MOVIEW REVIEW: WHY HIM?

I'm going to go ahead and say this - "Why Him?" is probably my favorite adult comedy to date! You know how some adult comedies tend to go over the top with their jokes it just becomes awkward? "Why Him?" goes there but pulls back so its not too over the top. 

The strength of the film is the hilarious performance of Bryan Cranston (Ned) and James Franco (Laird), whose undeniable on-screen chemistry had audiences just bursting into laughter. The two actors find themselves fighter over a girl (no, its not what you think) with Cranston as a lovable father "protecting" his daughter (Stephanie) from Franco's unconventional, no-filter, tech mogul and just really, not the type of boyfriend to bring home to Dad and Mom. 

After a surprise webcam call from Stephanie for Ned's birthday goes horribly wrong (thanks to Laird's 'performance') she invites her whole family to spend Christmas with her in California where she is studying. Instead of staying in a hotel, like they originally planned Ned and his family end up staying in Laird's mansion and meet the eccentric Laird face to face. 

Laird tries his best to get on Ned's good side, since he wants his blessing so he can ask Stephanie's hand in marriage. Ned is determined not to fall for Laird's 'tricks' and gives him a hard time. All this while Ned is trying to keep his printing business, which is being threatened by more modern methods - afloat. 

While the film is another in a long line of father-boyfriend movies, this one is a treasure trove of cameos from celebrity chefs, musicians, even a voice and a business magnate, which is a big treat for fans of pop-culture. Unfortunately Paul wasn't with me during the press screening, which was a real bummer, since I knew he would have loved the movie. Will probably catch it at another time but the feeling that I had after seeing  the movie was wanting to tell the Paul all the people who made cameos and the crazy, crazy antics in the movie. 

I would have loved to have seen more father-daughter bonding moments from Ned and Stephanie. We are told in the start of the movie that they're "really close" but I didn't really see or feel that but then again, any Dad, whether they have that special bond with their daughter or not, would not be a big fan of Laird (at first impression). I would have really wanted to have seen more father-daughter scenes from Ned and Stephanie. 

I thought Kegan Micheal Key's Gustav was a little too much with the accent :P 

There's a bit of toilet humor in the movie, which becomes integral in the story. Eccentric becomes normal when it comes to family and even an unlikely pair can make things work out when it comes to love. 

7/10 - get ready for a hilarious time in the movies! I have a batch mate in High School who brought her dad with her as a date to see the movie and despite the "adult" jokes, it wasn't awkward and they enjoyed the movie! 

"Why Him?" is R-13 and is now showing in cinemas. 

MOVIES: AWARD-WINNING BRYAN CRANSTON IN R-RATED FAMILY MOVIE “WHY HIM”

America’s number one comedy movie for three consecutive weeks, “Why Him?” finally arrives in Philippine theatres on February 1 with an R-13 rating by the local censors board.  It’s check-the-boyfriend and impress-the-dad in this endearing family comedy starring James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Megan Mullally, Zoey Deutch and Griffin Gluck.

“Why Him?” brings Ned Fleming (Cranston) to the world of millennials when he decides to visit her daughter at her dorm over the holidays.   But even before that, life becomes a little more complicated for Ned during his 55th birthday party when Stephanie joins the event via Skype to send well wishes to her dad from her Stanford dorm room. The Flemings and their party guests are surprised by an unexpected (and naked) introduction to her new boyfriend…or at least a part of him. Distraught over the fact that Stephanie has uncharacteristically been hiding something from him, Ned begrudgingly agrees to travel with the family to spend the holidays in California to meet his daughter's first serious boyfriend Laird (Franco). 

Cranston, himself a father could relate to Ned’s struggle and his reluctance to let go in “Why Him?”   Ned is a good man motivated by a deep commitment to his daughter—and Laird is just not what he had in mind as a potential son-in-law. “It’s tough as a dad to see your child grow up and become an adult,” he says. “You’ve been responsible for them all of their lives and are expected to voluntarily let go of that grip and away they go.”

MOVIES: 20th CENTURY FOX’S 2017 MOVIE LINEUP AND TRAILER REVEALS

20th Century Fox welcomes 2017 with a loud crow heralding its thrilling movie line-up set to immerse the audience anew in a series of unprecedented movie viewing experience.

From game to movie, “Assassin’s Creed” stars highly-acclaimed Michael Fassbender and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in a visionary new take on the action-adventure genre. “ASSASSIN’S Creed” is a worlds-spanning tale of one man who finds himself at the center of an ancient battle between two powerful sects—only by harnessing the memories of his ancestor, which are contained within his own DNA, can he end the conflict and claim his own redemption.  Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=AcC9xkqHbU4&t=15s  

An endearing R-rated hilarious comedy, “Why Him?” sees a billionaire meeting his girlfriend’s family for the first time.  Over the holidays, loving but overprotective dad Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) travels to California to visit his daughter at Stanford—where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird Mayhew (James Franco). Ned thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for the apple of his eye. Ned’s panic level escalates when the straight-laced Midwesterner, who finds himself increasingly out of step in Laird’s glamorous high-tech world, learns that Laird is about to pop the question.  Trailer link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=GZ_XZVeCeRc&t=49s

How do you find “A Cure for Wellness”? Find out in Gore Verbinski’s horrifying psychological thriller starring Dane DeHaan and Jason Isaacs as it takes the audience to a seemingly serene “wellness spa” in a picturesque remote location in the Swiss Alps.   The facility promises a cure for what ails modern society, but all is not as it seems, as an ambitious young executive (played by DeHaan) uncovers its terrifying secrets and fights to save his life – and sanity.   Trailer link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=WWYMBrv_v4g&t=25s 

Meet the women who did the math on America’s launch into space in “Hidden Figures.”  Starring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner and Kirsten Dunst, “Hidden Figures” tells the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, pioneers in their field, who had a momentous impact on rocket science during the explosive 60s in America, at the height of the Cold War. Fiercely academic, all three mathematicians were overcoming social injustice, while also making formidable contributions to society. Their influence is far reaching. What’s astonishing is that until now, very few people had even heard their names.   Trailer link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9pZZbkf8wcU&t=7s 

Touted to be Hugh Jackman’s last donning of the Wolverine, “Logan” is set in the future of the revised timeline, after the events of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Logan's Healing Factor is still functioning but at a substantially lesser degree; fading as he has aged, his face and body are scarred from past injuries and battles. The X-Men and all other mutants have disappeared, allowing Nathaniel Essex and his Reavers to destroy the world. Professor Charles Xavier has survived in the care and company of Logan, as he is slowly being afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. Now, Logan and Xavier must find a way to defeat Essex together, while protecting a young girl named Laura, a female clone of Logan himself.  Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=FBnt-46B5NE

MOVIES: JAMES FRANCO STARS IN RIOTOUS COMEDY “WHY HIM?”

From the makers of blockbuster family comedies such as “Meet The Parents” and “Night at the Museum” comes a hilarious endearing family movie “Why Him?” starring Oscar nominees James Franco and Bryan Cranston with Zoey  Deutch and Megan Mullally featuring the voice of Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco (virtual concierge named Justine).

Franco stars as Laird Mayhew, a heavily tattoed and socially awkward tech billionaire in “Why Him?” - an unconventional family movie that puts a hilarious fresh spin on the anxiety-inducing tradition of introducing one’s significant other to the family.  Ned (Cranston) thinks Laird, who has absolutely no filter, is a wildly inappropriate match for his daughter Stephanie (Deutch). Ned’s panic level escalates when the straight-laced Midwesterner, who finds himself increasingly out of step in Laird’s glamorous high-tech world, learns that Laird is about to pop the question.

Directed by John Hamburg, “Why Him?” was an idea hatched in a basement in Atlanta when producers Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill were in production on the 2012 alien invasion comedy “The Watch.” “We were all standing there in the dark on this wet, claustrophobic stage saying how great it would be to do a movie in Hawaii,” recalls Levy. “Shawn and Ben and Jonah came up with this idea called Aloha… We loved the idea and gave it to John Hamburg, who did an amazing rewrite and reconceived the whole idea. He really made it his own.  The only downside was that he changed the location, so we’re not shooting in Hawaii," Levine says. "But everything else was perfect.”

With an established reputation in the comedy realm as a result of his extensive work with frequent collaborator Seth Rogen, Franco, who earned a best actor Oscar nomination for his turn as hiker Aron Ralston in 2010’s “127 Hours,” was interested in exploring the genre further with a different dynamic under Hamburg’s direction. “When I got into comedy, I was introduced to the importance of grounded characters who provide a real emotional through-line and not just a series of jokes,” Franco says. “John really subscribes to that idea and creates the kind of comedies that I gravitate toward because it doesn’t feel like fluff. You’re actually having something of an experience while you’re laughing.”

Franco and Hamburg’s relationship actually began as professor and student when the actor was attending the graduate filmmaking program at NYU. “Unfortunately, he was my teacher the semester that I was doing 127 Hours, so I wasn’t there a lot,” Franco says. “But we talked a lot and I got to know him on the phone.”

To help develop the character of Laird, Franco Skyped with video game designer Cliff Bleszinski (known as CliffyB) for some real-world inspiration. “He’s sort of like a snowboarder pimp,” Franco says. “That’s sort of like his style. He talked really fast, he throws in a lot of cuss words but is also saying some pretty intelligent things, you know? I thought, oh, there’s something of Laird in there that I can use.”

“Why Him?” opens in cinemas on February 1 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.