Written by: Kevin Berge
Quick Take: Long Shot has the humor to match up to some of best romantic comedies while also taking a fresh perspective that is driven by more than a bit of political commentary. It manages to utilize its talented leads well and mostly avoid the typical gross-out humor that Seth Rogen is best known for.
Quick Take: Missing Link may not match up to the high bar that Laika has set with their recent animated films, but it is still a touching and engaging tale about shared difference that feels well suited to appeal to all ages groups.
Quick Take: Missing Link may not match up to the high bar that Laika has set with their recent animated films, but it is still a touching and engaging tale about shared difference that feels well suited to appeal to all ages groups.
Some casting director must have seen something that I don't when they paired Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen and thought it was the perfect marketing couple for a romcom. (Image Courtesy of: mashable.com)
Long Shot
I never know what to expect from a film featuring Seth Rogen. He has a tendency to sign on to films that allow him to be as weird as possible, so it was odd to see him in a leading role in a fairly straight forward romantic comedy about the first female president and her oddball romance.
Long Shot comes out at a time when strong political statements feel easy to make. We need more change and growth in the American political structure, and Long Shot dives into this to some extent though it doesn't seem to keen on stretching any boundaries.
More than anything, this is a sweet romance about an oddball writer and an idealist politician. Rogen and Charlize Theron are good in the roles even if they have next to no chemistry, and they have great material to work with thanks to the sharp writing of Dan Sterling (The Interview) and Liz Hannah (The Post).
Director Jonathan Devine (Warm Bodies) has also shown over the years that he works well with movies like this, taking a memorable twist with a familiar genre. While this isn't a film that is going to get much attention critically or commercially long term, it feels well suited to satisfy any viewer.
I do wonder though if it might have wanted to take more chances in its storytelling. A few throwaway lines about it being hard to be a woman in politics do not feel like a satisfying attempt to truly dive into the current political climate.
I'll take a well written romcom that taps into what makes the genre work over an unwieldy attempt at political commentary, but I think a balance could have been struck that would have taken this solid movie and pushed it into a wider conversation.
Long Shot comes out at a time when strong political statements feel easy to make. We need more change and growth in the American political structure, and Long Shot dives into this to some extent though it doesn't seem to keen on stretching any boundaries.
More than anything, this is a sweet romance about an oddball writer and an idealist politician. Rogen and Charlize Theron are good in the roles even if they have next to no chemistry, and they have great material to work with thanks to the sharp writing of Dan Sterling (The Interview) and Liz Hannah (The Post).
Director Jonathan Devine (Warm Bodies) has also shown over the years that he works well with movies like this, taking a memorable twist with a familiar genre. While this isn't a film that is going to get much attention critically or commercially long term, it feels well suited to satisfy any viewer.
I do wonder though if it might have wanted to take more chances in its storytelling. A few throwaway lines about it being hard to be a woman in politics do not feel like a satisfying attempt to truly dive into the current political climate.
I'll take a well written romcom that taps into what makes the genre work over an unwieldy attempt at political commentary, but I think a balance could have been struck that would have taken this solid movie and pushed it into a wider conversation.
Grade: B
How does Laika not stand out more? Look at this animation style. It's so... ugly? Fascinating? It's at least memorable. (Image Courtesy of: theatlantic.com)
Missing Link
Laika has quietly risen up the ranks as an animation studio in recent years with fantastic works like Kubo and the Two Strings and Coraline. However, it still feels like the studio is being treated as a secondary competitor with Pixar Studios, Walt Disney Animations, and DreamWorks dominated the scene.
This is likely why Missing Link felt like it flew so far under the radar. It was barely noticed that this film came out at a time when 2019 was still lacking for genuinely affecting movies. With Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, and Zoe Saldana all in featured roles, it had the star power.
Unlike other Laika productions though, Missing Link likely is not going to be talked about for years to come. It is honestly fairly bland with humor that does not always land and a central plot that is more than a bit contrived.
However, I would still recommend most give this movie a watch. It is genuinely emotional at times. The three central characters have a great relationship. Moreover, it is well suited to speak to younger audiences on the problematic tendency of those in power to detest change.
It does so in a somewhat ham-fisted manner with villains that are over the top to the point of being unremarkable, but it is consistent in its focus. Everyone gets a moment to shine, and many will appreciate the way the themes are handled.
I wish Missing Link was better as much as I wish Laika was better recognized among the giants of the industry. However, I am happy to get movies like this that are light and easy viewing at a time when I am still waiting for more quality films.
This is likely why Missing Link felt like it flew so far under the radar. It was barely noticed that this film came out at a time when 2019 was still lacking for genuinely affecting movies. With Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, and Zoe Saldana all in featured roles, it had the star power.
Unlike other Laika productions though, Missing Link likely is not going to be talked about for years to come. It is honestly fairly bland with humor that does not always land and a central plot that is more than a bit contrived.
However, I would still recommend most give this movie a watch. It is genuinely emotional at times. The three central characters have a great relationship. Moreover, it is well suited to speak to younger audiences on the problematic tendency of those in power to detest change.
It does so in a somewhat ham-fisted manner with villains that are over the top to the point of being unremarkable, but it is consistent in its focus. Everyone gets a moment to shine, and many will appreciate the way the themes are handled.
I wish Missing Link was better as much as I wish Laika was better recognized among the giants of the industry. However, I am happy to get movies like this that are light and easy viewing at a time when I am still waiting for more quality films.
