Now Playing

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Ant Man
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, and Corey Stoll
Synopsis: Call it superhero fatigue, but now when I see another comic book movie roll out I feel a little burned out. "Ant Man" is the final release in Marvel's Avengers Phase Two, meaning it's part of a sprawling cinematic world. It's a hero story that's not an incredible big part of our cultural moment, and in the film we have to have an origin story, build on the world, introduce these characters, and connect them to the larger story. In fact, even prior to "Ant Man" bowing in theaters, these characters have been filming spots in the third "Captain America" film. That's a lot of pressure, and a lot to accomplish. If you're already invested in the characters and the world, you can absorb all the Marvel Cinematic Universe servicing that happens. But in a story like "Ant Man," where you're trying to get into these characters, it serves as a bit of a distraction. They tried to sell this movie like it's a heist movie that features a unique hero. That's sometimes true. There is also a strong comedic sense, which helps. Rudd, Lilly, Douglas, and Michael Pena are fun to watch together. The film is entertaining and hits all the beats. But with such a saturated market, there's not enough here to be compelling on its own. This movie is just OK. I'm sure we'll get more, and Ant Man will be a part of these other Marvel movies, but  at some point it's just becoming too much. This feels like a movie going through the motions in some way, and that becomes tedious.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Trainwreck
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, LeBron James, Colin Quinn, and Brie Larson
Synopsis: Amy Schumer is having a moment. Her sketch comedy series — “Inside Amy Schumer” — has never been more popular. She got a host of Emmy nominations. Her comedy specials are soaring. And now her original movie — which she wrote and stars in — got a nice summer release. Summer is a great season for outlandish, adult comedies. Each year there’s hidden gems and movies that come out of nowhere to make us laugh. “Trainwreck,” which boasts a stellar cast and a great trailer, seemed to be the next entry on that list. But when you watch the film, while there are plenty of funny moments, it doesn’t quite gel together as you might expect. That combined with its length — clocking in at over two hours — create a challenge for the finished product, despite the popularity and talent of its star. The bones of a great comedy are here. It’s something you see in the trailer, too. Hader and Schumer are talented, and the rest of the cast is great, too. This character — and this story — don’t feel completely unique, but they feel real and interesting. But something happens in telling the story — between dragging at times and hitting the familiar beats of a romantic comedy — that derail it in a way. Schumer is paired in this film with director Judd Apatow, who’s delivered some iconic comedies but is often noted for delivering films that are overly long. That’s a big part of the problem here. If the film was paired down — say 30 minutes shorter — I think it would work better and punch up some of the material. Part of that comes from the fact it’s easy to see where this story is going. There are some interesting beats and funny moments, but at some points you just want the movie to hurry up and get to where you know it’s going. That includes toning down some of the celebrity cameos that after a fashion, just feel like name-dropping without a real purpose. That being said, the best thing in the film is LeBron James, who is a revelation as an actor. He recently got a development deal, and while I don’t know if he can really carry a film or TV show on his own, he was incredible as a version of himself in this film. It probably helps that he’s primarily working opposite Hader, who is such a great natural comedian that he makes every sequence better. But I was surprised at how natural LeBron seemed in the film, and how strong his comedic timing seemed to be. That was my favorite part of the film — particularly his one-on-one scenes with Hader. “Trainwreck” is an entertaining film and it’s an amusing film, but it fails to be a great film. The potential was there, but it just doesn’t come together in the end. Schumer is a budding star, but I couldn’t help but feel this film needed tighter editing.
Rating: R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, July 24 — "Southpaw," "Pixels," "Paper Towns," "The Vatican Tapes"

Wednesday, July 29 — "Vacation"

Friday, July 31 — "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation"