Funny People Review

I had seen this movie a while ago, but I unfortunately never got around to writing a review. I’d like to start by saying that, though I did find Funny People rather long, which is the complaint most critics gave, I will say for the most part I was pretty entertained throughout. At the heart of this comedic gem is a surprisingly serious character study of stand-up comics involving friendship and a near-death experience.

Apatow was really able to find a close to perfect mix between serious and comedy. He did it perfectly in Knocked Up and came pretty close with this one. Adam Sandler plays a famous stand-up comedian and actor who finds out that he’s going to die soon and starts changing his lifestyle habits, while gaining a friendship with Seth Rogen’s character. That’s really all you need to know.

What I love about Apatow’s movies and especially in this one, is the comedy feels so real and heartfelt, almost awkward at times. Its the comedy you share with your friends daily and that’s  what makes his movies so enjoyable. He doesn’t force anything, he just tells his stories while being pretty hilarious along the way. If you liked any of his work I’m pretty sure you’d find yourself enjoying Funny People. I know I did.

Grade: B+

Star Trek Review

Walking into Star Trek I wasn’t expecting much. I actually didn’t know what to expect, I hadn’t seen a trailer and I hadn’t once seen a Star Trek episode or movie. All I knew was the names Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and Scotty, and a few of the alien species names. I had no knowledge of the show other than a few names and a few famous quotes. I was just never that interested, but I was interested to see why there was such a following and I thought this would be a good place to start. As it turns out, I was right.

My expectations were certainly exceeded for many different reasons. First of all, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the actors mainly because the two main characters were being played by actors I had never heard of. I thought the acting was actually pretty top-notch, nothing oscar worthy of course, but very entertaining and believable. Chris Pine was able to perform fantastically with Kirk’s huge ego and same goes to Quinto with Spock’s highly intelligent dialogue, also more minor characters that I loved were Simon Pegg as the famous “Scotty” and Eric Bana did a fantastic job as the menacing Captain Nero, the main antagonist of this film. 

Everything about this movie was very colorful and visually appealing. It told a story that needed to be told and it told it very well. Everything about the film was just exciting, the action was big, colorful, and fun, while the dialogue was quick and executed very well. I have never seen a Star Trek episode or movie before this one and I most certainly will see the many sequels that will follow this one. I would recommend it to anyone who’s in the mood for entertainment. You don’t have to be a fan of the series, I’m can attest to that.

Grade: A-