Review - The Wedding Ringer starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco

My first review of the year and it’s a Kevin Hart movie. I know how that sounds, like man Julian is starting the hate MAD early. See I like Kevin Hart, I laugh at Kevin Hart and I see most of his output even, that Real Husbands of Hollywood show on BET. I just find it interesting that we might be in a thing where mid-January is his time to shine in the theaters and get money. One more year after Ride Along last year and this movie The Wedding Ringer and proof will be in the pudding. The Wedding Ringer is another starring vehicle for Hart this timed teamed with Josh Gad aka Olaf the new GOAT snowman. Also in this movie is Kaley Cuoco and a personal fav of mine Olivia Thirlby.

The Wedding Ringer is about Jimmy, played by Hart, a man that sells his services as a Best Man to people who don’t have one for their weddings. Josh Gad plays Doug, a man with no friends at all and is marrying his dream girl but has been lying about a made up best friend by the name of Bic Mitchum to her since they got engaged. Doug ends up being referred to Jimmy to help him in his problem and he hires Jimmy to be Bic and also get him groomsman and an entire history of friendship in two weeks before he weds Cuoco’s Gretchen. That’s essentially what you learn in the trailer and to be honest I wasn’t totally impressed with the idea in itself. Luckily I was surprised with The Wedding Ringer, not only was there a lot more to the movie than I thought, they also didn’t spoil all the great laughs in the trailer. I wanted to give someone a high five for that alone.

Hart and Gad really play off of each other well. The script and the performances play the dynamic of cool loner guy and lonely uncool guy really well. The plot of the movie is very easy to guess in what happens to all the characters. Friendships are made, backs are had, and muddy football games are played. For the most part the film is pretty down to earth in what happens with the comedy but for some reason once they get to the Bachelor Party things get a little too wild, a little too, I might say, Adam Sandler-esque then thankfully it goes back to a nice sense of normal. Another weird thing that stood out to me is that Olivia Thirlby is shot almost entirely in soft focus like it’s in the 60s. I don’t understand totally why they made that choice for a movie in 2015 but hey whatever man. It’s not that distracting for 99.9% of the audience.

So to wrap up The Wedding Ringer is a pretty decent R rated comedy for this time of the year. It’s also a bit different type of character for Hart instead of the annoyingly loud sidekick or narrator all-knowing funny black guy i.e. Think like a Man or About Last Night.  In this terrible season of weak releasing and Award season catch up it’s something new that you can see on weekend night and laugh.

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Josh Gad could Star as Roger Ebert in 'Russ & Roger Go Beyond'

Imagine how badly you'd get ripped by critics for doing a terrible job at playing beloved film critic Roger Ebert. That's a prospect Josh Gad may have to face if he agrees to play Ebert in Russ & Roger Go Beyond.

According to The Wrap, Gad is the top choice to play Ebert in the film which stars Will Ferrell as B-movie director, Russ Meyer.  The story will focus on their collaboration Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Ebert's only screenwriting credit. So far Gad hasn't read a script, in fact he told Collider his participation is merely a rumor for now, and none of it matters until a director is found. But having Ferrell and Gad on board for a film on Roger Ebert is a pretty good way to attract a big name behind the camera.

We'll see what happens, but for now do yourself a favor and check out the amazing Roger Ebert documentary, Life Itself, which is now airing on CNN.

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New Red Band Trailer for 'The Wedding Ringer' with Kevin Hart and Josh Gad

Looking a lot like a really screwed up version of Hitch, the Kevin Hart/Josh Gad comedy The Wedding Ringer seems poised to be one of 2015's first big hits. Few have been on a hotter streak than Hart, and who doesn't love to watch two bro's totally ruining the happy nuptials? So does it have a chance to be the next Wedding Crashers? Check out the new red band trailer and decide for yourself.

Hart plays a guy who runs a business providing "best man" services to grooms who don't have any friends, which makes Gad the perfect client. This is one of the filthiest red band trailers we've seen in months, so definitely don't watch it at work or around the kiddies. Jeremy Garelick, who penned the insightful relationship dramedy The Break-Up, is directing this one and hopefully he has a few things to say about the nature of marriage, as well. Or if he just wants to be straight-up silly like this footage suggests, that's perfectly fine, too.

Also starring Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Cloris Leachman, Olivia Thirlby, Jorge Garcia, Alan Ritchson, Jenifer Lewis, and Mimi Rogers, The Wedding Ringer opens January 16th 2015.


The Wedding Ringer Official Trailer #3 (2015) - Kevin Hart, Josh Gad Comedy Movie HD by Allvideos HD

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Kevin Hart is Every Groom's Best Friend in 'The Wedding Ringer' Trailer

Has there been a more successful actor over the last two years than Kevin Hart? The string of hit movies beginning with Think Like a Man and stretching to this year's Ride Along, About Last Night, and Think Like a Man Too make the case that he is one of today's biggest draws. Next year he'll try to keep the momentum going in The Wedding Ringer, which will give him a chance to kick it opposite Josh Gad.

Directed by Jeremy Garelick (writer of The Break-Up), the Hitch-style comedy stars Hart as Jimmy, who runs Best Man Inc., providing "best man services" to grooms who don't have any friends to stand up for them. When Doug (Gad) hires Jimmy for his impending wedding to Paige (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), a bromance develops between the two in the midst of all the matrimonial chaos.

The Wedding Ringer walks down the aisle on January 16th.

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First Look at Adam Sandler and Peter Dinklage in 'Pixels'; 'Space Invaders' Movie On the Way

With the superhero market all but cornered by Marvel and Warner Bros., studios looking for the next big thing have begun turning their attention to video game movies. Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear Solid, and Splinter Cell are just a few of the modern console games headed to theaters with big league talent attached. But in the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy, Pixels, and the long-developing Space Invaders film, the plan is to hit a high score indulging in the coin-operated glory of the '80s.

EW has the first photo of Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, and Peter Dinklage in Pixels, which is based on the awesome short film by Patrick Jean about aliens who attack the earth in the guise of  8-bit video game characters.  Sandler plays a former video game champion called upon by the President (Kevin James) to save the world. Chris Columbus is directing for release on May 15th 2015.

One of the many digital aliens you'll find in Pixels will be based on the classic game, Space Invaders, which has had a film in the works for years. Well now Warner Bros. has picked up the rights and Akiva Goldsman (Winter's Tale, The Da Vinci Code) is on board to produce. Other than Pac-Man, Space Invaders is probably the most recognizable of the old school games. Chances are it will look more like Battleship than Pixels, though. We'll see. [TheWrap]

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Review: Zach Braff's 'Wish I Was Here'

When Zach Braff made his directorial debut a decade ago with Garden State, it was the rare occurrence of an actor finding his voice immediately as a filmmaker. Say what you want about the film and the indie pop-laden, melodramatic copy cats that followed, the truth is that Garden State was a cornerstone film that inspired those of a certain age and disposition to dream a bit greater. So it's a little odd that Braff took so long for his follow-up, Wish I Was Here, and while the film has similar aesthetic touches and tries to say too much, it's a heartfelt clarion call to arms for those with dreams that will never fade.

Braff took a lot of heat for his record-breaking Kickstarter efforts, and frankly a lot of the criticism has been undeserved. But there's something to be said about the freedom it gave Braff to do basically anything he wanted, and that becomes a recurring issue right from the start. He plays Aidan Bloom, a failed actor whose best gig was a TV commercial and little else. Months have gone between gigs meaning he's not making any money, putting the financial burden on wife Sarah (Kate Hudson), who works a job she hates but endures out of necessity. Aidan is more than just another adult who never really grew up, he's someone who comes off as selfish and pre-occupied with his own dreams to worry about others. That disregard extends to his children, who attend a private Hebrew school paid for by Aidan's father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) until he gets too sick to pony up the cash. Aidan's first reaction is to worry about himself and whether finding a job would distract from those all-important auditions.

And that's really just the start as Braff piles on even more subplots that often strike at something true but just as often get in the way from a clearer narrative. Josh Gad brings a little bit of humor and a lot of sadness to his role as Noah, Aidan's technologically talented brother who has withered his skills away as a blogger (nice cheap shot, Zach!). Gabe doesn't think much of Aidan at all but he really can't stand what Noah has done with his life. In broad strokes Braff explores issues of masculinity, faith, and midlife crisis with sincerity and real heart. Nobody can say Braff doesn't put everything he has into his work, even going so far as to blend in a few sci-fi sequences that hint the fantasy world in Aidan's mind. Aidan fancies himself a hero but as a father with responsibilities he's unprepared for the new heroic parameters.

Some will be quick to write the film off as merely Garden State redux but they may be surprised. Yes, you'll hear an endless stream of indie bands underscoring every crucial life moment, but the tone is considerably more spirited and upbeat, a tough thing to pull off with so many weighty themes. That seriousness is balanced by Braff's well-practiced comic timing, especially when paired up with the equally funny Patinkin. Braff still comes off as unnatural dramatically but he's better than when he starred in The Last Kiss some years ago.

The relevance of modern Judaism is explored in surprising detail, mostly through Aidan's daughter (Joey King, truly excellent) who faces an identity crisis similar to her father. It's one of the few subplots that really click, whereas others, like Noah's sudden love affair with a hot cosplay chick (Ashley Greene) feel tacked on and don't really go anywhere. The same goes for a pointless diversion about Sarah being harassed by a workplace colleague. Braff has enough material here to pad out a third movie and that's probably what he should have done. Surely a good chunk of that Kickstarter money is left over because this couldn't have cost but so much. Even if there isn't, Braff's fans who adored Garden State will find something to love in Wish I Was Here and will probably chip in a few dollars for another movie.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Jon Hamm, Kevin Hart Eye Richard Linklater's 'Mr. Limpet'; New Clip from 'Boyhood'

In a couple of weeks Richard Linklater will finally release his 12-year coming of age epic, Boyhood (catch my review here), and he'll be following it up with another project that has been in the works for some time. Zach Galifianakis has long been attached to star in Linklater's remake of Don Knotts comedy, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and with the project officially moving forward a talented cast is starting to assemble around it.

Jon Hamm, Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Key & Peele, Sarah Silverman, and Danny McBride are in talks to join the film, a live-action/animated hybrid based on the Theodore Pratt novel that inspired the 1964 movie. Galifianakis plays a bearded beach bum and activist who is turned into a fish and sets out to save the aquatic population and his town. Hamm would play the villain, a businessman who mines the ocean floor. McBride and Silverman are expected to take human roles while the rest will be voicing animated fish.

Linklater will be employing an animated style still similar to his Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, which may take kids a little getting used to. Filming could begin this fall if everything comes together.

But first Linklater has Boyhood to open in theaters, and even if it's not your typical summer tentpole it's an achievement bigger films can't come close to matching. Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Linklater's daughter Lorelai shot the movie over the course of twelve years, filming a few weeks at a time. It allows us to see these characters evolve naturally, and the same goes for the actors portraying them. The story centers on Mason (Coltrane) as he grows up in a broken-but-loving home, and in this scene he's getting a lecture from his Dad about having a natural conversation.

Boyhood opens in limited release July 11th, here in DC a week later.[TheWrap]

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Kevin Hart is The Best Man in First Trailer and Images from 'The Wedding Ringer'

This weekend will see Kevin Hart play the worst best man ever in Think Like a Man Too, the sequel to the film that sparked his career and led to hits such as Ride Along and About Last Night. Next year Hart will reteam with uber-producer Will Packer for The Wedding Ringer, and again he'll be part at the center of someone's impending nuptials.

The first images and trailer for The Wedding Ringer have been released, and they feature Hart getting his groove on alongside Josh Gad. Directed and co-written by Jeremy Garelick (The Break-Up), the film has Hart playing a guy who runs a best man service, standing up for grooms who don't have a friend close enough to be part of the wedding. Gad's character hires him, but also decides to fabricate nine other friends and the two must keep things from spinning out of control and ruining the wedding.

Also starring Olivia Thirlby, Kaley Cuoco, Alan Ritchson, and Mimi Rogers, The Wedding Ringer opens January 16th 2015.


THE WEDDING RINGER (2015) Official HD Teaser Trailer by NewTrailers BOS
 

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Trailer for Zach Braff's Kickstarter-Funded 'Wish I Was Here'

If you need a director who can find just the right indie band to score a major crossroads in somebody's life, that guy is probably Zach Braff. A decade after doing just that with his directorial debut, Garden State, he's back with his follow-up, Wish I Was Here, and now there's a new trailer that expands upon the teaser from a few weeks ago.

Braff leads the ensemble which includes Kate Hudson, Donald Faison, Joey King, Ashley Greene, Josh Gad, and Mandy Patinkin, playing a failed actor and struggling father forced to reconsider his entire approach to life. Basically this is pure Braff and everything that entails, so if you don't mind that his movies look like music video soap operas then this is something you'll be anticipating.

Wish I Was Here opens in limited release July 18th before expanding the next two weeks.

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Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, and Kevin James to Star in 'Pixels'

About four years ago, Adam Sandler picked up the rights to Patrick Jean's video game-inspired short film, Pixels, with plans of turning it into a family-friendly film. Last year Christopher Columbus was in talks to direct, and now it looks like a recent rewrite of the script has convinced Sandler to go ahead and star in it himself, and he may not be the only one coming aboard.

The Wrap reports that an updated script by Just Go with It writer Tim Dowling is what lured Sandler in to star, with Columbus now confirmed as director. Meanwhile, Kevin James and Josh Gad are in talks to join the film, which is clearly still in the very early stages. Sandler's Just Go with It co-star Jennifer Aniston is being looked at for the female lead but her schedule on the upcoming comedy Mean Moms could prevent it.

The Pixels short film is a lot of fun, and has aliens attacking New York City using 1980s video game characters and levels. It should make for quite the big screen spectacle, which may be why development has taken so long. Dowling is said to have made the concept even broader in scope, and to help out Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) was brought on as an exec-producer.

Check out the short film version of Pixels below.

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Review: 'The Lego Movie' Starring Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, and Will Ferrell

What's so special about The LEGO Movie? It's just another movie based on a toy designed to move units at Wal-Mart or something, right? What makes it any different or better than G.I. Joe? Or Transformers? True enough that there may be a few more LEGO Bat-Wings flying off the shelves in the coming weeks, but it's only because The LEGO Movie taps into the childlike imagination and awe that LEGO was always meant to inspire. By embracing the potential in literally building untold worlds where characters from other universes can interact in one epic adventure, the film captures the magic of diving into the toy box and letting your imagination run wild with possibility.

Hilarious and insanely packed with vivid, ever-moving parts done in the classic LEGO style, the film benefits from the presence of co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, whose Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs boasted similar visual wonders. But it's the intelligence and humor in their script that forms the firmest of building blocks, appealing to kids and nostalgic adults alike. We're introduced to Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt), a normal everyday LEGO builder who is willfully, wholeheartedly part of the generic machine. As part of a massive team he keeps this LEGO city awash in new, unimpressive buildings; bops to the bland but maddeningly infectious pop song "Everything is Awesome" (you'll never get it out of your head!), and wants nothing more than to be a part of the crowd. But Emmett is nobody, a total "blank slate" with so little personality that few even know he exists.

That changes when he stumbles upon the Piece of Resistance, an all-powerful object that could prevent the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell) from destroying everything with his super weapon, the Kragl (one of many plays on words better seen than explained). Discovered by the rebellious and sexy Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Emmett is transported beyond his home realm and into a number of colorful universes that will make great toy sets in the future...if they aren't already. The god-like Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman, naturally) believes Emmet is a Master Builder; a chosen one who can put an end to Lord Business' reign of terror. But first Emmet, who has never had an original thought in his head, must learn to put his fears aside and prove he can be the hero the universe demands him to be. Joining him on the journey are literally dozens of pop culture icons, and it's safe to say this is the one place where you can see Batman (Will Arnett), Superman (Channing Tatum) and the Ninja Turtles fighting side-by-side with Shaquille O'Neal, Gandalf, and Dumbledore. Even if the threadbare plot is merely an excuse to put all of these characters together, it's so cool that it doesn't really matter.

The introductory scenes zip along at a rapid pace but it picks up into a full-on sprint once the adventure begins, to the point where it's tough to keep track of what is going on. Animated with digital/stop-motion brilliance by Animal Logic, each frame is constantly buzzing with hundreds of characters at once, and they all seem to be doing something you want to pay attention to. It gets a little overwhelming, but it's nothing a second viewing won't cure. And you will definitely want to see The LEGO movie at least one more time in order to take in the massively detailed world and catch every single sight gag. It's refreshing to see a film like this that seems like it can go absolutely anywhere and have literally anything happen, depending solely on the creativity and imagination of the filmmakers. And through it all, the film manages to be a surprisingly effective, even emotional story about embracing one's uniqueness.

Problems only arise when the film gets away from the LEGO universe to impart some labored wisdom in a Meta context that just feels jarring. If the point is that toys are meant to be played with rather than locked away (or heaven forbid, kept in their original packaging), then the rest of the film makes that point abundantly clear just as the Toy Story movies do. The final act reveal doesn't quite work, even though it makes perfect sense, because it sacrifices fun for a message we don't need hammered home.

The LEGO Movie has clicked into place the building blocks for a new, wholly imaginative franchise that can appeal to audiences of any age, and has no limits on where it can go next.

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Josh Gad Eyed for The Thing in 'Fantastic Four'?

Is it "clobberin' time" time for Josh Gad in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot? So far we've heard plenty of names mentioned to play Marvel's "first family" of superheroes, but with production only a couple of months away nothing has been set in stone. Gad, who recently voiced Olaf in Disney's Frozen and played Steve Wozniak in Jobs, is apparently the "number one choice" for the role of Ben Grimm aka The Thing, although Movies.com is quick to cite it as merely a rumor.

Trank, took to Twitter to send out a brief denial, saying  simply in response to a fan tweet...

@devincf first i'm hearing of this... it's not true.
— Josh Trank (@josh_trank) January 28, 2014

Of course, Trank has been less than forthright in his past denials so who knows what the truth really is. Gad does fit in the same age bracket as the other rumored stars, such as Miles Teller for Reed Richards (he may have confirmed it, actually), Michael B. Jordan for Johnny Storm, and Allison Williams and Saoirse Ronan for Sue Storm. While Gad isn't the first person I think many would have thought of for the role, he's an incredibly sympathetic actor as evidenced recently in Thanks for Sharing. That's a quality necessary to capture Ben Grimm's predicament as a man trapped behind an ugly, orange, rocky exterior.

 Whatever happens, some decisions need to be made soon. Fantastic Four is set to open on March 6th 2015.

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Josh Gad Books a Trip to 'Gilligan's Island'

Is Josh Gad having a moment or what? Earlier this year he was one of the bright spots (one of a few, surprisingly) in Jobs, playing Apple co-found Steve Wozniak; he pulled off the same trick in the relatively bland sex-addiction dramedy Thanks for Sharing; he landed the sought-after role of Sam Kinison in a future flick; oh, and his current film Frozen has killed at the box office and could win Best Animated Feature. So what's next? How about a 3-hour tour to Gilligan's Island?

Gad has signed on for an unknown role in the Gilligan's Island remake nobody asked for and few were happy about when it was announced a few years ago. He'll adapt the big screen version of the 1960s hit TV series with the catchy opening theme, co-writing with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Off-hand Gad seems like a fit to play The Skipper, although it's possible he'll take on the title role, made iconic by Bob Denver.  The original series ran for three seasons, along with a handful of TV movies, and followed seven castaways marooned on an island when their yacht the S.S. Minnow is shipwrecked.

Good news? Bad news? Remake fatigued? No word on when this will roll but Warner Bros. finally seems to have pulled up the anchor on this one, so expect to hear more soon. [Deadline]

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Kevin Hart and Josh Gad to Team Up for Untitled Comedy

Fellow scene-stealers Josh Gad and Kevin Hart both have surprisingly funny comedies in theaters right now in The Internship and This Is the End. While neither is on screen very long, and in the case of Hart his death is all that really matters, they both make the most of their time and are always good for a laugh or two. But we'll be able to see what they can do as a comic duo in a new untitled comedy from Miramax and Screen Gems.

Deadline reports that Jeremy Garelick (The Break-Up) will co-write and make his directorial debut on the buddy comedy, has Hart as a guy who uses his natural charisma to provide Best Man services to those who can't find someone to stand up for them at their wedding. Gad would play a groom-to-be in need of Hart's help, only he's made matters worse by also making up the names of nine groomsman. Hilarity ensues as they try to pull off one major wedding day charade to make Gad look his best.

Gad was recently seen in the canceled NBC series 1600 Penn, and will also appear opposite Ashton Kutcher in Jobs. Hart will star alongside Ice Cube in Ride Along, and has the About Last Night remake and Think Like a Man Too coming up.

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1st poster for Dreamworks' 'Me and My Shadow'

Pixar may still be the animation king, but Dreamworks has been slowly gaining on them in recent years. The trend now it seems, based on Tangled and Disney's amazing looking Paperman, is to blend CG animation with traditional hand drawn. So far the combination has worked brilliantly, and Dreamworks is looking to capitalize with their latest film, Me and My Shadow.

The first poster for the film has been released, and it shows that Dreamworks is really catching up to Pixar in the CG department. Alessandro Carloni(How to Train Your Dragon) will make his directorial debut, with the living shadow in the film done in hand drawn style, and his human counterpart in CG. Bill Hader voices Stan, a shadow who yearns for a bit more excitement in his life, but knows that won't happen as long as he's stuck with the boring Stanley Grubb(Josh Gad). When a crime in the shadow world puts his and Stanley's lives in danger, Stan breaks the cardinal rule and takes control to investigate. 

Me and My Shadow also features the voice of Kate Hudson, and is expected to hit theaters on March 14th 2014.

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Josh Gad to play Steve Wozniak in 'Jobs' opposite Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher in a movie called Jobs? No, it's not a workplace comedy spunoff from his hit Two and a Half Men. It's actually a biopic on Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, with Kutcher in the title role. Seriously. It's not as crazy as it sounds. With production set to begin next month, Book of Mormon star Josh Gad has come aboard to play Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.

Wozniak has been portrayed in film before, by Joseph Slotnick in 1999's Pirates of Silicon Valley. It's a good flick, with Noah Wyle as Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates. This version is written by newcomer Matt Whiteley, and directed by Swing Vote's Joshua Michael Stevens. The story will follow Jobs' early career and the founding of Apple, so Gad should have a pretty meaty role here. Gad's success on Book of Mormon appears to be working wonders for his film career, as he's also set to star opposite James Franco in the pick-up artist film, The Game.

Last I heard, Aaron Sorkin was being eyed to pen a Steve Jobs biopic for Sony, but it's been pretty quiet on that front for awhile. [Variety]

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