The Above Average Awards: 2013 Comedy

This year, for the first time, I have decided to divide the Above Average Awards into two separate posts--one for comedic films and one for dramatic films. In the past, when I've crammed them all into one post, I found it to be a bit overwhelming. The dramatic list will be out in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to check back and see who topped that list for 2013. I know I am pretty much the last movie blogger to release his best list, but I wanted to give myself time to see a majority of the films that never made it to Hattiesburg, for accuracy's sake. Anyway, for now, here's to the guys (and gals) who made us laugh hysterically in 2013...

 

I am of the opinion that comedic actors and films are undervalued in the world of film criticism. As the Oscar predictions role in, comedy usually gets lost in the mix, and I really hate it. I know, true comedic films aren't really made to win awards. However, I believe there should be Oscar categories to further recognize comedic films, much like the Emmys. Sure, the Golden Globes have a comedy category, but the films in that category are pretty much limited to really, really dramatic films that may have contained a joke or two. Anyways, I will stop whining, but I just wanted to make it known why I take the time to really recognize the best work in comedic films. So, without further delay, here are my favorites in comedic films and comedic performances from 2013:

 

 

Best Actor

Honorable Mention: Kevin Kline (Last Vegas), Simon Pegg (The World's End)

 

#8 - Danny McBride

(This is the End)

Honestly, I am shocked that Danny McBride was able to make it on to any positive list of mine, but, each time I watch This is the End, he makes me laugh more and more. Typically, I'm not a fan of McBride's failed attempts at Will Ferrell humor, but his interactions with James Franco were so freaking funny in this film. Although I hope that McBride continues to impress me in the future... I'm not counting on it...

 

 



#7 - Johnny Simmons

(The To Do List)

Last year, The Perks of Being a Wallflower took home the top honor from The Above Average Awards, and Johnny Simmons' performance was probably my least favorite of the entire film. However, after watching The To Do List, I'm encouraged that Johnny might find himself a nice career in comedy. He was absolutely hilarious, and I hope to see him pop up in many more future comedies.

 

 



#6 - The Minions

(Despicable Me 2)

Need I say more than "Bottom"?

 

I will say that I am assuming that the Minions are mostly male, categorizing them in the actor category, but who really knows!?!

  

#5 - Will Poulter

(We're the Millers)

Although I am still amazed at the box office success of We're the Millers, there is no denying Will Poulter's amazing performance. In fact, I dare say that he is the most memorable comedic character of 2013. Regardless, Poulter is sure to have a bright future, and we will look back at We're the Millers, wondering how it possibly banked $150 million.

 

 

#4 - Moises Arias

(The Kings of Summer)

As someone who absolutely loves a good coming-of-age tale, The Kings of Summer was, as a whole, underwhelming. However, the hilarious presence of Moises Arias, throughout the entire film, kept a smile on my face. His character was so randomly funny, and that random humor ends to crack me up. Many of you probably remember Arias from his role on Hannah Montana, but let's hope that he continues to go for these goofy roles.

 

 

#3 - Steve Carell

(Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues)

Steve Carell has long been one of my go-to funny guys, ever since I first fell in love with his humor on The Office. And now, finally, I have an opportunity to praise him in my best list! In fact, Brick is one of the funniest characters that I have ever had the pleasure of watching, and I loved his inflated role in the Anchorman sequel. Of course, Steve Carell was dead on, and I think most everyone would agree that his was an amazingly hilarious character.

 

#2 - Michael Cera

(This is the End)

Of all the actors in This is the End, Michael Cera was obviously the least genuine in the portrayal of himself, and I must say that it was absolutely genius. Kudos to Seth Rogen and crew for coming up with the idea to turn Cera into a crack-induced pervert, and kudos to Cera for pulling off one of the funniest performances of 2013 (in less than 10 minutes of screen time).

 

 

#1 - Jonah Hill

(This is the End)

For the second straight year, Hill easily takes home my top spot for comedic performances in 2013, and, this time, he doesn't have to share it with Channing Tatum. While the entire cast of This is the End was absolutely brilliant, Hill just kept the laughs coming, and, like Michael Cera, he actually acted, compared to some of the other stars who played versions of themselves that were exactly like their true selves. Hill has quickly become one of my favorite actors, as evident by the fact that he is the only actor to make the Above Average list each of the three years that I have been blogging. His work in comedy and drama is amazing, and he is greatly deserving of craploads of recognition!

 

 



 

Best Actress

 

Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Annette Bening (Girl Most Likely), Leslie Mann (The Bling Ring), Megan Mullaly (The Kings of Summer)

 



#5 - Glenne Headly
(Don Jon)

With the help of the great Tony Danza, Glenne Headly provided many great laughs throughout a mediocre film. Hilarious motherly figures tend to crack me up... so she had that going for her. Nevertheless, her performance is what made the character so great.

 

 

#4 - Sylvia Kauders

(Inside Llewyn Davis)

Of the great performances recognized on both my dramatic and comedic lists, no role was smaller than that of Sylvia Kauders, who played a secretary in Inside Llewyn Davis. Her screen time was probably less than three minutes, if I had to guess, but she certainly made good use of her time. In fact, I couldn't even find a picture of her in the movie. Regardless, I was rolling with every word that came out of her mouth, so kudos to this lovely lady!

 



 

#3 - Melissa McCarthy
(The Heat)

Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming the queen of comedy, and she was able to provide a number of great laughs in The Heat. Unfortunately, Sandra Bullock's lack of humor brought the film down, as a whole, but McCarthy is worthy of much praise. This recognition marks her second time on my Above Average list, of which I am sure she is immeasurably grateful!

 

 

#2 - Greta Gerwig

(Frances Ha)

 

Ever since I first saw Greta Gerwig in Russell Brand's Arthur, I have been attracted to her free spirit and charm, but her performance in Frances Ha proved that she has a bright future ahead of her. Personally, I had a hard time deciding whether to put her in the dramatic or comedic list. Nonetheless, I decided to put her here, because she did a great job of making me laugh, although her film did a great job of making me think.

 

 

#1 - Allison Janney
(The Way Way Back)

I know I have talked about my affinity for The West Wing on multiple occasions, but I have never taken time out to give praise to the great Allison Janney. Luckily, her amazingly hilarious performance in The Way Way Back gave me a great excuse to give her some praise. In a movie that I was a bit disappointed in, Janney was consistently providing laughs and keeping me interested. She may have had only a minor role, but she certainly gave it her all! That's why I'm choosing her as my favorite comedic actress of 2013.

 

 

 

Best Film

Honorable Mention: The Heat, The World's End

#4 - A.C.O.D.



With an amazing cast and a hilarious topic, A.C.O.D. (Adult Children of Divorce) was able to sneak up on me and provide some great laughs. I would encourage everyone to check this one out at the Redbox. While I can't attest to its accuracy of portrayal (my parents are still married), I can attest to its hilarity, which is really what you want from a comedy.

 



#3 - The To Do List

I don't know how many awkward sex jokes you can fit into a single film, but The To Do List certainly tried to find out! Although it could have been waaay better, the film still managed to provide a ton of laughs, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I guess this means that I enjoy a mass amount of awkward sex jokes, but it is what it is.

 

 

#2 - Last Vegas

Of all 2013 movies, both dramatic and comedic, there was no film that was as surprisingly good as Last Vegas. What was sold to older moviegoers as "a dorky version of The Hangover" turned out to be one of the most hilarious films of the year. I have been waiting months to show this film to my parents, and I finally had the opportunity, the other day. If you missed out on Last Vegas, I promise it is worth your time.

 

#1 - This is the End

 

Contrary to what the Golden Globes may believe, I am of the opinion that a comedy's sole intention is to make you laugh. I know, I already ranted about this topic, but, as an "average" guy, I would never associate the comedy of American Hustle with the comedy of the aforementioned films! Never! So, don't worry... Those films will show up in my drama list. In 2013, the comedy field was not the strongest, but it was much better than 2012. However, there was one film that shone so brightly that I would easily dub it the best film of any kind in 2013, and that film is This is the End. Honestly, if I combined my comedy and drama best lists, This is the End would be number one, by a landslide! If you've yet to see this hilariously outrageous end-of-the-world comedy, you are truly missing out. My opinion may not be a popular one, but there was no 2013 dramatic or comedic film that I enjoyed anywhere close to as much as I enjoyed This is the End! If you want me to say that one more time, I can! The great performances, which have already been mentioned, mixed with the anything-goes attitude of the storyline, makes for one heck of a film that is sure to keep you laughing throughout.

 

 

So, there it is, folks! This is the End joins the likes of 21 Jump Street and Horrible Bosses, at the top of the Above Average. Let me know what you think, in the comment section, and be sure to check back soon for the release of my dramatic list...

Last Vegas

Expectations:
The obvious selling point for Last Vegas is the star-studded, veteran (nicely put) lineup that was intended to hook older viewers. If you sit a 40-70 year old down and ask them whether they have a certain affection for one of the four Last Vegas stars (Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, or Kevin Kline), they are almost certain to enjoy at least one of these great actors' storied careers. Even at 22, I'm a huge fan of both Kline and Freeman, and, of course, I loved Douglas in Wall Street. However, at 22, I really thought the humor of Last Vegas might be a bit too innocent and old fashioned to successfully entertain someone like me, who is used to the R-rated comedy world of The Hangover and Seth Rogen. Although it was sold as The Hangover for old people, I didn't really think it would be able to deliver those Hangover laughs. Nevertheless, in an attempt to appease my better half, I decided to give Last Vegas a chance and skip out on Ender's Game. Maybe Ender won't blow me up with his cool powers that I don't really understand (on account of I didn't get to watch the movie).

Plot:
Well, I was right about one thing... plot-wise, Last Vegas was far from The Hangover for old people. Actually, the only similarity it had to The Hangover was its location, and the fact that four men were involved. Honestly, it felt more like Grown Ups, featuring even OLDER stars! The whole concept that was embraced by Grown Ups (not Grown Ups 2) of a group of friends coming together and not really being in the same spot they were when they were last together was the exact same plot of Last Vegas. Luckily for Last Vegas, the jokes were absolutely hilarious! Now, I do want to give this disclaimer: I was in a great mood last weekend, so I was more apt to be laughing than many might be. Nevertheless, I thought this movie was hilarious, and I thought the jokes were perfectly balanced between the crudeness that younger audiences enjoy and the goofy, old people humor that goofy, old people enjoy. The only super-noticeable flaw was the way in which the old geezers obtained their gigantic suite, at their hotel. It was way out there, and, obviously, they couldn't come up with a better way to get them to their "party room."

Characters:
The selection of Douglas, DeNiro, Freeman, and Kline for these roles was absolutely spot-on. I was very pleased with the way that their varying degrees of humor mixed with one another. From the unfunny Douglas to the hilariously silly Kline, there was rarely a moment where I felt anyone was taken out of their respective element.

Negatives:
The only character that I did not care for was Lonnie, played by Romany Malco, whose jokes just failed to resonate with me. He really wasn't necessary and eventually became a lame excuse to have 50 Cent appear in the film.

Positives:
As the funnier of the four, I would have to say that Kevin Kline and Morgan Freeman shone a bit more than their Last Vegas costars. Although Kline was noticeably younger (10 years more so than Freeman), his hilarity overcame this oddity. I don't think I've ever seen Kline in a role that I did not enjoy. He may not be the biggest name in the game, but he always brings it home, as he continues to be underrated. Kudos to all of these guys for bringing on the laughs, and kudos to the filmmakers for getting them all together.

Conclusion:
Gravity, Captain Phillips, and, now, Last Vegas--how many unexpected surprises can one guy take? Regardless, I'm just glad to have the opportunity to watch these great films. I know that Last Vegas is in a completely different universe, compared to the others, but I appreciate a good comedy just as well as a good drama. In fact, I dare say that it is harder to make a good comedy in this era of films, considering that the comedy hits have recently been limited to Melissa McCarthy and animation, on top of the fact that cool, 3D graphics don't lend their hand to many grown up comedies. Anyway, considering how low my expectations were, Last Vegas may be the most surprisingly good film of 2013. Hopefully, when I approach the age of 100, my friends and I will also be kicking it in Vegas. If we can't make it that far, we can always just watch this movie. I give Last Vegas 3.34 out of 5 stars.

Great Expectations: November 2013

Marvel and Disney may have done a great job with The Avengers franchise, as a whole, but there are very few sequel-meriting movie characters that I have come to despise as much as Thor. It could be Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of the character. It could be the fact that he doesn't fit in with the other Avengers. It could even be because of those long, flowing locks, featured in the picture above. Regardless, I don't like him, and I don't really expect my opinion of him to be changed by the upcoming Thor: The Dark World. The movie would be way more interesting if it centered on Loki or Heimdall or whoever it is that Mr. Echo is playing! I mostly just want us to all take a moment to realize that Marvel is not quite perfect, and, even though I will be watching Thor: The Dark World, I highly doubt it will live up to the previous three Disney-made Marvel films (Captain America, The Avengers, and Iron Man 3), each of which were absolutely amazing. Here are the films that I am actually looking forward to in November:

 

Last Vegas

(November 1)

 

 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

(November 22)

 

 

Delivery Man

(November 22)