Sunday, January 27, 2013

"Saturday Night Live" Episode Review: Adam Levine / Kendrick Lamar


All in all, last night's episode of “Saturday Night Live” proved to be one of the weakest episodes of the season. Adam Levine was not a great host at all; as he lacked a lot of enthusiasm throughout the night and most of his roles in sketches were either just alright or completely forgettable. He did not posses great comedic timing and there was hardly any genuine chemistry present with any of the castmembers.

The cold opening was not great at all. I do like Jay Pharoah's impression of President Barack Obama. Though I have to say that Kenan Thompson's portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't humorous at all. Some of his dialogue was borderline sophomoric at best. This just wasn't a great way to start out the show.

The cold opening was one of the better parts of the show. This was one of the two best live performances of the night from Adam Levine. It was nice to see Andy Samberg again and he had some really good lines. The cameos from Cameron Diaz and Jerry Seinfeld especially were very random, but they were both pretty funny, with their comical advice to Adam Levine on what he should do as host of SNL. This was a well-written bit and I enjoyed all the performances.

The “Circle Work” talk show sketch wasn't very funny. Kenan Thompson and Adam Levine hardly had any good lines and I immediately gre tired of all the sexual jokes designed to get easy laughs from the audience. Jason Sudeikis did all right with the material he was given, but unfortunately, there wasn't much humor present whatsoever. Adam Levine didn't really contribute anything special to this sketch and this was just the first of his many unimpressive performances.

The fire station sketch mainly worked due to Bill Hader's comedically over-the-top performance. Though his screaming got a tad old, I still laughed due to the absurdity of his reactions, He has a good amount of lines and I noticed that he started to break wioth laughter as the sketch was nearing its ending. Adam Levine didn't contribute anything amazing to this sketch, and any lines he had just fell flat. Aside from Bill Hader's performance, there was nothing memorable about this sketch.

I liked the newest digital short presented by The Lonely Island. This was a welcome return of their short films and I thought their song had a good sound and their lyrics provided for some good laughter. Adam Levine did alright with the comedic material he was given, and this proved to be one of his better performances of the night. I also liked Danny McBride's quick cameos during the filmed piece; though I wish he got to do a little more. This was a nice return from “The Lonely Island” and I'm wondering if we'll see any more shorts from them later this season.

“Weekend Update” wasn't very funny at all. Aside from one or two jokes, Seth Meyers wasn't very funny, and I'm getting a little tired of the comments he makes afterwords. Nasim Pedrad once again performed well as Arinna Huffington, though the writing wasn't funny or memorable. Kenan Thompson had a couple good lines as Ray Lewis, though the segment went on a bit too long. All in all, not a very memorable edition of “Weekend Update.”

The barroom brawl sketch started out as a good idea, though it went on a bit too long. I did like Taran Killam's dead-on performance as the lead singer of Train and he had some good lines aimed at Adam Levine. Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader were both humorous as Jason Mraz and John Mayer respectfully, though I wish they got to do more. Adam Levine's overall performance lacked genuine enthusiasm and he appeared to have his eyes glued to the cue cards for the entire sketch. I really wish this sketch could have been better, because the idea of all these musicians confronting each other had a lot of potential, but the overall piece just went nowhere. And that is a real shame.

The “Catfish” sketch wasn't very great; mainly due to Adam Levine's awkward performance. He appeared to still be glued to the cue cards and he just wasn't very funny. Most of the piece's comedy came from Bobby Moynihan as the cameraman who kept pointing out the foibles about the program' set-up and filmmaking process. This was just not an entirely funny sketch.

The bar sketch featuring Bobby Moynihan as “Janet” was alright; mostly due to his comical performance. As seen with Bill Hader during the fire station sketch, Moynihan's comedically over-the-top performance was the main source of my laughter. Adam Levine was an okay straightman, though his performance wasn't that energetic. I did get a slight laugh out of the sketch's ending, but ultimately, it was a tad predictable.

I liked seeing Jason Sudeikis' as Vice President Joe Biden during the “Biden Bash” commercial spoof. He had some good lines; though it was Sudeikis' enthusiastic performance that got me laughing wholeheartedly. He's such a good comedic performer. I have found that most of this season's best pieces have come from Jason Sudeikis. He has really been having a great year and I look forward to seeing more of his appearances in sketches as the season goes on. It's just a shame that Adam Levine does not possess the same comedic enthusiasm that Sudeikis has.

As for Kendrick Lamar, he was definitely not one of the best musical guests of the season. Both of his songs were lacked anything truly special and he doesn;t have a catchy sound. His cameo in the digital short wasn't bad however; but I had a feeling he would appear in the short-- considering that a lot of rapper have appeared in The Lonely Island's shorts.

And that's the show. Once again, Adam Levine wasn't a great host. He wasn't very funny and he didn't possess a lot of genuine enthusiasm. I'm worried about the current state of SNL; seeing as much of the writing hasn't been great and some of the hosting choices have been weak. And with Justin Bieber hosting the next live show on February 9th, I'm just not sure how everything will go.
Thank you all for following my blog and stay tuned for more Nater-Tainment!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

I'm very sorry but my review of tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live" will be up by tomorrow night

My computer froze and I lost my whole review.  Expect it up by tomorrow night at some point. 

Thank you all for following my blog tonight and stay tuned for more Nater-Tainment!

Sudeikis is funny as always.

Alright way to close the show

We are back

Jason Sudeikis' Job Biden impression!!!  He's always great

Commercials are on now

Bobby Moynihan's performance is the best thing abut this sketch

The writing isn't entirely great

Though Moynihan is making the sketch better due to his performance.

Bobby Moynihan did this character last year when Channing Tatum hosted

He gives a good performance as this character

We are back with the next sketch

Commercials are on now

I don't like this performance

Kendrick Lamar has been a pretty forgettable musical guest this season

I'm not really crazy about Kendrick Lamar

His performances aren't very catchy or memorable.

We are back again with Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is coming up next

This isn't great

Adam Levine hasn't been very funny in this sketch.  In fact, the only laughs I've gotten so far are from Bobby Moynihan as the cameraman and Aidy Bryant's character; who gave me a chuckle or two.

Jay Pharoah wasn't given anything funny.

Not an entirely great sketch.

I've never seein the show "Catfish" before

Adam Levine isn't giving a lot of energy in this sketch so far

we are back

Next sketch is coming up

That was a weak ending.

I was expecting more of a surprise.  All the performances were good though.

This isn't a bad sketch.

Bill Hader as John Mayer!  All the performances in this sketch are good.

I like Jason Sudeikis' Jason Mraz impression

I knew Adam Levine's Bandmates would appear tonight

Taran Killam does a good impression of the lead singer of Train

We are back

Next sketch is coming up

Not the best installment of "Weekend Update" os the season.

Commercials are on now

Kenan Thompson's performance isn't bad

The writing is okay.  He had a couple good jokes so far

Kenan Thompson as Ray Lewis

The line about him not being able to get the paint off his face was funny. 

Seth Meyers' jokes tonight aren't that funny

He had better jokes last week

The material in this segment isn't funny at all

No truly funny jokes whatsoever.

The writing in the segment isn't that funny

Nasim Pedrad is trying though.  She's giving a fine performance.

Seth Meyers' Twitter joke wasn't bad

His other jokes so far aren't great.

And now, Nasim Pedrad as Arianna Huffington.  She doesn't an alright job with the impression.

"Weekend Update" is on now

A lot of the musical guests this season haven't been great at all

Only Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and fun. were good.  Everyone else was just alright or not good at all.

Commercials are on now and then "Weekend Update" will be coming up.

This song doesn't really get me energized

Kendrick Lamar doesn't really have an unique sound.  This performance isn't anything special at all

We are back with Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar's first musical performance is coming up

That wasn't bad

A little too random, but still a decent return from The Lonely Island guys.

Commercials are on now

I guess that's Kendrick Lamar in the digital short

Good to see The Lonely Island Back again

I wonder if they'll be back for Justin Bieber as well. 

That was an abrupt ending

The return of the digital shorts!

Bill Hader's performance is making this sketch better

Adam Levine isn't getting a lot to do in this sketch. 

Bill Hader's funny as always.  The dog attack was just random

I have a feeling this will be a new reoccurring character fir Bill Hader

He's giving a good performance, but the writing isn't truly great.

We are back

Next sketch is coming up

Commercials are on now

Well, I knew that Justin Bieber would be hosting some day

I kind of wish he would host later on this season.  There are much better choices for hosts for that week.  Oh well. 

Thus is a creative 'Sopranos' parody

All the performances in this are good

This is a good idea for a commercial parody

Bobby Moynihan does a good job imitating James Gandofini's voice. 

The performances in this sketch are good

Easy attempts to get laughs from the audience

Adam Levine is alright in this sketch

I'm just not finding a lot of the jokes funny.  Jason Sudeikis isn't even getting a lot of funny material to be working with for his part.

The performances in this sketch are good so far

Though the writing seems to be evoking forced humor. 

This sketch is just another excuse for SNL to use homosexuality jokes for quick laughs

We are back!

First sketch is coming up

This is a funny commercial parody

Good performances by everyone.  And now, commercials.

Adam Levine wasn't bad

Very surprising cameo appearances tonight!

JERRY SEINFELD??????

This is a very random cameo!  This is a very creative monologue! 

Andy Samberg is pretty funny here

Cameron Diaz!  What she doing here?  Is she in a new movie?

I haven't really watched "The Voice"

ANDY SAMBERG!!!  Good to see him again

I hope Adam Levine gets good sketches tonight

I have never heard Kendrick Lamar's music before

I hope this show is good tonight

That wasn't the best opening of the season.

Jay Pharoah's impression of President Obama is very good

The writing in this cold opening isn't great at all

This is already not very funny

Kenan Thompson's impression isn't great either

Good to see Jay Pharoah's Barack Obama impression again

Kenan Thompson as Dr. Martin Luther King

And We are Live....NOW!!!!!!

It's Almost That Time

In less than two hours, my live-blogging coverage of tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live" will begin.  I will be commenting on the sketches and performances as well as anything else that comes to mind.  I will also be posting a review of the episode following the broadcast.  Be sure to have your televisions set to NBC by 11:30pm and have my blog on your computer screens.  Keep refreshing your computer screens throughout the show so you can see my latest comments, and feel free to post your own opinions by clicking the "comment" link underneath my blog posts.

Thank you all for following my blog and I'll see you at 11:30pm!

Reminder About Tonight

I will be live-blogging tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live"; which will be hosted by Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar will be the musical guest.  I will be commenting on the show as it airs; opining on the sketches, the performances, and anything else that comes to mind. 

I'm hoping for a good show tonight.  I have never seen Adam Levine act before.   He's one of the voice coaches on NBC's "The Voice" and he's the lead singer of Maroon 5; who actually performed on SNL this past November.  I'm hoping that he proves to be a good sketch comedy performer and exhibit good comedic chemistry with the cast.  I just hope the writing is good tonight and that we see some good sketches.

So be sure to have your televisions set to NBC by 11:30pm and have my blog on your computer screens.  Be sure to keep refreshing your computer screens so you can see my latest comments.  Feel free to share your own opinions by clicking the "comment" link underneath any of my blog posts.  Your feedback means a lot and I look forward to seeing your opinions.

So stay tuned and I'll see you at 11:30pm!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Tmorrow Night I Will Be Live-Blogging "Saturday Night Live"



Image of  (from left to right) "Saturday Night Live" Castmember Bobby Moynihan and Adam Levine taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS473US477&biw=1440&bih=618&tbm=isch&tbnid=nQ4yClIjnqZigM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/snl-adam-levine-spoofs-voice-414772&docid=Cz64TFJop1ZHTM&imgurl=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumbnail_570x321/2013/01/snl_adam_levine_promo.jpg&w=565&h=318&ei=VysDUZCiFqKT0QGZ0IC4Ag&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=129&vpy=135&dur=750&hovh=168&hovw=299&tx=192&ty=75&sig=108834442758546808520&page=1&tbnh=134&tbnw=248&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:87

Do not miss my live-blogging coverage of this week's episode of "Saturday Night Live"; which will be hosted by Maroon 5 Frontman Adam Levine, and will feature Kendrick Lamar as the musical guest.  As usual, I will be posting my opinions on the sketches and the performances, as well as anything else that comes to mind.  And following the show, I will be posting a review that outlines my opinions in more detail.

So be sure to have my blog on my computers by 11:30pm tomorrow night and have your televisions set to NBC.  Be sure to keep refreshing your computer screens so you can see my latest comments.  Feel free to share your own opinions by clicking the "comment" link underneath any of my blog posts.  Your feedback means a lot and I look forward tp hearing your opinions.

So stay tuned and I'll see you tomorrow night at 11:30pm! 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

From the Mind of Nate: My Views on the Current State of "The Office"'s Final Season


It's always difficult to say farewell to a beloved television series that has been on the air for a number of seasons. Over the years, fans get attached to the characters of a specific program and has eagerly awaited to see what obstacles they will face week after week. Audiences also love the engrossing storylines penned by the writers; who carry the task of establishing narratives that cover part of or an entire season. And, as the countdown to a series' conclusion progresses, fans do everything they can to not miss a single episode in hopes they don't miss any important plot points. However, what happens when certain elements have negatively impacted the final season?  Such is the case with NBC's“The Office,” which is ending this upcoming May. Since the series' final season started airing this past September, certain aspects have caused me to consistently frown and lessen my excitement for the finale; during which we'll be finally be saying goodbye to the employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

One of the main problems I have with the final season of “The office” as of now is the questionable decharacterization of Ed Helms' Andy Bernard;the former-paper-salesman-turned-Reginal Manager of Dunder Mifflin. For the past few seasons, Helms' on-screen persona was depicted as consistently trying to win the heart of Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon; the workplace's secretary-- who first appeared on the show in the later part of Season Five. In Season Six, Ed Helms' character fell in love with Kemper's on-screen persona; and as Seasons Seven and Eight progressed, audiences hoped for the two characters to get together. However, the pair would experience several challenges along the way. Finally, in the Season Eight episode “Get the Girl”, which aired on March 15, 2012, Ed Helms' Andy Bernard profoundly declares his love to Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon; thus finally solidifying their relationship. Thus, we were happy for the characters and glad to see the storyline that ran through the past couple seasons wrap up perfectly.  However, at the start of this current season, Ed Helms' Andy Bernard returns from manager training; having been sent by Dunder Mifflin Boss David Wallace, played by Andy Buckley, to become a better employer. Upon returning to Dunder Mifflin, Helms' on-screen persona, though now more decisive, becomes overly cocky and self-absorbed. Furthermore, he treats Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon and treats her with little consideration; eventually not inviting her to come along when going on a trip to the Caribbean to sell his family's boat; which he later turned into an extended vacation-- informing her through a rather self-absorbed e-mail. While he's gone, Kemper's on-screen persona bonds with Jake Lacy's Pete Miller; a new Dunder Mifflin employee hired to help deal out with customer service. The two characters bond; and Kemper's character begins to have romantic feelings for him. Now viewers are anticipating a confrontation with Ed Helms' Andy Bernard when returning from vacation.



Image of Ed Helms as Andy Bernard and Ellie Kamper as Erin Hannon taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS473US477&biw=1440&bih=618&tbm=isch&tbnid=fqoZuui7-cR3bM:&imgrefurl=http://www.vulture.com/2012/09/office-recap-season-9-episode-2.html&docid=lIDRcM3MCKaBmM&imgurl=http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2012/09/28/28-the-office.o.jpg/a_560x375.jpg&w=560&h=375&ei=FGH_UJzMKsaB0AGb7oCADw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=172&sig=108834442758546808520&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=247&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:88&tx=46&ty=44

I have no problem with Jake Lacy's performance as Pete Miller. I think that Lacy and Erin Hannon posses decent chemistry and their interactions are interesting. My main problem is that the whole love triangle seems like an attempt to create drama for the series' final season. But most importantly, I am very unsatisfied with the confusing decision to transform Ed Helms' Andy Bernard into an inconsiderate individual after the past three seasons; during which he was a very likable and sympathetic character. It seems as if the writers to add drama to the series' final season by doing so. Unfortunately, in doing so, they have greatly affected the consistantcy of the series. Throughout the past few seasons, we were rooting for Ed Helms' Andy Bernard and Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon to get together. In addition, we were always hoping for Ed Helms' protagonist to succeed; whether he was trying to increase his sales numbers in Season Seven or finding the courage to stand up to James Spader's Robert California; who served as the intimidating CEO of Dunder Mifflin throughout Season Nine. Now, the writers have decided to make a complete 180-degree turn and now seem to want viewers to dislike him. To me, it seems as if the they are so desperate for ideas now, that they are resorting to unnecessary personality changes. Furthermore, Ed Helms' performances alongside Ellie Kemper for the past few seasons have been very enjoyable, and the whole situation that's taking place right now is very unfortunate. Henceforth, even if Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon does end up with Jake Lacy's Pete Miller, a redemption for Ed Helms' Andy Bernard would be more-than-welcome.

My other main concern as to how the final season of “The Office” is shaping up is the apparent fact that the writers are resorting to over-exaggerated comedy to get laughs from the viewers. Since Season 8, I've noticed that the writers are assigning material to the series' talented cast that causes them to look completely foolish during what's intended to be hilarious sequences. Among several sequences, there are two prime examples of how the writers are having the castmembers make absolute fools of themselves in hopes to get laughs. The first example occurs in episode “Lice”; which aired on January 10th. In the episode, Pam Halpert, played by Jenna Fischer, accidentally brings lice to the workhouse, and tries to cover it by accusing Meredith Palmer, played by Kate Flannery, for the infestation. As a result, Ellie Kemper's Erin Hannon suggests that everyone spread mayonnaise on their heads in hopes to drown out the parasites. What follows are not-so-hilarious sequences in which the characters team up to put the dressing on top of each other. Watching the cast walk around with mayonnaise on their heads wasn't funny in the least, and it made them look completely ridiculous. This is completely different from the subtle humor of the series' early years; which primarily consisted of subtle humor that relied more the cast's on-screen personas interacting with each other. The other main situation that episode; during triggered my dissatisfaction with the writers stooping to cheap humor took place during this past Thursday's episode entitled “Suit Warehouse”, during which some of the office workers drink many cups of coffee; causing them to get immense sugar rushes. Seeing the castmembers running around while reeling from the energy of the caffeine was irritating; as they came off looking like cartoon characters as opposed to real people. The storyline got even more ridiculous when the characters become peevish after running out of the coffee, leading to them to rip apart the workplace carpeting in a frenzy. The whole sequence was just too off-the-wall that I had to keep reminding myself that this is a series about the lives of employees working at a paper company. Watching the characters act in such an inane manner made me feel sorry for the talented cast; as they are more capable of bestowing truly genuinely comical performances. I truly blame the show's writers for penning such weak material for the cast to act out; as these instances are making me sigh heavily rather than laugh heartily.

However, I must credit the writers for creating the storyline of a new employment opportunity for John Krasinski's Jim Halpert and how it will effect his marriage to Jenna Fischer's Pam. At the start of the season, John Krasinki's on-screen persona accepts a job offer from his friend to work at an up-an-coming sports entrepreneurship. However, Krasinski's protagonist takes the offer without telling his wife at first; obviously setting up drama for their relation. After eventually telling
her about the new job, which is located in Philadelphia, Jenna Fischer's on-screen persona eventually accepts his decision; she is hurt that John Krasinski's Jim did not tell her beforehand. The storyline of John Karaski's protagonist and his new job continues throughout the season; as seen in the episode “The Target,” which aired on November 29th. During the episode, John Krasinki's protagonist
to get Leslie David Baker's Stanley Hudson and Phyllis Smith's Phyllis Smith to agree to cover for him part-time while working in Philadelphia. Then, in aforementioned episode “Lice,” Krasinski's protagonist meets with his childhood hero Julius Irving; who wants to invest in the new company. And this past week, in the above-mentioned episode “Suit Warehouse,” we actually get to see the inside of Jim Halpert's new job when Craig Robinson's Darryl Philbin applies for a possible job and Jenna Fischer's Pam Halpert tags along in hopes to surprise her husband. However, upon hearing an employee say that everyone's looking forward to seeing them move to Philadelphia, Jenna Fischer's Pam begins to immediately worry about the future; primarily leaving Scranton possibly forever. By the look of how the story arc is progressing, I am keenly anticipating some great confrontations between John Krasinski's Jim and Jenna Fischer's Pam about the latter's uncertainty about raising their children in a new state and beginning anew. And because both Krasinski and Fischer are very good performers, I am truly waiting for some authentically emotional scenes. I'm truly hoping the writers will give them a truly happy ending.



Image of John Krasinski as Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer as Pam Halpert taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS473US477&biw=1440&bih=618&tbm=isch&tbnid=E4CZBByjsp0luM:&imgrefurl=http://calitreview.com/31508&docid=M-yI44Oz_kPH_M&imgurl=http://calitreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/02-JimPam.jpg&w=480&h=320&ei=AF__UI2GGMLH0QGG5YDoDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=987&vpy=77&dur=5047&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=124&ty=124&sig=108834442758546808520&page=3&tbnh=125&tbnw=183&start=48&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:68,s:0,i:301

So who knows? Maybe the writers are capable of adding some genuine drama in hopes to make the final season of “The Office” completely worthwhile. And with recent reports revealing that we will finally learn who has been documenting everyone for the past nine years and that a Dunder Mifflin employee will be fired at some point during the fifteenth episode of the season, I am more-than-willing to seeing what surprises the writers have in store for us. So hopefully it will still be business as usual for “The Office”; thus allowing viewers to laugh, cry, and most importantly, enjoy.
-

Saturday, January 19, 2013

All in all, not a terrible episode, but a lot of sketches weren't perfect

The Piers Morgan Tonight cold opening featured very good performance and fine writing.  Taran Killam once again performed well as Morgan, and his comical British accent brought about some laughter.  Jason Sudeikis was funny as Lance Armstrong; right down to his sudden yelling fits.  Bobby Moynihan's Manti Teo impression was also humorous; as was Kate McKinnon's Jodie Foster-- though I thought her performance was a little better.  The jokes were well-placed and the opening sketch ended at the right time.  This was a good way to open the first show of 2013.

I was happy to see Jennifer Lawrence primarily get to do a solo monologue.  Her jokes about her fellow Best Actress nominees were alright and she held her own well.  I got some laughs out of Bill Hader as Tommy Lee Jones, and his "Tommy Lee Jones Twist" was humorous as well.  Not a terrible monologue.

I had a feeling that "Girlfriends Talk Show" was going to become a reoccurring sketch.  Cecily Storng and Aidy Bryant possess good chemistry; though I think the latter was funnier.  Jennifer Lawrence did alright but she wasn't given great material.  The whole sketch just seemed to be a slight rehash of the first installment that took place during Anne Hathaway's episode this past November.  All in all, not a very strong sketch. 

Though I've never seen the movie, I did get some laughs out of "The Hunger Games" sketch.  I liked seeing Jennifer Lawrence have the opportunity to poke fun at her character and some of her responses to the reporters' questions weren't bad.  All the performances were acceptable; though the sketch did run a tad long.  I will say that the piece did end at the right time.

I REALLY  liked the parody-trailer for "The Hobbit."  The idea of splitting up the final upcoming "Hobbit" movie into several movies was very funny and I liked all the titles that were presented.  All the performances were good; especially Jason Sudeikis as Bilbo Baggins.  This was one of the better commercial-spoofs of the season and I hope to see more clever movie trailer parodies as the rest of the season unfolds.

The 50's diner sketch was pretty good.  Jennifer Lawrence did well portraying her character; and she possessed exhibited decent comedic timing when issuing her threats towards Bobby Moynihan's and Vanessa Bayer's characters/  The ending was fine and both Moynihan and Bayer played good straight characters. I got some laughs out of the ending as well.   Not a bad sketch.

"weekend Update" was quite short tonight.  Seth Meyers had some good jokes tonight; particularly his quips aimed at Lance Armstrong and Manti Teo.  Bobby Moynihan gave a decent performance as his second-hand news character and I did laugh at his comment about "The 'Depp' Ceiling."  Both Moynihan and Meyers nearly lost it at the end, and their over-the-top high voices surprisingly made me chuckle.  This wasn't a bad installment of "Weekend Update;" though I do feel that it ran a bit too short.

The Top Dog Chef sketch was a creative idea, but it was slightly ruined by some crude language.  All the performances were good and I got laughs out of seeing the castmembers dressed like and acting like dogs.  Jennifer Lawrence did a fine job and her chemistry with the cast was good.  The sketch ran fine and I got a laugh out of the ending with Kate McKinnon as the cat and everyone barking at her.  Quite a creative sketch indeed.

The morning radio shock-jock show sketch was basically a rehash of the first installment; which occurred this past March when Lindsay Lohan hosted.  The writing wasn't great at all, though Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam tried very hard; as evident by their commendable energy and chemistry.  Jennifer Lawrence did okay as well; though she wasn't given a lot of truly funny stuff to say and do.  This wasn't a terrible sketch, but it wasn't very good either.

The Cinemax sketch was just not funny at all.  Though the castmembers gave decent performances, there was nothing at all hilarious in the sketch.  The writing fell flat, despite everyone's performances.  What's more, Jennifer Lawrence wasn't given anything special at all.  Just a forgettable sketch.

The Civil War sketch was an interesting idea for a premise, though I didn't like the crude humor.  I was happy to see Tim Robinson star in a sketch, as he hasn't done a lot on the show for the past few months.  Hopefully, he gets to do more for the rest of the season.

And that's about it.  Jennifer Lawrence did alright for her first time hosting, but most of her designated sketches weren't completely funny.  I wouldn't mind seeing her host again.  The Lumineers performed well and I think I liked their second song a little better; mainly because I've heard their first song ("Ho Hey") a lot already. 

And that's all for tonight.  Thank you all for following me tonight and please stay tuned more my next writing; which will hopefully be up by tomorrow night.  Thank you all once more and I wish you all a good night.

That was an abrupt ending

This was an alright first episode of 2013, but it wasn't entirely great.

We are back with the next sketch

Good to see Featured Player Tim Robinson get a lead role in a sketch.  This is an interesting sketch so far, despite the crude language.  Tim Robinson is giving a good performance though; as is Jennifer Lawrence.

I do not like the bad language in this sketch though.

Was that a parody of an actual show on Cinemax?

The performances were good but the writing wasn't great at all.

We are back with the next sketch

That wasn't a bad performance.

The Lumineers were an alright musical guest tonight.

This isn't a bad performance.

The Lumineers do have a good sound.

I haven't heard this song before

But it sounds alright so far. 

The Lumineers are coming up next

This sketch isn't terrible. SNL is really trying to get more reoccurring sketches for this season

The performances in this sketch are alright but the writing isn't that great

Bobby moynihan and Taran Killam have good chemistry.  And Jennifer Lawrence is doing well also with her performance.

The did this sketch when Lindsay Lohan hosted this past March

So tonight we've seen two sketches that have become reoccurring. 

we are back with the next sketch

Next sketch is coming up

That was silly, but still a creative sketch

All the performances were good and the ending was funny also,

Dog Chef

This is a creative idea for a sketch.I will say that some of this is a tad silly.  Jennifer Lawrence is doing alright with her character.

Bobby Moynihan has done a lot so far tonight. 

We are back

next sketch is coming up

Commercials are on now

That was a quick edition of "Weekend Update"

They must be trying to fill up the episodes with as much sketches as possible.

Seth Meyers' jokes aren't all that bad tonight.

He's had a couple duds, but that's expected by now.

That was alright. Bobby Moynihan nearly lost it towards the end of the segment

That part was actually funny (The "Depp" Ceiling)

Bobby Moynihan's second-hand news guy is back

He's done this character many times before.  His performances are alright.  I will say that some of the jokes are a tad predictable

Seth Meyers has told some alright jokes so far

Good first joke by Seth Meyers

"Weekend Update" is on now

"Weekend Update" is coming up next

That was a quick performance

Commercials are up now

This is an alright performance so far

They are performing "Ho Hey"

This song has been #1 on VH1's Top 20 Countdown three times so far.

This song is good, but it's been overplayed on television and on the radio

We are back with The Lumineers`

The Lumineers are coming up

This hasn't been a bad show so far

Jennifer Lawrence is doing well with her roles. 

Commercials are on now

This is very good.

All the performances in this sketch were good.  Nice ending too.

Bobby moynihan pays a good straightman

Vanessa Bayer is good too

Thus looks like it could be a good alright sketch

Jennifer Lawrence is doing good in this sketch so far. 

That was GREAT!

I like seeing SNL poke fun at "The Hobbit"

Jason Sudeikis is good as Bilbo Baggins.  All the performances are good and the writing is very good as well.

I REALLY like like this.

That wasn't a bad sketch.

The performances in this sketch are good.

It's good to see Jennifer Lawrence poke some fun at the movie. 

Hinger Games sketch

I haven't seen "The Hunger Games" yet, but I know what it's about

We are back!

Next sketch is coming up

Commercials are on now

That was alright. But nothing special

Adam Levine is hosting next week.  Hope its good

The performances in this sketch are good

Jennifer Lawrence is doing alright.

This sketch is primarily following the same format of the first installment

Good to see Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant get reoccurring characters

Girl Friend Talk Show

They did this sketch when Anne Hathaway hosted this past November

We are back!

Next sketch is coming up

Commercial break

That was alright but nothing special

Alright monologue.

This is a strange commercial spoof.

I heard about this nows!

Good to see Jennifer Lawrence getting to do a solo monologue.

I haven't seen "Silver Linings Playbook" yet

Bill Hader as Tommy Lee Jones!    That's great!

And now, Jennifer Lawrence

I hope the rest of the show tonight is good

Very Good opening sketch!

Nice way to start out the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" of 2013

Kate McKinnon as Jodie Foster!

This is a good opening sketch.  Good writing and good performances.

The writing in this cold opening is good

Bobby Moynihan as Manti Teo.  I had a feeling they would address this tonight.  Bobby Moynihan's giving a decent performance

Jason Sudeikis is good as Lance Armstrong

Piers Morgan Tonight Spoof

Good to see Taran Killam's impression back again. 

And We are Live.....NOW!!!!!!

It's Almost That Time

In just under two hours, my live-blogging coverage of tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live" will begin.  Be sure to have your televisions set to NBC by 11:30pm and have my blog set on your computers.  Be sure to keep refreshing your  computer screens so you see my latest comments.  Feel free to respond to any of my posts by clicking the "comment" link underneath my opinions.  Your feedback means a lot and I look forward to hearing your opinions.

So stay tuned and I'll see you at 11:30pm!

Reminder About Tonight

Don't miss my live-blogging coverage of tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live"; which is hosted by Golden Globe Winner Jennifer Lawrence and The Lumineers will be the musical guest.  Beginning at 11:30pm, I will be posting my opinions about the performances, the sketches, the writing as well as anything else that comes to mind during the show.  And after the episode, I will be posting a review that outlines my opinions on everything.

Be sure to have your televisions set to NBC by 11:30pm and have my blog on your computers.  Be sure to keep refreshing your screens so you can see my latest comments.  Be sure to post your own opinions by clicking the "comment" link underneath my posts.  Your feedback is very important and I look forward to hearing your comments.  This is the first "Saturday Night Live" episode of 2013, so let's make this GREAT!!!

Thank you all for following my blog and I'll see you at showtime!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Don't Miss My Live-Blogging of "Saturday Night Live" This Weekend



Image of "Saturday Night Live" Castmember Jason Sudeikis and Golden Globe Winner Jennifer Lawrence taken from http://celebrity-gossip.net/jennifer-lawrence/jennifer-lawrence%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Csaturday-night-live%E2%80%9D-promos-watch-here-791836

Don't Miss my Live-blogging of this week's episode of "Saturday Night Live"; which will be hosted by Jennifer Lawrence and will feature The Lumineers as the designated musical guest.  Lawrence is fresh off her Gold Globe win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook."  Throughout the show, I will be commenting on the sketches, the performances by Lawrence, the cast, and The Lumineers as well as anything else that comes to mind.  And following the show, I will be posting a show that consists of all my opinions on the sketches.

Feel free to post your own opinions on my blog by clicking the "comment" link underneath my posts. Keep refreshing your screens so you don't miss a minute of my coverage.  Your feedback means a lot and I look forward to to hearing your opinions. 

So be sure to have your televisions set to NBC by 11:30pm Saturday night and have my blog on your computers.  It's going to be a lot of fun and I thank you all for your support.

I will also be posting my next writing by some point Sunday night at the latest.  Thank you all for following my blog and stay tuned for more Nater-Tainment!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

My Next Post Will Be Up Towards the End of this Upcoming Week

Hi Everybody!  Hope you are all enjoying the Golden Globes.  I'm sorry that I'm not able to live-blog the festivities tonight; but I am unavailable to do so.  But don't worry.  I've got some stuff lined up for the rest of this month.

I have been a little preoccupied with some work this past week, so I wasn't able to do a lot of work.  But, by the end of the week, I will have a new article available by next Sunday at the latest.

However, I will be live-blogging this week's episode of "Saturday Night Live," which will be hosted by Jennifer Lawrence; who I just read won the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical in Comedy for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook."  Lawrence will be hosting the late-night sketch comedy program for her first time and will be joined by Musical Guest The Lumineers; who are performing on the show for their first time as well.  I will also be live-blogging the show on January 26th; which will be hosted by Maroon 5 Frontman Adam Levine and Rapper Kendrick Lamar will be the show's designated Music Guest.  So, be prepared for some fun stuff.

So enjoy watching the rest of the Golden Globes and stay tuned for more Nater-Tainment!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

And Now the Moment You Have All Been Waiting For: My Top Ten Viewed Movies of 2012


Well, 2012 is over. And it 's that time to take stock. Throughout the year, I have viewed many movies. Some were quite memorable; containing intriguing plotlines, spirited characters keenly played by talented performers, and enticing special effects that further kept audience members' eyes on the action for films' designated runtime. Other films I viewed were quite the opposite: poor storylines that lacked intelligence, unnecessary characters portrayed weakly by not-so-talented thespians, and extra scenes that weren't exactly needed for the final product. In other words, I have viewed A LOT of films this past year.

And when looking back on all the films I seen in 2012, there are ten that truly stand out as being the most unforgettable. While some of them do have their fare share of flaws, they are all redeemed by stand-out performances as well as other factors that are worthy of my approval. And while I have not written separate reviews for all of them, I would like to share them all with you now. So, without further ado, I would now like to bring forward:

My Top Ten Viewed Movies of 2012

And we get the ball rolling with:

A female figure in silhouette stands before an enormous statue of a humanoid head. Text at the middle of the poster reveals the tagline "The Search For Our Beginning Could Lead To Our End". Text at the bottom of the poster reveals the title, production credits and rating.

Poster of "Prometheus" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_(2012_film)

#10: “Prometheus”

I start off my list with Director Ridley Scott's return to the science ficition genre with this Summer 2012 blockbuster. Released on June 8th and set in 2093, “Prometheus,” written by Jon Spaiths and Damon Lindelof, tells the story of a group of explorers that travel the far reaches of space to uncover the illusive origins of mankind. Unfortunately, their quest takes a dangerous turn and what they ultimately learn coould lead to the extermination of the human race. Noomi Rapace portrays Dr. Elizabeth Shaw; an archaeologist who has discovered a star map that she interpreted to be an invitation to meet the creators of mankind. Throughout the film, Rapace performs well as the central protagonist; who makes the transition from overly-cautious scientist to fearless warrior following a near-death experience. We believe every minute of her performance as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw; as her protagonist does all she can to stay alive amidst various threats that endanger her as well as her fellow crewmembers. In addition, Michael Fassbender turns in a memorable performance as David; the mysterious android that monitors the crew's activities and provides further assistance to their mission. Throughout “Prometheus,” Fassbender's performance never misses a beat; as we never quite know what his overall intentions are; seeing as some of his actions results in causing harm to the crew. Michael Fassbender's performance never drags; as his delivery keeps the audience's attention at all times. However, while Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender each bring forward top-notch feats, Rideley Scott's “Prometheus” strongly suffers from an excess amount of nonscensical violence and a screenplay that could have been finer tuned. Screenwriters Jon Spaiths and Damon Lindelof appeared to be more concerned with consuming the movie with so much material, that not enough characters were properly developed. For instance, Logan Marshall-Green, who portrays Dr. Charlie Holloway, the husband of Noomi Rapace's Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, comes off as lacking a genuine personality and appears to be only in the film to suffer a gruesome fate. What's more, Charlize Theron, who portrays Mission Director Meredith Vickers, is hardly given any memorable material whatsoever and she ends up hardly serving any real purpose. What's more, some plot twists appear tacked on by the screenwriters in an attempt to shock the audience; one of which involves Guy Pearce's Peter Wayland; the CEO of the Wayland Corporation, a conglomerate that funded the mission. Despite these setbacks, I must admit that the visual effects of “Prometheus” prove to be impressive and the action scenes are enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats for the whole film. Henceforth, Ridley Scott's “Prometheus” finds itself to be a worthwhile film despite its shortcomings and fits well as my tenth favorite film of 2012.


Poster of "Ted" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_(2012_film)

#9:  "Ted"

I haven't been a big fan of “Family Guy” for the past few years. While I used to enjoy the series' usage of pop culture spoofs and humorous visual jokes in its' early years, the constant employing of offensive jokes about race and violence to get laughs from viewers. Henceforth, seeing as the humor had become very mean-spirited, I decided to stop tuning in on a regular basis. So, when I heard that Seth MacFarlane, the series' creator and voice artist for a good amount of male characters, was directing his first motion picture, I was more-than-hesitant to see it in theaters. However, when I did view the film, which was released on June 29th, I was surprised to see that the film wasn't entirely what I expected. Yes, there was a good amount of offensive jokes about serious subjects like terrorism and racism; but, at the heart of the film, was a genuine story about growing up. Mark Wahlberg did a fine job portraying the film's central protagonist John Bennett; who, as a boy, wished that his beloved teddy bear, the titular “Ted,” would come alive and be his friend forever. Throughout the film, Wahlberg gives a decent performance.  The actor's delivery is acceptable and looks as if he is enjoying playing the role of a slacker in his mid-thirties; who would sneak out of work to hang out with his best friend. And I must commend Seth MacFarlane on his performance as “Ted;” for whom he supplies the voice as well as the motion-capture performance of the computer-generated character. Mark Wahlberg possesses good chemistry with MacFarlane's “Ted”; as the two exchange one-liners in a comical manner. But what's more, you actually believe the pair's friendship; thanks to the interactions the characters share as well as Mark Wahlberg's performance. I must also commend McFarlane for putting in the time and effort to make “Ted” appear as real as can be; considering that he did the body movements through the means of motion capture. What's more, the overall message of the movie's screenplay, written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulcin, and Wellesley Wild, proves to be quite earnest and believable. However, that doesn't make up for the fact that MacFarlane's film debut is tainted by antipersonnel jokes and some sequences that are just plain over-the-top. What's more, I was disheartened to see that Mila Kunis is hardly given any humorous material for her role as Lori Collins,the love interest for Mark Wahlberg's John Bennett, who is frequently ignored by the film's protagonist; who seems to spend more time with MacFarlane's “Ted;” and and tries to get her boyfriend to grow up, take their relationship seriously, and get “Ted” to live on his own. Kunis is barely allowed to have any humorous and is basically designated to portray a humorless character. Nevertheless, Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis do possess good chemistry; thus enabling their relationship to appear believable. Thus, despite many tasteless jokes, Seth MacFarlane's Summer 2012 directorial debut is a passable comedy and my ninth favorite film of the year.



Poster of "The Watch" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Watch_(2012_film)

#8: “The Watch”

Ben Stiller is back! After a few years on unmemorable roles, Ben Stiller returns to R-rated comedy territory for the first time since directing and starring in 2008's “Tropic Thunder”. Released on July 27th, Director Akiva Schaffer presents the story of Ben Stiller's Evan; the manager of a Costco is Glendale, Ohio, who is heavily involved with all activities in town. Arriving to work one morning, Stiller's protagonist discover's that the store's nightwatchman was inexplicably murdered. Wanting to avenge his employee's death, Stiller's Evan announces that he is forming The Neighborhood Watch; a group of people who would patrol the streets in an effort to keep everyone safe. Eventually joining Stiller's on-screen persona is Bob, portrayed by Vince Vaughn, Franklin, played by Jonah Hill, and Jarmarcus, played by Richard Ayoade. The group eventually learns that they are dealing with an interstellar threat that not only threatens their town, but also the world. While the film's screenplay, written by Jared Stern, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, is filled with some crude jokes as well as some predictable humor, “The Watch” truly emerges as a success due to the brilliantly chemistry amongst the four male leads. Vince Vaughn, who re-teams with Ben Stiller for the first time since 2004's “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” is hilarious as Bob; a suburban dad who joins the team in an effort to keep an eye on his daughter.Vaughn's performance is engaging and watching him interact with Stiller is great fun; as their characters exchange one great one-liner after another. Jonah Hill turns in a humorous stint as Franklin; an authority-hungry high school drop-out who yearns to be a policeman despite the fact that he failed every exam. Hill's delivery proves to be quite comical and he shares some great exchanges with Ben Stiller's Evan and Vince Vaughn's Bob. Rounding out the quartet is Richard Ayoade's Jamarcus; a recent divorce' that is hoping to meet some ladies while being a member of The Neighborhood Watch. Throughout the film, Ayoade exhibits an amusingly-dry delivery that is rich in its subtlety. Watching all four men interact is a hoot and they possess many great scenes; including a celebratory car ride that leads them to the first signs of what foes they are up against. And though the movie exhibits some overstated humor, the genius chemistry between the four comic actors as well as the well-organized storyline makes the movie very worthwhile. In short terms, “The Watch” is a fun R-rated comedy and a fitting choice for my eighth most preferred film of 2012.



Poster of "The Dark Knight Rises" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dark_knight_rises

#7: “The Dark Knight Rises”

I know this must be a surprise to you all, but I need to explain why the conclusion of Director Christopher Nolan's epic franchise is slated as my seventh favorite film of the year. Released on July 20th, Christian Bale returns to play Bruce Wayne; the millionaire scientist who, at night, protects the streets of Gotham City as the caped crusader known as Batman. The film takes place eight year's after Wayne's caped alter-ego took the blame for the death of the corrupted attorney Harvey Dent. Christian Bale's protagonist is reluctant to don the cape after the years have passed; but trouble comes to the city in the form of a merciless thug named Bane; played fiercely by Tom Hardy. The villainous Bane is bent on wrecking endless havoc , destroying all that is good on the streets of Gotham City. While Christian Bale's on-screen persona believes that everyone has forgotten the crime fighter, young beat cop John Blake, played with determination by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, still believes in the hero and encourages the film's protagonist to fight evil once more. As he did in the previous two films, Christian Bale gives a heavy performance as our hero and enables the character to be ever-resolute in his fight against Tom Hardy's Bane and all evil that plagues Gotham City. However, while Hardy gives a firm performance as the film's antagonist, he just does not emerge as memorable as the late Heath Ledger's brilliantly-twisted antagonist in 2008's “The Dark Knight.” Furthermore, Nolan's final installment in his trilogy proves to be a tad too long; as certain scenes drag on, resulting the final confrontations between Bale's protagonist and Hardy's Bane to appear rushed and non-climactic. What's more, while the performance's of the film's cast are top-notch, including Anne Hathaway's slick turn as the street-smart Selina Kyle, there are just too many characters present throughout the duration. It seemed as if Christopher Nolan wanted everyone to get the chance to shine in the film; thus further causing some confrontations between Bale's protagonist and his foes. Nevertheless, Nolan's “The Dark Knight Rises” ultimately proves to be a fitting, though not incredible, finale to his trilogy as well as my seventh favorite movie of the year.



Poster of "The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit:_An_Unexpected_Journey

#6: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”

By now , you are probably thinking to yourself, “Okay, 'The Dark Knight Rises' is number seven? And now, 'The Hobbit' is number six? What's going on here?”. Well, let me explain. While I was originally excited to be seeing Director Peter Jackson's prequel that takes place sixty years before the events that took place in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” I wasn't entirely excited after seeing the film. Released on December 14th, Jackson introduces us to a younger Bilbo Baggins, finely played by Martin Freeman, who reluctantly sets out with a group of thirteen dwarfs in an effort to help them reclaim their home after they were driven away by the fearsome dragon known as Smaug. The leader of the group is Thorin, played firmly by Richard Armitage, a legendary dwarf warrior. Also a part of the group is the iconic wizard Gandalf the Grey, once again portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen (who starred in the original trilogy), who remembers Bilbo as a child and got the hobbit to join the mission by reminding him that he comes from a line of hobbits that have known to go on adventures. So, Freeman's Bilbo Baggins accompanies the dwarfs on their quest; all the while running into various foes, such as hungry trolls and bloodthirsty orcs. And while the visual effects of Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth are indeed impressive, the overall pacing appears to be a setback. When there aren't any battles or confrontations between the dwarfs and their enemies, the movie just drags. In fact, a whole sequence at Rivendell lingers; despite the presence of some characters from the previous films-- among which include Christopher Lee's Saruman the White and Cate Blanchett's Galadriel. In addition, with the exception of Richard Armitage's Thorin, the dwarfs were difficult to distinguish and quite a few of them lacked a genuine personality. Nevertheless, I was satisfied with Martin Freeman's straightforward performance as Bilbo Baggins; who goes from not wanting to be on the journey to becoming a vital part of the quest. In addition, Ian McKellen once again gives a personal performance as Gandalf the Grey; who does what he can to help the dwarfs on their mission. However, one of the best parts of the movie would be the return the execrable brute known as Gollum, once again portrayed by Andy Serkis through motion capture technology, who encounters Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins in a cave. The scene is a delight; as both characters engage in a contest of wits to determine whether or not Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins will get out of the cave alive. All in all, Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is a worthy start to an all-new trilogy; even though it's not entirely perfect. Thus, the film finds itself at the number six position on my year-end countdown.

And now we come to my favorite films of the past year. I'm really excited to share them with you. And we begin with..




Poster of "Trouble with the Curve" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_with_the_Curve

#5: “Trouble with the Curve"

You got to hand it to Clint Eastwood. At the age of 82, he is still active in the movie industry. Released on September 21st, Director Robert Lorenz brings forward an honest story about Gus, played genuinely by Eastwood, an aging baseball scout who wants to go on one last recruitment mission. Due to his age, his teammembers don't feel that he can do his job. However, his team doesn't feel that he can still do the job; despite Gus' strong determination. Nevertheless, accompanied by his daughter Mickey, played by Amy Adams, Gus travels to North Carolina for his assignment. While in North Carolina, Gus reunites with Johnny, played amiably by Justin Timberlake, a fellow scout that Gus once recruited. The two men have a good relationship and soon enough, Timberlake's on-screen persona eventually takes a liking to to Mickey. And most of the performances in “Trouble with the Curve” are strong; especially Eastwood's, who truly enables Gus to emerge as a strong protagonist. Eastwood never lets his protagonist to be determined even when the odds are against. In addition, Justin Timberlake turns in a genuinely charismatic feat as Johnny; resulting in strong chemistry with Eastwood. Amy Adams brings forward an alright presentation as Mickey; who ends up putting her career on hold so she can accompany Eastwood's Gus on their trip. Adams' character doesn't have a truly great relationship with her father; considering that he sent her away when she was young. Throughout her stint in “Trouble with the Curve,” Adams does a decent job interacting with her co-stars; though I feel that her overall performance could have been a bit better. As for Justin Timberlake, I was very happy with his performance as Johnny; who hopes to one day become a baseball game. Timberlake handles his role well and, thanks to his energy as an actor, he has strong chemistry with all his co-stars. Watching him interact with Eastwood and Adams is engaging; as they play off each other quite well. In addition, John Goodman brings forward a personal performance as Pete, a close friend of Clint Eastwood's Gus, who frequently checks in with the film's protagonists to make sure that his friend is doing alright. And even though the overall storyline of “Trouble with the Curve” is slightly predictable, Director Robert Lorenz and Screenwriter Randy Brown bring forward an emotional story that truly keeps the audience's attention. All in all, “Trouble with the Curve” proves to be an uplifting film and my fifth favorite film of 2012.



Poster of "The Five-Year Engagement" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five-Year_Engagement

#4: “The Five-Year Engagement”

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are talented performers. Released on April 27th, Jason Segel wholeheartedly stars as Tom Solomon; a hard-working sous chef who proposes to psychology graduate Violet Barnes, played sincerely by Emily Blunt, after a year of dating. Unfortunately, their wedding preparations keeps getting delayed by different occasions; beginning with the unexpected union of John's best friend Alex, played genially by Chris Pratt, and Violet's sister Suzie; played lively by Allison Brie. John and Violet's wedding also gets delayed when the latter gets admitted into the University's Post Doctorate in psychology programming; leading to Jason Segel's on-screen persona to leave his job and San Francisco; even though he is disappointed after hearing that he was going to get the position of head chef at a new restaurant in the area. While John tries to find a new chef position in Michigan, Emily Blunt's Violet performs well at her new job; all the while impressing her professor Winton Childs; played by Rhys Ifans. Their work eventually becomes successful; so much so, that Childs receives funding to extend the project. Which, in turn, once again delays her marriage to Jason Segel's John; who eventually gets a job working at Zingerman's. Through “The Five-Year Engagement,” Segel gives an earnest performance; as his protagonist grows more disenchanted by the direction his life is going, causing him to contemplate the direction of his relationship with Emily Blunt's Violet. Segel's overall performance is completely genuine; and you wish that he will find happiness soon. And Emily Blunt also gives an authentic performance as well; as she enables her on-screen protagonist to be excited about her professional career. In addition, Blunt's protagonist eventually becomes aware of how unhappy Segel's protagonist is and she eventually inquires about his feelings; leading to some truly emotional scenes between the two characters. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt possess great chemistry; and as the movie progresses, you truly hope their characters tie the knot. Both thespians speak their dialogue perfectly; resulting in their characters to appear completely human. In addition, “The Five Year Engagement” features memorable feats turned in from the supporting cast. Including Chris Pratt and Allison Brie; who appear in scene-stealing sequences as Alex and Suzie respectfully. In addition the screenplay, written by Segel and Nicholas Stroller, is a great mixture of comedy and drama; thus further establishing the film to be truly emotional and genuine. Henceforth, “The Five-Year Engagement” fits perfectly as not only #4 of my countdown, but also as my Favorite Comedy of 2012.

And now we have arrived to the Top 3 Films of the Year. These are the cream of the crop and I can't wait to tell you about them. At third place, we find a film that is getting much attention this Awards Season.



Poster of "Argo" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argo_(2012_film)

#3: “Argo”

Ben Affleck has done it again! Released on October 12th, Ben Affleck's follow-up to 2010's “The Town” proves to be just as engrossing. Affleck's dramatization is set in 1979, during which,the American embassy in Iran is attacked by Iranian revolutionaries; resulting in the taking hostage of several Americans. Luckily, six escape make it to the home of the Canadian Ambassador; who keeps an eye on them. The CIA is ordered to get the six escapees out of the country of Iran. Ultimately, CIA specialist Tony Mendez, portrayed with rich determination by Affleck, is called in for his conference. While viewing “Battle for the Planet of the Apes,” Affleck's Mendez comes up with the idea to create a ruse: the six escapees would be a Canadian film crew is surveying the land to shoot an upcoming science fiction film. In order to make the ruse as real as possible, Affleck's on-screen persona brings in Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers; portrayed sincerely by John Goodman. Soon afterwards, the pair contact film producer Lester Siegel; cheekily played by Alan Arkin. The three men create a phony studio as well as an entire promotional campaign for an upcoming film called “Argo.” Ultimately, Affleck's Tony Mendez gains access into Iran as a producer for “Argo” and he soon meets up with the six Americans to execute their plan for escape. What follows is a suspenseful dramatization, written by screenwriter Chris Terrio, that keeps the viewer's focus at all times as well as guessing what will happen next. As director, Ben Affleck manages to go from one event to the next in a smooth manner. In addition, Affleck's overall performance as Tony Mendez is very satisfying; never letting his protagonist lose focus on his mission. The actor's on-screen persona remains resolute at all times; doing everything he can to get the six Americans home safely. Furthermore, the film's supporting cast performs well; with John Goodman and Alan Arkin turning in affable performances as John Chambers and Lester Siegel respectfully. Furthermore, Bryan Cranston imparts a meaningful portrayal of Jack O'Donnell; the supervisor of Ben Affleck's Tony Mendez. Affleck and Cranston interact well together; and they allow their on-screen personas struggle to effectively get the escape plan to be pulled off. And even though certain events appear rather conveniently-timed to create further suspense, “Argo” makes for an escapade that's rich in resolution and humanity. Thus, Argo finds itself as my third favorite movie of 2012.

And the runner-up on my year-end countdown is:

Spider-Man, wounded, is covered in a spider web with New York City in the background and as a reflection in his mask. Text at the bottom of the reveals the title, release date, official site of the film, rating and production credits.

Poster of "The Amazing Spider-Man" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Spider-Man_(2012_film)

#2: “The Amazing Spider-Man”

I have always enjoyed reading comic books about the web-slinging crime-fighter known as Spider-Man. Let's face it. Spider-Man, to me, is the most human Marvel superhero; seeing as Peter Parker was just a normal high school student before he gets bit by a radioactive spider; thus gaining the power to crawl up walls, shoot webs out of his hands, and jump at great length. So, when viewing Director Mark Webb's reboot of the original 2002 blockbuster, I was so delighted to see Andrew Garfield bestow a genuine feat as Peter Parker. While trying to find information about his parents, who mysteriously disappeared when he was a child, Andrew Garfield's protagonist gets bit by a radioactive spider at the scientific research corporation Oscorp. Soon After, our hero finds himself gaining superhuman speed, strength, as well as the ability to detect danger. As the young man continuously helps Rhys Ifans' Dr. Curt Conors, an Oscorp scientist with whom his father worked with, he ignores a phone call from his uncle Ben Parker, played by Martin Sheen, who was reminding him to pick up his Aunt May; played by Sally Field. Upon arriving home at night, the young man's uncle chastises him for ignoring his responsibility to his aunt. The young ,man leaves in a huff and Martin Sheen's on-screen persona chases after hi. Unfortunately, the old man eventually gets shot by a robber who was escaping the scene of a crime. Filled with remorse over his uncle's death. Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker sets out to avenge his uncle's death; all the while using his new powers and wearing a mask to hide his identity. Eventually, our hero saves the life of a young boy. While the boy reunites his father, Peter Parker realizes his destiny and identifying his new alter-ego as “Spider-Man.” Throughout the film, Andrew Garfield bestows a dedicated performance; one that enables the audience to root for him in his efforts to keep people safe. Garfield possesses a lot of energy in his first official lead role and his performance never drag. In addition, Emma Stone turns in a very personal feat as Gwen Stacy; the love interest of Andrew Garfield's protagonist. Stone enables her portrayal of Gwen Stacy to emerge as a genuinely likable love interest for our hero; and it's great to see the character offer some assistance to our hero. Both performers possess great chemistry that enables the audience to believe their relationship. Furthermore, Rhys Ifans bestows a memorable performance as Dr. Curt Conors; who, as a result of the experiment, finds himself repeatedly turning into a monstrous reptilian creature capable of unleashing immense havoc. In addition, the movie's screenplay, written by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves, makes for an engrossing story that allows every character to have enough screentime. Further, the film's overall narrative ultimately proves to be a coming of age story; as Andrew Garfield's protagonist goes from being an high school student who doesn't pay attention to responsibility, to a genuine hero who understands his place in the world. Henceforth, thanks to the thrilling storyline, the keen performances of the cast lead by Andrew Garfield, who truly shines as Peter Parker, “The Amazing Spider-Man” finds its rightful place on my year-end countdown as my second favorite film of 2012.

And now, I bring to you my favorite film of 2012. Can I have a drumroll please?









At #1 is....... "The Avengers"!!!!!!!!!!




Poster of "The Avengers" taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(2012_film)

Words cannot explain how much I enjoyed watching this movie. Released on May 4th, Director Joss Whedon, who also wrote the engaging screenplay, presents this much-anticipated culmination of the Marvel Comics Universe. The action starts right at the film's beginning, when the villainous Norse god Loki, devilishly played by Tom Hiddleston, invades the government spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. To steal the sacred artifact known as the Tesseract; an energy source capable of opening portals to worlds beyond our universe. Loki's acquisition leads to the very desperate S.H.I.E.L.D leader Nick Fury, played fiercely by Samuel. L. Jackson, to call together a group of super-powered individuals to protect the world from total destruction. This leads to perhaps the best crossover event that I have ever seen in an action film. It is great seeing all the superheroes who have headlined the films in the Marvel Comics Universe. Robert Downey Jr. returns to play the scientist-philanthropist known as Tony Stark; who, when donning a metallic body-suit capable of great power, is known as “Iron Man.” Chris Evans reprises the role of Steve Rogers (aka “Captain America”); a World War II veteran who was injected with super-serum that enabled him to possess great speed and strength. Also called upon is Mark Ruffalo's Dr. Bruce Banner, a scientist who, after getting exposed by gamma radiation following an experiment, is able to transform into the powerful monster known as “Hulk” whenever angered. And soon, the group is joined by Chris Hemsworth's Norse God Thor; the crowned prince of Asgard and the adoptive brother of Tom Hiddleston's Loki. What follows is an adventure rich in action, emotion, and even some humor. Watching all the heroes meet and interact with each other is a delight; thus resulting in the whole group possessing great chemistry. And best of all, every character gets the chance to have plenty of screen time and contribute memorable moments. Last seen in 2010's “Iron Man 2”, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark shines brightly; as the protagonist must now understand that he's a member of a team and not working solo. Downey Jr. shines brightly as his character; speaking his dialogue with poker-faced refinement. Chris Evans portrays the dutiful Steve Rogers for the first time since his 2011 origin film. Evans speaks his lines with keen determination and enables his protagonist to be a strong leader for the team of heroes. Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor for the first time since his introductory film in 2011; the one member of the team who knows just exactly what Loki is capable of; and he wants to reason with his adoptive brother about putting an end to the chaos that he ultimately releases. Furthermore, Mark Ruffalo bestows a genuine performance as Dr. Bruce Banner; who is trying to control his anger in an effort to not attack his teammates. Ruffalo imparts a sharp portrayal of Banner; leading the audience to hold onto their seats in anticipation that he will suddenly turn into the “Hulk.” And when he does, just the sight of the powerful being is enough to get the audience excited.

And just as I previously said, every character in “The Avengers” gets memorable moments and sequences. Even Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner, who portray “Avengers” teammates and expert S.H.I.E.L.D agents “Black Widow” and “Hawkeye” respectfully, get their fare share of scenes two. Renner's “Hawkeye” is sharp with an arrow and possesses good chemistry with Scarlett Johansson's on-screen persona. Johansson enables her on-screen persona to be a dedicated fighter as well as having a strong sense of humanity. In addition, Tom Hiddleston turns in a devilish turn as Loki; who hatches a diabolical plan to attempt to tear the “Avengers” apart. Unfortunately for him, the team ultimately put aside their many differences and work together.

And this is why I love Joss Whedon's “The Avengers.” The whole movie is about working together. All of these individuals, while all possessing great skills and abilities, are only truely powerful when they work together. At first, all the groupmembers aren't keen on working together; leading to an exciting confrontation scene between the characters that truly gains effects thanks to the cast's performances. However, when genuinely realizing what they are up against and that the fate of the world is at stake, the group knows just what they have to do: stop Tom Hiddleston's Loki; who is ultimately able to utilize the power of the tesseract to unleash evil onto the Earth. And in turn, the audience is treated to a climax is rich in excitement. In short terms, Joss Whedon's “The Avengers” is an overall good time for all to watch and My Favorite Film of 2012!!!!

So, there you go. These are my Top Ten Films of 2012. These are the films that I will remember the most from the past twelve months. And I am happy to have viewed them all. I am happy to have shared them all with you and I look forward to hearing your thoughts as well as your own list of favorite films from the past year. Feel free to post your own lists; as I would enjoy hearing your feedback. I thank you all for reading and I look forward to reviewing in 2013. So Happy New Year to All and here's to 2013!