Game Night

What if you planned a game night and it goes nothing like you expected?

Game Night had an early Digital release on May 4. The Blu-ray combo pack and DVD debuts on May 22.

GAMES 

Game Night gets promoted as ‘Certified Fresh.’ It received a Tomatometer mark at 82%. (The explanation of the Rotten Tomatoes ratings are with Paddington 2.)

The box office stats for Game Night were reasonable for a February release. It cemented about $68 million for domestic and a worldwide total over $116 million. This includes the fact - this R-rated film - was up against the blockbuster known as Black Panther.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are the directors. Mark Penz wrote the script. This is only the second film at the helm for the directors. The Vacation reboot of the Griswald family disappeared quick.

Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams) host a weekly game night with their friends. Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury play the friends. Jesse Plemons pops up as an unusual neighbour of Max and Annie’s.

When Max’s brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), comes to town, he decides he wants to host his own game night. The idea is for a murder-mystery style event. This is complete with pretend thugs, federal agents and a kidnapping.

When the game is actually afoot though, how much of it is actually fake?

VERDICT

Would I buy this film? Not a full price. It’s more of a rainy day selection.

I enjoyed Game Night more than Father Figures. For a comedy, I didn’t find it funny. (I’m aware there will be viewers who will say the film is hilarious.) The points balance out for the ensemble cast and for the darker side of the story.

It is R-rated for a reason. It’s crude at times, has bursts of violence and coarse language throughout. It’s not a big spoiler to say the ‘pretend’ Game Night turns real for the players. (It’s revealed in all commercials and trailers.)

But.

I never figured out how the 100-minute film was going to end. Sure, the events get a little over-the-top, but there were also a couple twists which caught me by surprise. Being surprised by a movie is always a good thing in my books.

It takes some time - maybe an unusually long time - for the cast to figure out there is more going on to their game night. The ensemble do seem to be enjoying working together, even with the more thriller aspects of the film.

Jason Bateman appears to be a pro at these kinds of movies. I haven’t seen many Rachel McAdams films, but what I have, always leans towards the dramatic. It's not the case here. She does a pretty good job too. Even Lamorne Morris, has a cool Denzel Washington impression.

There is an elaborate game of ‘Hot potato’ which is completed in one shot. (Meaning the take is done with one camera and no cuts.)

Game Night is not a movie I would rush out to watch. It surprised me though. It makes an impression that way. (Some may even find it funny.)

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

An Unforgettable Evening: Making Game Night (3 minutes, 48 seconds) 

- A pretty basic behind-the-scenes feature. The cast explains the movie and what it was like working with each other and on the film.

Gag Reel (6 minutes, 48 seconds) 

- It depends on your sense of humour. There are better gag reels. 

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment

The 15:17 to Paris

Clint Eastwood is still making movies.

Director Eastwood’s last four films have revolved around real people. The 15:17 to Paris makes five-in-a-row. The movie had an early Digital release on May 1. The Blu-ray combo pack and DVD debuts on May 22.

Eastwood’s film career spans over 60 years.

TRUE

All it takes is one moment.

The 15:17 to Paris is the story of three young Americans, how they grew up and became friends. They travel through Europe. They board a train to Paris. A terrorist is on board. There is no doubt what he had in mind.

Those three Americans are U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone. Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler. They will have August 21, 2015, seared into their memories. They turned their experience into a book too. The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes. (Jeffery E. Stern gave some writing help.)

The book offered extra inspiration for the film. The 15:17 to Paris made $56 million worldwide. It didn’t grab the attention of many.

When you compare the last two Clint Eastwood movies, there's a difference. There’s American Sniper with over $547 million worldwide. It also the biggest film of Mr. Eastwood’s entire career. Sully grossed over $240 million.

The 15:17 to Paris did offer a spark with Eastwood’s bold casting choices. There were no big-names to board the train to Paris. Stone, Skarlatos and Sadler, portrayed themselves.

Jenna Fisher, Judy Greer, Ray Corasani, PJ Byrne, Tony Hale and Thomas Lennon, all pop up in small roles. Paul-Mikel Williams, Bruce Gheisar and William Jennings are the kid versions of the heroes.

VERDICT

Would I buy this film? Not at full price. It's kind of like a rainy day selection.

There's always been something to a Clint Eastwood movie. I think no matter what, I would have found a way to see The 15:17 to Paris.

It is an amazing true story. But the delivery isn’t solid. It is not Clint Eastwood at his best. The film still gets a passing mark.

The PG-13 movie has a very laid-back quality. It almost feels like a documentary. Stone, Skarlatos and Sadler are not actors, which is obvious at times, but fine. Points to them for even doing it.

The fact they are not actors though…could also be the whole point.

They were regular guys and they were swept up in an incredible moment.

Parts of the lead-up to the train ride are not exciting to watch. The trip in Europe has conversations centered on pictures, and selfie sticks. And food and travel plans.

The train sequence only fills a handful of minutes in a 94-minute time frame. It is tense though and instantly grabs the attention. (Mark Moogalian, and his wife, Isabelle Risacher Moogalian play themselves on film. Mark was shot during the real event.)

The story has a curiosity factor to watch. The people on the train who helped out, deserve a lot of credit - not only the three Americans.

I wouldn’t put it high on the list of Clint Eastwood movies.

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW
Making Every Second Count (8 minutes, 11 seconds)
- Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler give their own spin on what happened on the train. The intriguing part was the input from Mark Moogalian and his wife, Isabelle Risacher Moogalian. They were on the train.

Portrait of Courage (12 minutes)
- Director Eastwood and some of his crew discuss the filming process. They had actually auditioned real actors for the roles. Mr. Eastwood surprised everybody - including the three heroes - by putting them in their own movie. Nobody called the train sequence as acting. It was ‘reliving’ the experience to being cathartic to some.

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment