Summer Catch-Up Blitz

Sometimes I don't get around to seeing a movie until well into its release, at which point I generally figure most people who were particularly interested have already seen it and moved on, so I don't feel the posting of a full review is necessary.  However, for the sake of completion, here I'll fill in on those films from the Summer 2013 season in an efficient, brief manner.

MUD  (Adventure/Thriller), Directed by Jeff Nichols, Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon and Sam Shepard
PG-13 for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking.
Three and a Half out of Four Stars
This Mark Twain-inspired coming-of-age adventure set on the banks of the Mississippi River where two young boys agree to help a fugitive reunite with his "true love" is occasionally a tad cryptic and distant, but is mostly a gripping and flavorful piece with beautiful, rustic scenery, and an excellent performance by McConaughey, whose recent return to darker, more complex independent roles has proven to be very fruitful.

NOW YOU SEE ME  (Mystery/Thriller), Directed by Louis Leterrier, Starring Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Melanie Laurent
PG-13 for language, some action and sexual content.
Two and a Half out of Four Stars
The story of the "Four Horsemen," in this case, a troupe of illusionists who pull off elaborate heists in the midst of their performances, is truly bizarre at times, as they follow instructions from a mysterious benefactor, and hit-and-miss director Leterrier can't add much substance to the material, but the set-ups, flashy spectacle and performances all have an electric energy that sucks the viewer in anyway, if loosely and in purely an escapist sense.  The interrogations, as highlighted in the advertising, are especially witty and entertaining.

THE HEAT  (Action Comedy), Directed by Paul Feig, Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy
R for pervasive language, strong crude content and some violence.
Two and a Half Stars out of Four
THE HEAT is a film with simple desires; it is a buddy cop film that switches out the gender of its main characters.  Sandra Bullock is FBI Special Agent Ashburn, a straight-laced overachiever up for promotion, whose showy precision gets on the nerves of her co-workers, while Melissa McCarthy plays Boston Police Detective Mullins, a foul-mouthed loose cannon.  The two are forced together on the case of a new drug lord, and clash at first and need to come to terms with each other.  Obviously, it's a very standard formula, but the real point is pairing together Bullock and McCarthy, who provide plentiful laughs, with McCarthy predictably coming out in the lead.  Occasionally the weak script shows through when the gag rate slows, and the two-hour running time is much too long, but overall, it's            enjoyable fare.

DESPICABLE ME 2  (Family Animated/Comedy), Directed by Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud, Featuring the Voices of Steve Carell, Kristin Wigg and Benjamin Bratt
PG for rude humor and mild action.
Two and a Half Stars out of Four
Confession time: I am not among the numerous fans of the DESPICABLE ME-brand.  I don't actually hate it, but I think it's terribly overrated, especially the Minions, which I think are based in an overly broad sense of slapstick humor.  Even still, while not busting a gut, I did think the sequel had some pretty funny moments.  While the original had a mostly formulaic story, the sequel is very thin on plot altogether, but the fact that it's funnier made it a more enjoyable experience for me than the first.