Baby Driver

Edgar takes Wright turn into traffic and delivers schoolboy’s fantasy, a carfully constructed crime caper with high-octane action but remarkably little beneath the hood. The Foxx and the Hamm vary their bossy roles while cleverly constructed long-shots, impressive choreographic synchronicity and occasional genre subversions keep the mph high despite superficiality.

The Amazing Spider-man 2

Amazingly comic-booky film fully embraces tone of source despite overlong runtime and villainously deceptive advertising.  A fun physics-free farce featuring plenty of in-jokes, and a few electrifying tidbits of emotion.  Ray plugs in as Spidey takes a dip in the deadpool with endless thread of witty asides.  Oh, and Rhino.

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.

Horrible Bosses

Two Jasons enjoy a sunny Day in Philadelphia alongside crazy Cruise-esque performances from three veteran talents. Arbitrary antics and quick dialogue feel like a happy Hangover, as does the meandering and somewhat senseless plot. Funny film but leaves viewer wanting a little more nymphoniac Anistons, Killer Kevins and Cokehead Colins.

The Soloist

Sherlock is Blind Sided by homeless Rayn Man. Robert is a let-Downey Jr., falling somewhere between Catherine’s keener performance and hollow Hollander, but wily Foxx steals show. As a character study, it’s all Wright, but nothing stands out and it fizzles at the end. Odd, no staplers in the office.

Valentine's Day

Love, Atrociously. Cheesy forced variation of British rom-com masterpiece. Amusing cast of big name actors add some spice to poorly constructed ensemble disaster, but none of the interweaving pays off or says much of anything. Cooper and Roberts provide only truly compelling storylines, and culminating in sole redemption of film.

Law Abiding Citizen

Film seems to argue in favor of whatever morally reprehensible and deluded message Leonidas is attempting to teach Jamie Foxx. Tonally similar to reworking Saw to glorify Jigsaw into Batman. Plot feels clever for a while, but the ‘witty twist’ completely undermines the cleverness of everything else. Can’t fight fate.