Focus - B

Rated R, 105 minutes
Wes's Grade: B

Crowd-pleasing, slick heist movie "Focus" isn't perfect, but brings Smith back to form and gives us more of Robbie

"Focus" is an enjoyable romantic heist film that much like its lead character played by Will Smith, is so slick, charming and entertaining, you quickly find yourself under their spell without fully realizing you've been had. It also returns Smith to some of the crowd-pleasing movies he made in the 2000s, and shows us more of a wonderful, breakout leading lady who's bound for Smith-like superstardom. Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is a seasoned con-man who has a quick fling with the attractive Jess (Margot Robbie); and introducing her to the tricks of his con man trade. Three years later, they find each other in Buenos Aires on the opposing side of the same scam: a billionaire international race car owner (Rodrigo Santoro). In the midst of Nicky's latest, most dangerous scheme, she throws his plans for a loop...and the consummate con man off his game. "Focus" is co-directed and written by the filmmaking team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who made such movies as "Crazy, Stupid Love" and "I Love You Phillip Morris" is a glossy, entertaining con movie that's a great deal of fun in the right moment, though it's not as smart or original as it thinks it is, mainly because it's inherently sexist and is often so improbable it'll make you laugh (such as the over-the-top football betting sequence mid-film). The chief highlight is the sexy Smith-Robbie chemistry; Smith, who can be a great actor when he's not so self-aware and smart-alecky, is solid and even restrained in a typical role for him, though its Robbie who steals the movie (so memorable as Leonardo DiCaprio's wife in "The Wolf of Wall Street"), a flawless, confident Australian beauty the camera clearly loves and who brings some much-needed humanity to the proceedings as his watch-loving protege. This is a breakout role clearly designed to further her stardom (she has shadings of a young Angelina Jolie), even if her "Focus" character could've been more coy and sly and even stronger; also memorable are two character actors, Gerald McRaney, and the portly Mexican actor Adrian Rodriguez, both of whom get some of the better lines as two of Nicky's more colorful colleagues. The sharper first half, when Smith teaches Robbie some of the tricks of the trade, is far more memorable than the slightly unfocused (sorry I couldn't resist) Buenos Aires half, including a silly, twisty climax that seems pulled out of the hat at the last minute. The crowd-pleasing yet highly calculated "Focus" is sort of Will Smith's comeback movie, but it really proves this may be the year of Margot Robbie, a name you should get used to hearing a lot in 2015.

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 - D-

Rated R, 93 minutes
Wes's Grade: D-

Pointless, excessively dumb "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" lacks the charms of the original

Well maybe the first one was a fluke. The 2010 hit comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine" was loose, crude and nonsensical fun, the pointless, excessively dumb "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" has nowhere to go, and it's missing John Cusack, who was wise enough to steer clear of this mess. 10 years after the first movie, Nick (Craig Robinson) and Lou (Rob Corddry) have enriched themselves financially - Nick by ripping off music, and Lou ripping off technology. When he is shot at a party, Nick and Jacob (Clark Duke) use the time traveling hot tub to try to get back to the past to learn who shot him and undo the damage, but they inadvertently end up ten years in the future, coming across Adam Jr. (Adam Scott) and doing more harm than good. Delivered by the team that brought the first "Hot Tub" to life, director Steve Pink and writer Josh Heald can't capitalize on the charms on the first one, and it runs out of steam and any novel ideas very early on, and you realize if you've seen the trailers for the movie, then you've pretty much seen the best parts of the movie. Robinson has the only mildly funny scene to open the movie, a cover of Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)" followed by a cameo from Loeb herself; the "The Nerd Song" the guys sing to Duke's character is ingratiating as well, though its tag line could essentially be an anthem for the film itself: "and no one loves you, and no one loves you." "Hot Tub 2" so terribly written and full of so many dumb, confusing plot holes I just couldn't buy into it, not to mention it wastes the talents of many, including "Parks and Recreation's" Scott, who looks so woeful in that manskirt, intended to be a sight gag until he wears it most of the movie. Really unfortunate is that a charming actor like Robinson could be stuck in this dreck, though hardly surprising for the vastly overrated Duke (I've always termed him the 'other Josh Gad') or Corddry (who's better on his Emmy-winning TV comedy series "Children's Hospital"), both of whom are so grating it makes the film just hard to watch. The awful and awfully dumb "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" is a forgettable waste of time yet it inexplicably leaves it open to another sequel, but it does answer one question, at least you know what Christian Slater is up to, he appears in the film's unfunniest, cringe-worthy segment. Not worth it, rent the original instead.

MacFarland USA - C

Rated PG, 129 minutes
Wes's Grade: C

Uplifting underdog story "MacFarland USA" falters with Costner, Disney 

"MacFarland USA" is an uplifting true-story sports underdog film that Disney seems to enjoy making, though the crucial miscasting of Kevin Costner (note: he's much too old for the part) and Disney's own confusing, heavy-handed branding throw off what an otherwise affecting story. The movie follows coach Jim White (Costner) and his wife (Maria Bello), whose job-hopping leads him to a predominantly Latino high school in 1987 where he struggles to find common ground until he notices his students' exceptional running ability and forms a fledgling team of unlikely runners who bond to build a championship cross-country team and an enduring legacy. Directed by Niki Caro ("Whale Rider") and co-written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson, "MacFarland USA" is a predictable, enjoyable trifle of a sports movie whose path tends to go exactly as you might expect. Disney's marketing and branding departments should be faulted for adding "USA" to the title, when it really has no bearing on the story not one bit and is really used to falsely promote the film as a slice of sports Americana, when it's really the exact opposite, and is occasionally an insightful look at the plight of Mexican-American families struggling to make their way in the U.S, with solid turns from all the unknown Hispanic actors playing the runners. As for Costner, he's good too, but he's much too-old for the part and looking even older than the now-retired coach shown over the credits with some of the real runners depicted in the movie (this coach would've been much younger in 1987). The heartfelt "MacFarland USA's" story is a worthy one, even if Disney probably has many more like this one in their back pocket at any time, just don't chant "USA, USA" as they want you to do here.

The DUFF - C+

Rated PG-13, 101 minutes
Wes's Grade: C+

Charming but predictable "The DUFF" is no mean girl: it pulls few punches

The charming but unoriginal teen comedy "The DUFF" is a predictable piece of fluff that pulls very few punches, but it's so darn likable it just might win you over. Definitely geared toward the younger set, who'll appreciate it the most, it reminded me a lot of the now classic 2004 teen movie "Mean Girls," which most of the target audience won't know, though in fact I wish it had been a little meaner. Content high school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) is shattered when she learns she is 'The DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). She enlists the help of Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself and to save her senior year from turning into a total disaster and overthrow the school's ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne). Directed by Oscar-winner Ari Sandel (who won for his 2006 short "West Bank Story") and written by Josh Cagan, "The DUFF" is an engaging, calculated teen comedy that's hardly surprising - just a quick look at the ads or trailers and you might easily figure the plot out - but it comes with a good heart, a good message and good-enough dose of the always funny Emmy-winning Allison Janney in a small part as the title character's Mom. In spite of its lackluster script, "The DUFF" should have no trouble winning over the teens this is made for and the two leads, Whitman and Amell, are both likable, though it's evident that they, along with most of the other young adults, are youngish-looking twentysomethings playing the teen part (as the old saying goes about this, there were never teens that looked this good at my school) to the point in my head I had it that the good girl was Ellen Page and the popular girl was Jessica Chastain, which helped me make it through this a little better. The good thing is: Janney's always a tart, and throw in "Community's" Ken Jeong as the resident funny teacher, which helps you to withstand some of the more obvious plot twists. I appreciated the message of not labeling everyone, but ironically it's exactly what "The DUFF" does with its stereotypical, cardboard characters and predictable plotting that seems to meander from one episode to the next; some of the bland young girls could've been easily interchanged without notice, and the romance is an easy set up from its first frames. "The DUFF" has a few fun moments as Ellen Page and Jessica Chastain go at each other, but it would've probably worked better on the small screen, say over at ABC Family.

My Oscar Predictions

Here are my current predictions for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, or the Oscars, broadcast on ABC-TV next Sunday, February 22nd. These may be subject to change before the awards.

Best Picture: Birdman
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Best Original Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Imitation Game
Best Cinematography: Birdman
Best Costume Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Editing: Boyhood
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Score: The Theory of Everything
Best Song: Glory, from Selma
Best Sound Editing: American Sniper
Best Sound Mixing: Whiplash
Best Visual Effects: Interstellar
Best Animated Feature: Big Hero 6
Best Documentary Feature: Citizenfour
Best Foreign Film: Ida
Best Animated Short: Feast
Best Documentary Short: Crisis Hotline
Best Live Action Short: The Phone Call

Fifty Shades of Gray - D

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson

Rated R, 124 minutes
Wes's Grade: D

Slick and dull, this love story is just "Fifty Shades of Meh"

The new romance "Fifty Shades of Grey" is prime example of a movie based on a shocking premise and an enormous amount of hype then comes up limp in execution. Neither shocking or titillating in any way, "Fifty Shades" is a vastly unsatisfying, boring love story, and those looking for a lot of action, well you'll be disappointed. The movie details a masochistic relationship between a college student named Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and a wealthy young businessman named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), whose desires for extreme intimacy pen from secrets in his past. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson ("Nowhere Boy"), written by Kelly Marcel and based on the worldwide, steamy bestseller of the same name by E.L James that threw millions of women into a tizzy yet was hardly a literary masterpiece, the slick but tedious "Fifty Shades of Grey" has some attractive leads but is mostly a limp, uninvolving affair that for a movie about S&M, has next to none in it, a remarkably tame event given its controversial premise. The glossy film sure does look good, but it lacks any twisted, playful fun and sheds very little light into Grey's backstory, and frustratingly so: "It's just the way I am!" is about as much as we get out of him, and he comes across as just a good-looking but depressed rich dude with an unusual hobby and special playroom. Dornan and Johnson (topless in many scenes, but that's about it) are both handsome enough, but the flavorless direction from Taylor-Johnson, who almost seems afraid of the source material, and the flat, redundant script from Marcel gives them little to do. There are a handful of mildly steamy, normal sex scenes, and the memorable Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden pops in a few minutes as Grey's adoptive mother, who seems much more fun to be around than her gloomy son. "Fifty Shades'" climax, a silly "give it to me so I can understand you more" type of thing, disappoints much more than you'd expect. "Fifty Shades of Grey" will do big business the first week out of curiosity seekers, but it should fall off heavily when word gets out what a crashing bore it is. Granted, this is a mainstream film with careful editing and discreetly handled camerawork needed to keep its R rating, and on that note, if you're looking for more excitement, you're better off renting some porn.

Kingsman: The Secret Service - B-

Rated R, 129 minutes
Wes's Grade: B-

Charming, energetic "Kingsman" is glad to have Firth as its lead spy

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a charming, peppy spy action comedy film that effectively blends James Bond and the MTV set and is fast-paced, often terrific fun, even if it's also overlong and predictable. Guys, put this on your list to see, either alone or after you're fifty shades of blue in the face after seeing that movie with your certain someone. The movie tells the story of a veteran secret agent (Colin Firth) in a top-secret British organization known as the Kingsman, who leads a young protégé (Taron Egerton) into the world of espionage and leading the charge against a technology tycoon (Samuel L. Jackson) who promises to change the world, and not in a good way. "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is directed and co-written by Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass" and "X Men: First Class") and is loosely based on a comic book by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, should be at least a modest hit whether or not you fit into the fanboy crowd. The cast and some enjoyable action set pieces will keep you engaged throughout, which is nice considering this is an original film, though some of it's flawed. The talented cast, particularly Firth and newcomer Egerton, a British TV actor, are most memorable and sharing some nice spy teacher-student moments, and Oscar-winner Michael Caine and character actor Mark Strong deliver memorable supporting turns. Then there's Jackson, he's good but a casting choice that doesn't really work here: if you've seen the trailers you know by now he's the villain and has a distracting lisp, which is an unexplained and unfunny joke (at a recent screening, you could hear unintentional laughs each time he spoke) that is mostly just an annoyance. As for the plot, it's preposterous and entertaining and lacks the complexity of a Bond or le Carre; as fun as they are, the movie spends too much of the first act in the training sequences, rather than delving into what could've been an interesting backstory (and explaining that annoying lisp) of Jackson and his assistant Gazelle (the lovely Sofia Boutella), who is admittedly cool with her bionic steel legs she won't hesitate to cut you with. In addition, the climax goes on about 10 minutes too long, filled with some redundancies (lots of blood and bullets) and a few calculated plot twists. Even with its flaws, the winning "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a serviceable action spy movie that works because of the charm of Firth, who's dashing as ever and can maneuver a special umbrella quite effectively, along with some of the busy special effects, blood (there's quite a bit for a spy film, hence the R rating) and gadgets that fill the movie and will certainly please the guys, who'll see this film sometime after Valentine's Day and the fifty shades of whatever finally dies down.