The Lego Batman Movie

Feels like an overlong South Park episode made weaker through pulled plastic punches. Amusing Romantic Knight plot provides clever genre commentary and appearance of infinite baddies from inside and outside canon proved spectacular entertainment, but ultimately the comedy doesn’t quite match the originality of predecessor. Perhaps they suffered writers blocks.

Birdman

Black-Swan-man embraces gravity with style despite feather-ruffling from Norton’s Norton and stoned Stone.  Watts electrifies with return to Mulholland while Galifaeioukis galls by emerging from comedic ferns.  Inairitu’s mockery of editing and soundly designed sound design give wings to a film that seemed like a long shot and still does.

Below

Aronofsky scripted submarine horror feels like Session 9 set on Ghost Ship.  Greenwood’s outperforms the film while Williams pulls an Osment.  None of the twists are particularly alarming as the ship drifts into clichéd waters.  The only true surprise in non-Event sub-Horizon is the prophetic shade of Galifianakis’ comedic future.

The Hangover: Part II

The Hangover Again, only this time it hurts. Phillips pukes this one out on its two year due date, and this underdeveloped clone struggles along the same path as its predecessor, never managing to outdo a single joke. On the bright side, the cast are still funny, if completely predictable.

Due Date

Phillips’ follow-up film feels like bad hangover after great party. Foxx is Downey’s downfall and Soloist isn’t an isolated incident. Someone skipped script revision process and just threw two great actors into wacky situation with hope that it would work out. Poorly conceived, premature comedic bastard with appropriately terrible delivery.

Into the Wild

Penn graduates acting and disappears into directing his Milky boyfriend. Hurt softens Hurt and Harden as Hirsch races speedily through a cast of comedians and meets vampiric new girl next door. Beautifully executed piece has perfect mix of romance and realism to make anyone almost want to be Supertramp. Almost.