text message. Her best friend, Kate McKinnon, tries to cheer her up by suggesting they burn all of the ex-boyfriend’s stuff and text him to let him know.

That’s when it gets a little crazy. He texts back to say he will pick it all up. Then Kunis learns from a handsome Brit, Sam Heughan, that her boyfriend is CIA who was making a deal for something that she has in her possession. And when the ex shows up, he asks her to take the item to Europe.

So now McKinnon and Kunis are on their way, hoping not to die in the process. Of course they’re being followed, of course it is going to be dangerous, of course there are going to be guns ablazing.

As much as I wanted to like this movie, I was disappointed. There were a lot of funny moments but there were other moments that dragged or didn’t feel quite realistic.

Because this is supposed to be a comedy, some of the action scenes are over the top in the amount of violence and gun fire. The big torture scene is supposed to be funny because this woman uses gymnastic techniques to beat on these women. But I also love this because it makes fun of the action films that have increased their wire gymnastics actions.

Kate and Mila

However, this movie also wants to be taken seriously. The singular body count – one here, one there – gets rather high and they don’t always make sense.

Does Kate McKinnon go over the top? Is Mila Kunis a bit too shrill at times? Could Sam Heughan have been a bit more something? Yes, yes, and yes. The problem is it wants to be both action and comedy. At some point you have to make a choice between action movie with comedic elements or comedic movie with action elements.

On the other hand, if all you want is a fun action movie that is bit of a travelogue with some salty language, then this is the girls night movie you have been waiting for. Can I say that Sam is really hunky?

 

You Betcha, I can!

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

 

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Family Movie Night – Oz: The Great and Powerful

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

Have you ever been anticipating a new movie but then the critics rip it apart, making you doubt if that movie is worth your time?

 

I was feeling that way about Oz: The Great and Powerful. This prequel to The Wizard of Oz received some incredibly bad reviews. It took a while for positive reviews to trickle out.

 

Poster image from IMDb.com

In the case of this movie, I was not finding anyone who liked it before hand. Only after the movie opened did friends start telling me what they thought. This was combined with the incredible box office numbers the movie was pulling in. It made me wonder if the critics knew what they were talking about or if families were hungry for a good movie.

 

Now that our family has seen the movie, I want to say it is a little of both.

 

The story is about how the Wizard comes to the Land of Oz, how his arrival was foretold by the late king and that his arrival would mean freedom for the people of Oz. But the man who arrives is perhaps not the one who was expected.

 

This was a beautifully photographed movie. The colors are rich, deep, enthralling. I was drawn in to the movie and did not realize time had passed.

 

Yet, it takes something more than rich backgrounds and incredible sets. It takes more than groups of people similar to the movie we remember that this one is connected.

 

After all, there are many details that foreshadow the movie we remember. The yellow brick road is there along with flying monkeys and munchkins. The poppy fields and straw men and a lion all make their appearance.

 

That is when James Franco must step up to make this story his and not a remembrance piece. He must play this con man with truth and conviction along with something up the sleeve that will trick even those he is working to save.

 

Then there are the three witches: Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz. These women are at odds with each other in regards to the king’s death – who was poisoned. When this mysterious person comes to their land, he has to figure out who is evil and who is good. And he has to figure out which of these women know the truth about him.

 

As for the critics, I realize some of what they said was true, that some of the performances were bland. However, one should never mistake bland with simple because there are some deep thoughts in this movie. Some also stated that Franco was terribly miscast but I thought he was perfect as the con man looking for something more.

 

I know that I want to see this movie again. I want to watch for the things I missed. I know my kids loved the movie and barely made a peep because they were so enthralled. If there was a moment that might have been too scary, it was when the evil flying monkeys made their appearance. That said, I thought it was one of those few good family movies that all ages could enjoy with tidbits for the adults and bits for the kids.

 

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.