The Above Average Awards: Comedy 2014

Each year, I give the same rant about the lack of recognition that is given to comedic films, and you are about to hear a condensed version of that rant YET AGAIN!

Of course, most critics harp on crummy comedies like Blended, Tammy, and Sex Tape, and they forget that many moviegoers go to the movies with intentions to laugh. Sure, there are times when I want to be blown away with drama or suspense, but, there are many times that I just want to laugh. The actors, actresses, and films below are being recognized by me because of their ability to make me roll with laughter.

Categorizing films and performances can be extremely tricky, as many comedies have dramatic undertones and most dramas have at least some comedic presence. So, my job is not an easy one! However, in order to draw some sort of dramatic/comedic line, here is what I use to categorize films:

1) Did the film "feel" like a comedy?

If yes, then I consider that film a comedy.

And that is all...

Best Actress

Each year, I have trouble filling the comedic actress category, but it would be sexist to exclude them. So, here we are... I have two...

 

#2 - Melissa McCarthy
(St. Vincent)

Although the quality of Melissa McCarthy's recent films can certainly be argued against, she remains one of the funniest performers alive, in my opinion. Sure, you might get sick of her, but she ALWAYS gives it her all. In St. Vincent, McCarthy did a great job of connecting on an emotional level. In fact, I almost included her performance in the dramatic category, but her performance was so different from the others that made the dramatic list, moving her back to comedy. Surprisingly, McCarthy has managed to make my best actress list 3 out of my 4 years of blogging. Only one other person has ever made my list three times (and he will make it four, in just a few scrolls down). So, kudos to her, even if you hate her!

#1 - Jane Fonda
(This is Where I Leave You)

Jane Fonda's boobs may have been at the forefront of her comedy, in This is Where I Leave You, but she truly gave a hilariously appropriate performance. Honestly, most of this film's performances were spot on! But, Fonda, as the kooky new widow, really stole the female side of the show from two hilarious women, Kathryn Hahn and Tina Fey. Although the comedic actress field is often weak, in my mind, there is always someone like Jane Fonda there to save the day!

 

 

 

Best Actor

So many actors never have their comedic work fully realized. I mean, if you aren't Bill Murray or Jonah Hill, you are pretty much screwed, as far as being recognized by the big-wigs. I'm stoked to have the chance to share some of my favorite comedic performances with you, many of which went undetected by Oscar, in 2014...

 



Honorable Mention: Zach Braff (Wish I Was Here), Rohan Chand (Bad Words), James Corden (Begin Again), Bill Hader (The Skelton Twins), Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street)

 



#6 - Dave Franco
(Neighbors)

It has taken a little while for Dave Franco to impress me, as I didn't really care for him in his first couple of films. But, Neighbors brought out the best in him and truly gave him a chance to shine in a hilarious role. Hopefully, Franco will continue to pick them well, and, as long as he continues to hang around with his brother's counterparts, he should be alright!

#5 - Ralph Fiennes
(The Grand Budapest Hotel)



You have to respect Ralph Fiennes and what he was able to accomplish with his performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel. If you haven't seen The Grand Budapest, I hope that you will take the time to bask in the performance of Fiennes and the entire ensemble. Whether or not you enjoy Wes Anderson, there is no doubt that his actors give him their all!

 

 

#4 - Bill Murray/Jaeden Lieberher
(St. Vincent)

The Above Average Awards have been a great testament to my love for great child actors, and Jaeden Lieberher was the kid who really brought it in 2014. However, his humor and storyline would have been insignificant without the great performance of  St. Vincent himself, Mr. Bill Murray. These two were absolutely great for each other, and, if you watch St. Vincent, you are sure to agree!

#3 - Ice Cube
(22 Jump Street)

In 22 Jump Street, Ice Cube's character was really allowed to shine, much thanks to the hilarity of Jonah Hill. There is no doubt that the "situation" involving Mr. Cube's daughter and Hill's character created a few of the most memorable scenes of 2014, and, while much of this success is attributable to great writing, Ice Cube did a great job of doing his thing. It certainly kept me laughing!

#2 - Jonah Hill
(22 Jump Street)

In 2012, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum shared my top honor for a comedic actor for their work in 21 Jump Street. Regardless of how high, I expected the two of them to end up on this list, again, for 22 Jump Street. Unfortunately, Tatum's role and performance in 22 Jump just didn't quite impress me as much, and he did not make the cut. However, Hill remains at the top of the game and continues to be one of my favorite actors. This year marks the fourth straight appearance in the Above Average Awards, after making the list in drama, in 2011, for Moneyball, and in comedy, in 2012 and 2013, for 21 Jump and This Is the End, respectively. Kudos to Jonah Hill for continuing to wow me. Hopefully, we will see him on the 2015 list, as well!

#1 - Adam Driver
(This is Where I Leave You)

Adam Driver has quickly become one of my favorite actors, and that goes for both his loud comedy and his sporadically dramatic moments. Throughout This is Where I Leave You, Driver was hilarious, as he is in every film that he touches. However, in a moment shared with Jason Bateman's main character, Driver showed a quick flash of emotion that was so real that I almost burst into tears during its 10 second span! It was insane! Of course, that drama belongs in the dramatic category, but his comedy is what I believe makes his emotion so impactful. This is Where I Leave You may not be the best comedy of 2015, but it is one worth checking out, if only for the great performances. Kudos to Driver for making me like him, as I hope continues to be the case. And, kudos to This is Where I Leave You for creating real, funny characters for us to fall in love with!



Best Film

There is no doubt in my mind that 2014 was one of the strongest comedic years, in recent memory. In fact, comedy beat the crap out of drama, in 2014 (or at least that's what I think). So, here are a few of my favorites. Be sure to note the honorable mentions and check each of them out, as well!



 

Honorable Mention: Neighbors, This is Where I Leave You, Wish I Was Here
 

#4 - St. Vincent

I've yet to truly understand why St. Vincent made me so emotional, but, if there was one 2014 film that came close to winning Tanner Jones's "Toy Story 3 Award for Tear Jerking," it was St. Vincent. And, because of the emotion that the film brought on, I came very close to placing this film in the dramatic category. Nevertheless, here it is in the comedic category, due to the large amount of laughter that accented that drama so very well. With great performances throughout, St. Vincent is sure to impress almost anybody (particularly if you love child actors... like me!).

 

#3 - The Grand Budapest Hotel



While I can't boast a great knowledge of Wes Anderson's work, I will say that I have never been a fan of anything of his that I have had the chance to view. I've never hated his films, but they just didn't click with me... until The Grand Budapest Hotel! This film may be one of the most artsy, weirdo flicks of 2014, but something about it just works. If you are looking for a hilariously quirky film, The Grand Budapest is just for you. Kudos to Wes Anderson for making a film that I like! Maybe I should take the time to check out the remainder of his work...

 

#2 - 22 Jump Street

Some sequels do an adequate job of living up to their predecessors, but some, like 22 Jump Street, grab the sequel bull by the horns and show it who is boss! While there have been a number of successful sequels, I don't know that any other has truly embraced sequeldom as well as 22 Jump Street. Kudos to the cast and the creators for giving me something to laugh at and be proud of, as a fan of R-rated, comedic humor. In a normal year, 22 Jump Street would take the crown with ease, but 2014 is far from normal...
 

 

#1 - The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Movie is the most amazing film of 2014 (comedy or drama), without a doubt! If I had a dollar for every adult to whom I have attempted to sell this film, I would be going to Paris or something! Although the film was a commercial success, there are so many folks who have yet to see this hilarious, clever, touching animated film. It is ridiculous! I will not stop until ALL have seen The LEGO Movie! The clever nature of the film just blew my mind as I watched and continues to impress me with every viewing. Kudos to the creative minds behind The LEGO for creating the BEST FILM OF 2014. PERIOD! (Screw you, Academy!)


So... That is all from the comedic world in 2014! Be sure to check out The Above Average Awards: Drama 2014, which I will publish in the next week or two. And, don't forget...

 

Neighbors

Expectations:
While I do love Seth Rogen and the premise behind Neighbors, I just couldn't get excited about this film. The trailer is funny. The cast is great. Still... no excitement. Either way, when it comes to R-rated comedies, I'm a sucker of the grandest kind. If you haven't figured that out by now, then you probably haven't read many of my reviews. Honestly, I didn't expect much out of this one, in a positive or negative way. I just always knew I would watch it. After such a long review of Spider-Man, this review may fly by (for you, the reader)...

Plot:
The most surprisingly awesome thing about Neighbors wasn't the humor but, instead, the clever nature of the plot, particularly the way that both groups of neighbors poked fun and got back at the other. The plot of this film was really well thought out, and, while there were ridiculous extremities, the heart of the film was built on the redeeming and destructive qualities of fraternities. Now, I'm not in a fraternity, so I can't speak to each and every aspect. Also, I do know that each fraternity is different. However, when you put a large number of guys in that sort of situation, there is no doubt that hilarity is destined to ensue. Kudos to the filmmakers for not stretching the storyline or going too far over the top. I really enjoyed the story, although Zac Efron's Teddy was a bit bipolar. If that character had been better, the film would have been perfect.

Characters:
The success of this film was heavily built on the relationship and personality of young couple Mac and Kelly Radner, played wonderfully by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. Because of the situation, I expected the couple to be a bit uptight, judging, and fairytale-esque. However, in the first ten minutes we see Seth Rogen's good-guy character smoking a joint at work, implying that he isn't as goodie-goodie as the trailer made him out to be. Soon after, it was evident that the couple was going through some kind of early-life crisis, which brought an entirely different element to the film. We were able to see the couple re-live their younger days, in an attempt to befriend/influence their younger neighbors, and it was just a whole lot of fun.

Negatives:
As I previously said, Zac Efron's Teddy was just a very confused character, and it really took away from the ultimate success of the film. In the beginning, Teddy had it all together and was the epitome of success, with a bright future ahead of him. I mean, most fraternity presidents aren't idiots! But, as the story went on, he became whatever the film needed him to be, whether that was smart, dumb, successful, or incompetent. Aside from that issue (it was a large, glaring one), the cast was great!

Positives:
On top of the perfectly created "family next door," there were many great and hilarious performances in Neighbors. My favorite frat guy, by far, was Dave Franco's Pete, who was an absolutely perfect example of a true frat guy (opinion). Normally, I don't care for Franco, whose range is quite small, but he was great in this film. My final note of praise goes to Ike Barinholtz's Jimmy, who "snuck" his was into quite a few memorable moments. Looking back, the scenes in which Barinholtz was the focal point really were the most memorable of the entire film, and his character could have been an absolute disaster, considering he was fairly pointless.

Conclusion:
Considering the current state of the R-rated comedy, I welcome Neighbors with open arms! There have been so, so many stupid comedies, over the past two years, which makes me a lot easier to please, at this point. Neighbors wasn't as good as This Is the End or 21 Jump Street, but it was much better than I expected, which is always quite a nice feeling. With many more exciting comedies still to come in 2014, I can only hope that everything else is as good as or better than Neighbors. If you want a good laugh, Neighbors is good bet. I give Neighbors 3.57 our of 5 stars.

Now You See Me

 

 

Expectations:

One of my favorite movies of all time, The Prestige, does something with magic that totally blows me away each and every time that I watch. The entire film, you think that the magic is the focus, but, in the end, you realize it is nothing but a front. After watching the trailers for Now You See Me, I was fairly certain that this film would lack the depth and the Nolan that made The Prestige so great. However, while watching and allowing the film to do its own thing, I was able to avoid comparing Now You See Me to The Prestige. My expectations were not extremely high, but I do like Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, so I figured there was a little hope that the twists and turns coupled with good acting could "magically" impress...

 

Plot:

Most summer blockbusters feature great visuals and action scenes, and, with most films like Now You See Me, that's about all they have going for them. Unfortunately for Now You See Me, the visuals and action scenes really never materialized in any way. They would randomly swoosh around the focal point, in the midst of a long, awkward pause, but it just never really worked. Maybe I just got spoiled watching Star Trek twice... who knows? Anyway, contrary to my expectations, Now You See Me actually allowed the plot to carry the film, and, when included, the magic was quite impressive (even though most of it was unbelievable). Sure, the big plot-twist finale was predictable, but there were actually a lot of minor details that were included, adding a bit of depth to the plot.

 

Characters:

We've all seen Harrelson and Eisenberg in Zombieland. We've all seen Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine in The Dark Knight trilogy. Aside from those two combos, this cast felt completely random to me. I never felt, in any way, that the four magicians (Harrelson, Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco) fit together. Before being grouped together by some mystery man, each magician had their own act, and it should have just stayed that way.

 

Negatives:

21 Jump Street was my favorite comedy of 2013, but Dave Franco is my new favorite actor to hate! He is so freakin annoying! Many people have the same opinion about his brother, James, but I really don't mind James. He can act! Dave just whines and talks funny... nothing more. On the other hand, I love both Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, but they just didn't really bring it in Now You See Me. I can't put my finger on the problem with either one, but they didn't fit.

 

Positives:

Mark Ruffalo is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, yet, after his turn as The Hulk in The Avengers, I think he will soon be getting the credit he deserves. Kudos to Ruffalo for sticking with it for so long and picking some roles that suit him well. I remember first seeing him in 13 Going on 30, which I'm sure he now regrets.

 

Conclusion:

While Now You See Me wasn't an amazing film, it was able to satisfy (maybe exceed) my expectations. Was it as good as The Prestige? Heck no! However, the depth of the twists and turns are sure to thrill the average viewer, and the magic tricks will impress anyone, regardless of their believability. The last five minutes of the film were great. You just had to get there. Unfortunately, whoever was in charge of casting should probably perform some sort of disappearing act. Aside from Franco, I like all of the actors, but they did not fit in any way. According to the box office results and the critics, I made the right decision by choosing Now You See Me over After Earth... Sorry, Will Smith! I give Now You See Me 2.54 out of 5 stars.

21 Jump Street

Expectations:
Yes, Jonah Hill is an excellent funnyman, but, in the past, his excellence has been brought out by the actors that surrounded him. I certainly haven't seen all of Channing Tatum's work, but I just couldn't see how he was going to bring out the best in Jonah Hill. The previews did have hilarious moments. However, if you haven't realized it by now, most comedic trailers tend to be funny, regardless of how funny the actual film is. I really thought that 21 Jump Street was going to be one of those comedies that had nothing going for it, beyond the funny moments in the trailer. I mean, come on!, it's not even an original idea! But I had to go check it out...

Plot:
I'm going to be honest with you... I have never watched the old 21 Jump Street. All I actually know about it is that Johnny Depp was one of the main characters, but isn't that all that anyone knows about it? Regardless, I just want you to know that this review in no way critiques how well the original story was retold. So, as an original story (not idea), 21 Jump Street was absolutely fantastic. There wasn't any great genius moment of story-telling, but I can only remember one time where I thought "I haven't laughed in the last minute." As far as being funny goes, it's been a while since I have seen a comedy that made me laugh this much. Considering I watch like a bazillion comedies each year, that's a bold statement.

Best Scene: My favorite moments in 21 Jump Street were the random one-liners that just never ceased.

Characters:
I'm going to go against my expectations here and say that Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were the perfect pair for this movie. I thought Jonah Hill was going to lose his funny with his weight, but he is still fat enough where they can joke about it, so fret not! Hill's character (Schmidt) was a former high school loser, who was given a second chance to become popular. Tatum's character (Jenko) was a former popular kid, who was stuck with the nerds during his second time around. While the emotional, awkward relationship moments were there between the two friends, it wasn't as awkward or emotional as the usual unfolding comedic friendship. The only negative that I found was a casting issue. While there were few really bad characters, I did feel like a few of the actors chosen were not right for their role (cough cough... Ellie Kemper and Dave Franco).

Best Character: Because this is best "character," I'm going to give the best character honor to Ice Cube's Captain Dickson. However, this is yet another role that I feel was poorly cast. I would have rather seen Samuel L. Jackson in the role. Obviously, I can't get everything that I want, but I should!

Worst Character: This one was not even difficult. While I absolutely love him on New Girl, Jake M. Johnson was awful as Principal Dadier. It was just an awkward role.

Conclusion:
While it is only March, I think 21 Jump Street has certainly grabbed itself a nice hold on being the best comedy of 2012. I certainly hope that a ton of other comedies come along that just blow me away as much as this film did, but I just don't see that happening. With this film, Jonah Hill has established himself as one of the leading comedic actors in Hollywood, but don't forget that he can do serious as well (Moneyball). There is no doubt that this is the most surprisingly good film of 2012, thus far, and, with the money it's made, I can't wait for them to announce a sequel. As I said, the one-liners stole the show. I would quote every single one of them for you, but the language would be a tad too offensive. If you want to laugh hard at some hilarious, dirty, offensive jokes, go watch 21 Jump Street! It will please you in ways that The Lorax and The Hunger Games just can't. I give 21 Jump Street 3.82 out of 5 stars...