MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES || July 8th, 2016
MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES || Mike and Dave may be in the title, but it’s the girls that steal the show. Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza are the main course, playing not only off each other with zeal, but off the rest of the characters as well. In fact, Zac Efron plays a little too softly here while Adam DeVine plays way too wildly, in a hit-or-miss fashion that is mostly misses. Earning it’s R-rating, however, the film at least pulls off a few laughs, remains sexy, and comes off as one of the most authentic comedies of the summer.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS || Illumination animation steps away from its “Despicable Me” and “Minions” franchise to bring us adorable animals to fall in love with. At its heart, a retread of Pixar’s “Toy Story,” the film follows two dogs, Max and Duke who are thrust together (replacing Woody and Buzz) and when they try to drive each other out, they end up lost and must find their way back to their comfortable lives. The sad part is, any time this film finds itself in a truly heartfelt moment, it is trampled by more action, not allowing to fully immerse itself in the emotion like Pixar allows.