The Good Place Season 2 Develops Character In The Afterdeath!

The Good: Very funny, Good performances, Interesting themes, Decent character development
The Bad: Unfortunately short season, Some repetitive moments
The Basics: The Good Place Season 2 manages to reinvent itself successfully to progress its characters through a short, but wonderful, second season!


There are very few shows that I can think of that had more pressure to perform and surprise audiences in their second season than The Good Place. It was a tough thing to write a review of the first season of The Good Place (reviewed here!) without spoiling the end; it is impossible to write a review of the second season without discussing the end reversal. In my review of the first season, I worked hard not to spoil the end, but I alluded to how the first season works like a movie that if I even mentioned could spoil the first season. That film was The Usual Suspects (reviewed here!) and, like that, The Good Place Season 1 features an untrustworthy narrator. That put a huge burden on the second season of The Good Place as it forced the show to completely reinvent itself or risk simply doing the same thing a second time.

In its second season, The Good Place takes the tough road of reinvention and it manages to succeed, making an even better second season than the first.

Almost immediately, The Good Place Season 2 subverts expectations by revealing that the show will not simply be a reboot of the first season. Having revealed that Michael is actually tormenting the four protagonists of The Good Place, the rebooted experiment within Michael's Bad Place does not last the whole season . . . it does not even survive the season premiere! Over the course of the first episode, Eleanor's note from the first season finale allows her to quickly deduce the nature of the place in which she has found herself.

The Good Place Season 2 finds Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason in the afterdeath. There, they are tormented with the belief that they are in the Good Place, but the imperfections tip them off. On the 802nd attempt, Michael is extorted by Denise and Eleanor and Chidi retreat with Janet to Mindy St. Claire's. In the Medium Place, Eleanor and Chidi learn the true nature of their existence and return to the neighborhood. There, Michael confesses to his humans and works to convince them that they are all in the same boat. Reluctantly working with the coerced Michael, the group begin the 803rd attempt with their memories intact and a promise from Michael that he will try to find a way to sneak the quartet into the actual Good Place.

When Chidi begins to teach ethics to Michael, it creates in him an existential crisis. It does not take long, though, for him to revert to form. But continuing to work with Michael to force the demon to uphold his word, leads Michael to develop and grow. As he becomes invested in the group and their problems, he actually works to protect the humans from Sean and their impending doom!

The Good Place Season Two progresses wonderfully, without a sense of repetition that could have plagued the show. Instead of simply repeating the first season's plot for the entire season, The Good Place reinvents itself by smartly developing Michael. While the first season worked to evolve Eleanor to reveal a truth about the plot, the second season of The Good Place finds Michael and Janet evolving beyond their original parameters in surprisingly compelling ways. Janet and her impending self destruction forces the plot forward, but the threat to Michael blended with the menace from Vicki makes him make decisions that progress the twelve episodes forward in an intriguing and often-funny way.

For a better understanding of why The Good Place works as well as it does, it helps to understand the characters. The characters in the The Good Place Season 2 continue to be:

Eleanor Shellstrop - Dead and initially returned to Michael's experiment knowing that she doesn't belong and given the title of "Best Person" to encourage her to go off the rails, she uses the clue left from the prior loop to find Chidi. Almost constantly figuring out that the group is in the Bad Place, she always turns to Chidi for help and she begins to develop actual affection for him. She starts to develop actual romantic feelings for Chidi and actually turns to a tape she stole from Mindy St. Claire, which allows her to make a genuine appeal to the architects of the afterdeath,

Chidi Anagonye - Originally rebooted as the neighborhood's only man who has two potential soulmates, between whom he must choose, he is found by Eleanor almost immediately. It is the fact he always helps her that ultimately turns Eleanor toward Michael's plan. He acts as an ethical guide to Michael, Eleanor, Tahani and Jason, though he is tormented by Michael with the Trolly Problem. As Eleanor develops, Chidi starts to have feelings for her as well,

Tahani - Given a new identity with a tiny house and a short soulmate, she is miserable right away and gets drunk at the initial party. Tahani is a hold-out with Eleanor on Michael's plan until she has the epiphany of how truly horrible she was in life (by being shown how she died). When she is tormented by Denise with a party that is better than one she is throwing, she finds Jason's compassion surprisingly alluring and the two hook up. When Jason proposes to her, she finds herself in the surprising position of actually saying "yes,"

Jason Mendoza - Rebooted again as a silent monk, he is miserable with his platonic soul mate and works to get away from him. He turns to Janet for help and, at a low point for Michael, he figures out they are in the Bad Place! Still a complete idiot, he eagerly hooks up with Tahani. When that happens, he becomes more emotionally-complicated by feeling hurt by Tahani's shame about being in a relationship with him. When he learns that he was married to Janet in a previous incarnation, he tries to maintain his relationship with Tahani,

Janet - The interactive information system in The Good Place, she was stolen by Michael for his experiment and continues to adapt to the new stimuli she is presented with. She works around her programming by trying to keep the four humans happy (as opposed to servicing the demons in the community). Her programming begins to glitch when she acts as a therapist for Tahani and Jason. Her glitches begin to compound, which threatens the neighborhood, so she creates a mate for herself, which further complicates the neighborhood,

and Michael - The demon who is desperately trying to avoid "retirement" (in the form of eternal torment), he adopts a mindset of "if you can't beat them, join them" and teams up with his human subjects. Learning philosophy from Chidi starts to have a real effect on him and he develops compassion for the four people he has been tormenting. Working to keep his secret from Sean, constantly threatened by Vicki (Denise, the original "real" Eleanor), he starts to feel bad about how he treated Janet and how asking her to lie is affecting her program. When Sean recognizes his good work and he is promoted, he faces a genuine ethical dilemma that forces him to actually choose sides and face the consequences of his actions.

The Good Place allows Ted Danson to shine with a very different type of character than he has played before. Danson is funny and tormented as Michael and he plays that range well. When Michael is earnest and honest, Danson shines in a way that he often does not have the chance to play. Equally wonderful is William Jackson Harper, who plays Chidi. Harper is instantly watchable as he plays Chidi as more than simply conflicted and indecisive. When he has to play the teacher and has hints of an alternate self when he and Eleanor were romantically involved, William Jackson Harper shows off his chops in a way he did not in the first season. As the second season of The Good Place progresses, Harper becomes a delight to watch as he makes Chidi an exceptional balance of authoritative and deeply human in the most painfully flawed ways.

Against the probabilities of what comes from most network television shows, The Good Place manages to make a smart, strong second season that improves upon the first season and whose deepest flaw might be that it leaves the viewer wishing there were more of it!

For other works from the 2017 - 2018 television season, please check out my reviews of:
"Here I Go Again" - Legends Of Tomorrow
"Will You Take My Hand?" - Star Trek: Discovery
"True Colors" - The Flash
"Both Sides Now" - Supergirl
"Past Life" - Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Altered Carbon - Season 1
Grace And Frankie - Season 4
"Twice Upon A Time" - Doctor Who
The End Of The F***ing World - Season 1
The Orville - Season 1
The Punisher - Season 1
Inhumans - Season 1
Stranger Things - Season 2
Rick And Morty - Season 3
"Crisis On Earth-X, Part 2" - Arrow
Twin Peaks - Season 3 ("The Return")
Game Of Thrones - Season 7
The Defenders - Season 1
Friends From College - Season 1

8/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Well Worth The Second Viewing: The Good Place Season 1 Is Fun!

The Good: Funny beginning, Good performances, Decent plot development/use of tension
The Bad: Middle feels repetitive and changes to a very serious tone, Erratic character development
The Basics: Smart and well-developed, the first season of The Good Place does a generally good job of creating an original story of a bad person mistakenly sent to an afterdeath intended for good people.


When it comes to dramedies about the afterlife, the niche market has been dominated in the past by works by Bryan Fuller. Fuller created Dead Like Me (reviewed here!) and Pushing Daisies (season 1 reviewed here!), which were quirky shows that effectively blended comedy and drama and featured characters who had fantastic relationships with death. Fuller has been busy the past few years, working on Hannibal and then laying the groundwork of Star Trek: Discovery, which allowed Michael Schur to break into the niche with The Good Place.

The Good Place Season 1 is a dramedy about the afterdeath that has thirteen episodes and it is a season that begs to be watched at least twice. For a first season show with an original idea, The Good Place starts strong and develops well. While the show begins to feel a little repetitive in the middle of the season, the show moves toward a powerful and surprising climax; this is a show that leaves viewers guessing as to where it is going. As a film critic, being surprised by a show's arc is a big deal for me and The Good Place Season 1 has a set-up that implies something deeper is going on and when the show reveals its own truth in the first season finale, it appears to come out of nowhere, but make sense. As a result, viewers have an entirely different experience watching the first season of The Good Place the second time and the season holds up remarkably well!

Eleanor Shellstrop is dead. She finds herself immediately in the office of Michael in The Good Place, essentially the afterdeath for people who lived good and virtuous lives. At a town meeting of the neighborhood (made up of 322 good people), Michael tells everyone that their soulmates are in the community and When she is shown memories from her life, she realizes instantly that Michael has her confused with someone else. Eleanor confesses to Chidi, her soulmate, that there has been a mistake and he pledges to help her.

Chidi begins to teach Eleanor ethics after it appears Eleanor's negative thoughts violently manifest in the environment of The Good Place. After getting the neighborhood cleaned up, Eleanor is found out by someone else . . . Jason Mendoza, another resident who does not belong in The Good Place but has managed to pass as he poses as a monk who has taken a vow of silence. When Eleanor and Chidi become concerned that Jason might expose himself publicly, Eleanor inadvertently creates a sinkhole in the neighborhood's restaurant. The disaster brings Eleanor, Chidi, Jason and Tahani (Jason's soulmate and Eleanor's neighbor) closer together, but soon Michael realizes that something in the world he created does not belong and he enlists Eleanor to help him find the cause of the irregularities in his neighborhood.

The Good Place Season 1 is very well-constructed, much like a seasonlong version of . . . actually, there is an exceptionally good film analogy but right as I wrote it, I realized that saying it in a review of the first season would be pretty spoilerific. Check out my second season review for that because it will be impossible to discuss the second season of The Good Place without revealing what the reversal at the end of the first season is! As such, viewers who are wowed by where the first season of The Good Place ends will be able to rewatch the first season for clues to what they now know is actually going on. The delight of the second viewing of The Good Place Season 1 is that the writing, acting, and directing supports the ultimate reveal.

For a better understanding of the first season of The Good Place, it helps to understand the characters. The essential characters in the The Good Place Season 1 are:

Eleanor Shellstrop - Recently dead, she worked selling fake medicine to senior citizens and immediately realizes that she does not belong in The Good Place. She blames her terrible life on her divorced parents. She enlists Chidi to teach her ethics in order to become a better person so she might stay in The Good Place. Eleanor's subconscious begins to have an effect on the neighborhood and she is put in a bind when Michael asks her to he his assistant in finding the neighborhood's flaw. Chidi's ethics lessons begin to pay off and that leads Eleanor to take a drastic step that has profound and unexpected consequences,

Chidi Anagonye - Eleanor's assigned soulmate in The Good Place, he was an ethics professor in his life in Senegal. Almost immediately after meeting Eleanor and learning her truth, he develops a stomach ache. He begins teaching Eleanor ethics and finds himself most comfortable when doing that, as he rejects all of Michael's attempts to get him to take up another hobby. He is essentially good, but as he becomes more insecure and upset, he becomes more indecisive and he begins to pine for an actual soulmate,

Tahani - An arrogant former fundraiser, she instantly gets under Eleanor's skin. She has a mansion next to Eleanor's tiny home. She tries to organize the community and volunteers several of her peers to clean up the community after the storm. She talks constantly and is a raging egomaniac. When she realizes her soulmate is not who she thought he was, she begins to latch onto Chidi for emotional support,

Jianyu Li / Jason Mendoza - Tahani's soulmate, he was a Buddhist monk who is still observing a vow of silence. He quickly reveals to Eleanor that he, too, does not belong. In life, he was actually an amateur d.j. and douchebag who died while committing a crime. He has a little man cave and when Tahani finds it, it creates even more complications,

Janet - The interactive information system in The Good Place, she is able to provide information to the residents of the neighborhood. She is a neutral automaton that Jason begins to develop feelings for. She is the only one in the neighborhood who has the power to leave the neighborhood and journey to other places in the afterdeath. She is omniscient and somewhere in the neighborhood is a kill switch for her,

and Michael - The Architect of the neighborhood, this is his first attempt to make a neighborhood in The Good Place and he is the only architect who lives with his dead humans. He is thrilled by humanity and is looking out for the residents of the neighborhood. He is alarmed when his reality begins to fall apart and he tries desperately to hold the neighborhood together when it becomes clear that something does not belong in the community.

The Good Place stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson and Bell manages to embody one of her most unlikable characters of her career. Bell is hilarious when she plays Eleanor as an utter narcissist. Ted Danson manages to pull off a performance on par with . . . well, the lead actor in the movie that is a great analogy to the first season of The Good Place. Of the supporting performers, D'Arcy Carden rocks The Good Place with an amazing consistent deadpan that defines Janet.

The first season of The Good Place has moments in the middle that are tiresome to watch. Tahani is, essentially, a one-trick pony of a character. She is a raging narcissist who is sickly sweet and entirely false as she does good things with the goal of getting praise and recognition. Similarly, Jason is basically an idiot and near the middle of the season Chidi begins to develop to become paralytically indecisive. While Chidi's backstory is revealed to have indecision in his past, the early episodes have him making many snap decisions . . . which he becomes unable to make in the latter half of the season. William Jackson Harper plays Chidi well, but the character seems problematically rendered.

As well, the middle becomes somewhat repetitive and drawn out in the plotting. The episodes become bogged down in delaying characters telling the truth and waiting for the metaphorical shoe to drop starts to feel forced. Fortunately, the last few episodes manage to recover the momentum and move the show toward an exciting climax.

Ultimately, The Good Place Season 1 is a good addition to a rather narrow genre niche that is distinct and clever and it is quite enough to make viewers enthusiastic about rewatching the season and look forward to the second season.

For other works from the 2016 – 2017 television season, please check out my reviews of:
Twin Peaks - Season 3 ("The Return")
Doctor Who - Season 10
American Gods - Season 1
Glow - Season 1
Orange Is The New Black - Season 5
House Of Cards - Season 5
The Flash - Season 3
Supergirl - Season 2
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Season 3
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Season 4
Sense8 - Season 2
Dear White People - Season 1
Legends Of Tomorrow - Season 2
The Walking Dead - Season 7
Thirteen Reasons Why - Season 1
Grace And Frankie - Season 3
Iron Fist - Season 1
Love - Season 2
Santa Clarita Diet - Season 1
A Series Of Unfortunate Events - Season 1
One Day At A Time - Season 1
Travelers - Season 1
The OA - Season 1
Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life
"Invasion!" - Arrow
Luke Cage - Season 1
Stranger Things - Season 1

6/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Fable On Racism Gets PG Treatment: Zootopia

The Good: Moments of theme, Some good voicework, Decent animation
The Bad: Predictable reversals, Obvious character arcs, Troubling theme issues
The Basics: Disney's fable Zootopia is well-executed, even when it is obvious and there are issues with the theme.


When it comes to reviewing media works, one of the reasons so many people flock to the early reviews is that any interpretation one reads there is bound to be original. In fact, one of the dangers of reviewing older works - even those only a few months old like the Disney animated film Zootopia - is that a reviewer can find their interpretation of a movie to be one that is entirely derivative. Disney animated films are not my cup of tea all the time, but my wife is a big fan and tends to want to watch all of them - either in the theater or as soon as they hit Blu-Ray and DVD. As a result, I end up watching a lot of Disney movies, even if it is when they drop on DVD. In the case of Zootopia, rather than go too far into my own thoughts on the subject, because I encountered an interpretation of the film that truly hits the nail on the head, it behooves me to reference that instead of desperately trying to rephrase my shared thoughts on the film.

The interpretation of Zootopia that anyone reading reviews of the film ought to see is the "Honest Trailer" for the film. For those unfamiliar with them, "Honest Trailers" are videos produced by Screen Junkies and are humorous clips of a movie that rework the trailer as if the Truth In Advertising Laws applied to the film industry. As a result, Screen Junkies tends to strip away the hype that accompanies trailers - which tend to be loaded with the film's high points and elements that obscure the actual plot and character balance - and replace it with a substantive presentation of what the film is actually about. The "Honest Trailer" for Zootopia absolutely nails the true nature of the movie. In fact, Screen Junkies, in making humor and truth, exposes Zootopia for what it truly is: an animated film that attempts to explore racism and instead becomes something that is terribly racist in itself.

Zootopia is a classic fable - a story using animal characters intended to reveal deeper truths about people. Set in a fictional city called Zootopia, Zootopia features animal characters who live in peace and harmony, despite the fact that the city and its suburbs includes both predators and prey animals. Zootopia uses the diversity of animals in its setting to explore racial stereotypes and it is supposed to teach the viewer that racism is wrong. Unfortunately, Zootopia manages to simply reinforce racist stereotypes for the vast majority of the film. In a world where a young rabbit worries about running afoul of a fox out of ingrained fear that was passed down to her by her parents, that rabbit discovers that the first fox she meets is, in fact, a con man. Despite how they drive, the sloths are slow, the weasels are thieves, the desk sergeant at the police department is a fat, donut-eating glutton, and the polar bears are thugs for the mob, for example. While Zootopia never becomes nearly as offensive as Shark Tale (reviewed here!), it still falls drastically shy of actually confronting and combating racism.

Judy Hopps is a rabbit from Bunny Burrow who takes part in the Mammal Inclusion Initiative to graduate the police academy and get assigned to the animal paradise Zootopia, where predators and prey live together in harmony. Despite her parents' fear of the big city and foxes there who might menace Judy, Hopps heads off to the Zootopia where Chief Bogo assigns her to be a meter maid, as opposed to a beat cop like she was trained to be. Assigned to write 100 tickets a day, she rushes out and gives out 201 tickets before noon before she sees a fox, Nick Wilde. Wilde wants to buy an elephant pop for his son, but the elephant denies him service. Feeling guilty over prejudging Wilde, Hopps buys the fox the frozen dessert before she discovers that he is just running a scam. After parting ways with Wilde, Hopps chases a weasel suspect into Little Rodentia, which earns her the ire of Bogo. Returning to the Zootopia Police Department, she sees Mrs. Otterton trying unsuccessfully to get Bogo to pay attention to her missing person's report for her husband, Emmitt Otterton. Before she can stop him, Hopps volunteers to take the case and help the Ottertons and Bellewether, the deputy mayor, hears her before Bogo can get her off the case.

Chief Bogo challenges Hopps to close the case within 48 hours or quit the police force in disgrace. Looking over a picture of Emmitt Otterton, Hopps realizes that Wilde might be involved in the disappearance and hunts him down. While he is not involved, Hopps deputizes Wilde to help her with the search. The clues take the two to the DMV and then into mob-run Arctic Town. Their search takes them to the limo driver who drove Otterton and discovers that the driver, a jaguar, was attacked by Otterton. The pair makes the discovery right before the jaguar goes savage and attacks them. In the process of following the clues, Judy Hopps uncovers a massive conspiracy in Zootopia.

In many ways, Zootopia is a very typical political conspiracy thriller. The mystery is a medium for jokes about different races - in this case in the form of the various animals of Zootopia - and while it is a generally funny film, it never becomes a caper. Because the plot is a familiar one, the character arcs for Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are very predictable. The reversals in Zootopia are so obvious, they will only entertain children . . . children too young to understand the allegory of interethnic relationships that acts as a the heavy-handed subtext for the movie.

That said, Zootopia moves right along and looks very good. The animation is very well-rendered both for the character designs and the various settings of Zootopia. Zootopia features decent voice acting. Led by Ginnifer Goodwin as Hopps, Zootopia has an impressive cast. Wilde is played by Jason Bateman in a voice acting role that sounds nothing like his speaking voice or any other character he has played. In fact, Bateman sounds like he is doing an impression of Robert Downey Jr. the entire film. With a supporting cast including J.K. Simmons, Idris Elba, Nate Torrence, Shakira and Octavia Spencer, Zootopia features performances that are very expressive all-around.

Racism is a complex issue, but when a work wants to confront the issue well, the key is illustrating that stereotypes are inaccurate representations of a group of people. Zootopia does not do that. While it entertains, it falls dramatically shy of being substantive in the way it desperately seeks to attempt relevance.

For other works with Ginnifer Goodwin, please check out my reviews of:
Walk The Line
He's Just Not That Into You
Once Upon A Time - Season 1
Once Upon A Time - Season 2

7/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Finally! Princess Anna Is An Impressive, If Overpriced Ornament!

The Good: Great sculpted details, Coloring details, Balance
The Bad: No sound chip/feature, No collectible value
The Basics: The 2015 "Princess Anna" ornament from Frozen is a nice addition to the Hallmark ornament line, even if it was vastly overpriced.


Last year, the year that I reviewed the most Hallmark ornaments yet, I made a number of predictions. One such prediction was that the 2015 Princess Anna ornament would be the dud of the Disney Hallmark ornament line. I found some that had poor paint jobs and it was put on sale at a couple of local Hallmark shops well in advance of the end of the season. And the Princess Anna ornament did not have a sound function like the "Let It Go" Frozen ornament (reviewed here!). I, sadly, bet on the "Let It Go" ornament even though the 2015 Princess Anna ornament was the first ornament of that character, while the "Let It Go" ornament was the second Elsa ornament. Given that my local Hallmark store still has a pile of "Let It Go" ornaments accompanying the 2016 releases, I am forced to admit that I was wrong. Despite that, though, the year has born out my belief that the Princess Anna ornament was vastly overpriced originally, as it can easily be found for 1/3 its original price even now!

For those unfamiliar with Frozen (reviewed here!), Princess Anna was the sister of the magically-endowed Queen Elsa. When Elsa flees, the princess went in search of her. It is Princess Anna, looking whimsical, on her own, that is the subject of the 2015 Princess Anna ornament.

The ornament was one of the very few ornaments produced for the October release and had an original release price of $14.95.

Basics

The "Princess Anna" ornament recreates Princess Anna as she appeared in Frozen, though not from a specific scene or iconic moment. The ornament, released in 2015, is a pretty wonderful sculpt of Princess Anna. Princess Anna is instantly recognizable as a Disney princess in her dark blue skirt and magenta wrap with big eyes and a huge smile.

Measuring three and one-half inches tall, one and one-half inches wide and one inch deep, the "Princess Anna" ornament is more petite than most of the other Disney Princess character ornaments. Given that she is smaller, but had an original release price on par with other, slightly larger Disney ornaments, it feels very overpriced and is no surprise that more sold on clearance or sale than at its regular, full, price.

The Hallmark "Princess Anna" ornament is made of a durable plastic and has Princess Anna, arms behind her back looking anything but like a royal, with a full smile on her face. The ornament is sculpted accurately and gets the look of Princess Anna perfectly right! She has her braided hair draped over her shoulders and her head is turned so she is looking over that shoulder. The Princess Anna ornament has the character with her feet turned out and a little nose. The sculpt is further accented by detailing on the dress bottom in the form of etched in flower and berry patterns, which are then accented by painted detailing.

The paint job on Princess Anna is generally good. Elsa’s skin tones are rendered in monotones and her hair is similarly solid-colored. That said, Hallmark included painted detailing on her eyebrows and they look good. As well, the ornament includes the one white lock of hair that Princess Anna had after Elsa accidentally hurt her as a child. Unfortunately, the paint job on the Princess Anna ornaments is not overly vibrant. The flowers on Princess Anna's skirts have very little contrast to the dark blue of the skirt. Princess Anna’s eyes, however, are perfectly rendered with bright blue irises and black pupils on the white eyeballs, so clearly Hallmark had the ability to do this ornament’s coloring right!

Features

As a Hallmark Keepsake ornament, "Princess Anna" could have a sound or light function, but it does not. Given Princess Anna sings in Frozen, it is disappointing that one of her big songs is not included as a sound clip the ornament can play!

Balance

As with all ornaments, the intent of the Hallmark Keepsake "Princess Anna" ornament is to be hung on a Christmas Tree. And for those creating the ultimate Disney movie Christmas Tree, the "Princess Anna" ornament is essential! The ornament has the standard steel hook loop embedded into the top center of Princess Anna’s head. From that position, the Princess Anna ornament hangs perfectly level.

Collectibility

Hallmark Keepsake began delving into the collectibles market in 1991 with Star Trek when it introduced the exceptionally limited edition original U.S.S. Enterprise ornament (reviewed here!). Within a few years, every major franchise from Star Wars to A Nightmare Before Christmas to Indiana Jones started making Hallmark ornaments. "Princess Anna" was the fifth Frozen ornament the company has released and one of several Disney ornaments on the market for 2015. This ornament was the only Princess Anna ornament released, but it never achieved popularity or market success. As a result, its value plummeted and even now in the secondary market it may be found easily for less than its original retail price.

Overview

Fans of Frozen, Disney, Princess Anna, and Hallmark ornaments are likely to forgive the lack of "pop" on the coloring for the 2015 Princess Anna ornament as long as they can find it inexpensively, making it a better-than-average ornament when found affordably.

For other Frozen Hallmark ornaments, please check out my reviews of:
2015 Olaf In Summer ornament
2014 Queen Elsa ornament
2014 Olaf Frozen ornament

7/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my Ornament Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Veronica Mars Comes Full Circle With The Film Continuation Of The Series!

The Good: Funny, Wonderful character development, Good acting, Engaging story/references
The Bad: Some underdeveloped threads, Much of the case hinges on a retcon that is unsatisfying.
The Basics: Surprisingly satisfying on its own, Veronica Mars progresses the story of the title character and Neptune, California in a compelling way.


From the moment it was first announced, there have been few films I have eagerly anticipated the way I have looked forward to Veronica Mars. In fact, the only reason it has taken me two weeks to watch and review the cinematic rendition of Veronica Mars is that I was going through the entire television series (reviewed here!) with my wife (who had not seen it before) (and in Michigan, it didn’t remain in theaters very long). Given the terrible and abrupt nature of the show’s series finale to Veronica Mars, the show made for a natural subject for a cinematic follow-up. Like Serenity (reviewed here!), Veronica Mars is based on a television series that had an uncommon level of complexity and a number of characters that could not be properly serviced in a single 107 minute film.

Fortunately for fans of Veronica Mars who might have been wary of a film based upon the fourth season presentation presented in the bonus features to the Season Three DVD set, the film Veronica Mars is a return to form . . . and Neptune, California. In fact, the film Veronica Mars makes a conscious choice to disavow the Season 4 Presentation as part of the Veronica Mars canon. Early in the film, Veronica details her nine years since she was last seen and it is a very different path – Stanford, then Harvard Law – than the FBI Academy. My big fear before watching Veronica Mars was that, with so many characters to service, they would gloss over most or try so hard to give everyone a fair amount of screentime that they would not tell a coherent narrative. Veronica Mars is a surprisingly balanced film, with only one of the primary characters from the series being given a truly underwhelming place in the film. Regardless, it did not feel like a film that was just a random collections of allusions to the television series or cameos by beloved characters from the series.

Living in New York City now, and having recently reconnected with Piz, Veronica Mars has gone nine years without taking a case. Instead, she is now interviewing at a prestigious New York law firm where she illustrates her resolve and lack of ability to be flustered when one of the partners brings up her sex tape from college while in the interview. Having pointedly ignored the pleas from Wallace and Mac to return to Neptune for their ten year high school reunion, Veronica Mars feels a tug to return to her hometown when a pop star she went to high school with is killed. The primary suspect is Veronica’s former boyfriend, Logan Echolls. Feeling like an addict, Veronica takes a call for help from Logan and leaves Piz in New York to help Logan find a good lawyer to represent him.

Arriving in Neptune, Veronica finds herself returning to many of her old ways. Logan is, despite the murder charges against him, a stand-up guy who has joined the military and flies missions over Afghanistan (and he looks damn good in his uniform when he meets Veronica at the airport). Wallace is now a teacher at Neptune High, Mac has taken a job for Kane Software and Dick is still Dick, spending his days surfing and screwing. Underwhelmed by the lawyers she meets, Veronica starts to help Logan develop his defense, which is finding a more compelling suspect than Logan. Investigating the murder itself, Veronica encounters the pop star’s number one fan (and another former-classmate of Veronica’s), Gia Goodman, and others from her past, including Madison Sinclair and Weevil. Digging into the relationships of those she left behind in Neptune brings to light a missing person’s murder from ten years ago and puts Veronica in the crosshairs of a killer looking to protect their interests and secrets.

Keith Mars is, fortunately, not neglected in Veronica Mars. He is given a subplot, with Weevil, that puts him at odds with the new Sheriff Lamb (Dan Lamb, Don Lamb’s brother). Sheriff Lamb is not only incompetent, he is outwardly corrupt and Neptune, California is a much darker place than it used to be. Gone is the bright veneer that covered the seedy underbelly of the filthy rich city and Keith Mars’s plotline in Veronica Mars reflects that.

First and foremost, Veronica Mars is a darker, more adult continuation of the characterlines from the television series. The big moments of Veronica Mars (the film) are violent and abrupt. This is a film with a body count, wounds, and some particularly gruesome and tense moments. But, it’s still Veronica Mars. As such, the film is packed with witty banter, tongue-in-cheek humor, and lovable moments that remind viewers just why they loved the television show upon which the movie was based. Most of the relationship moments satisfy as well. Wallace has grown, but still has loyalty to Veronica, Mac is dismayed with herself for having gone over to the Dark Side for cash, and Dick is as vacuous as ever (in fact, despite him being a reasonable suspect in the film’s backstory murder, during the inevitable exposition wrap-up of the backstory, the guilty party goes to sufficient lengths to exonerate Dick for any involvement). Piz is still rather white bread, Gia is still pretty shallow, and Logan and Veronica instantly have more chemistry than Veronica and Piz, so most of the pieces in play are familiar.

As one might suspect, the film Veronica Mars is largely about Veronica. The story is one that gives her a decent character arc. She was out of the private investigation business and, more than any of the influences exerted upon her by other characters, Veronica Mars is about her willing return to the lifestyle she has run away from. Thematically, Veronica Mars is largely about one young woman discovering her passion in life and realizing that the things and people once important to her were not necessarily self-destructive as they might have seemed.

In fact, the biggest gripes I had with Veronica Mars was how it fit in with the larger series, as opposed to anything within the film itself. That means that while those who might watch Veronica Mars will not appreciate the full depth and range of the allusions in the film, those who are attentive to details will find some aspects of Veronica Mars unsatisfying. I was less than enthused by the resolution of the Weevil character arc in the film, after initially being impressed by his character growth. But there are other details that the film inexplicably flubs. Chief among them is in the corrupt sheriff plotline. The television series “resolved” itself with an election between Keith Mars and Vinnie Van Lowe for sheriff of Neptune. The presumption, given the plot that preceded it, was that Keith would lose the election because of corruption charges that surfaced the night before the election. The problem, though, is that we see Veronica’s ballot: Keith and Vinnie are the only two people on the ballot. One of them must have been elected – Dan Lamb could not have become sheriff after that election. As a result, Vinnie’s place in the film (without any acknowledgment of his disastrous tenure as sheriff) makes painfully little sense.

As well, the murder plot in Veronica Mars hinges on an unsolved case . . . that was never once mentioned in the television series. Sometime between the second and third season of Veronica Mars, presumably, there was a boat trip that resulted in a death. It’s never mentioned before and the retcon case is an unfortunate contrivance for the film. In addition to forcing fans to believe in yet another young person killed at Veronica’s high school (so soon after Veronica’s tenacious pursuit of the bus crash victims) was part of a case that neither Veronica, nor Keith, pursued, the resulting case hinges largely on characters that the viewer is not invested in. Gia Goodman was only present in the show’s second season and was not particularly missed in the third; Logan is never treated as a viable killer in Veronica Mars, and Dick Casablancas continues to be such a hapless dupe that he is never believably a suspect. Thus, all the suspects are reliably among the newcomers to the film, which leaves the viewer without a real emotional tether to the crimes past and present.

That said, Veronica Mars has wonderful acting. Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Jason Dohring, Ryan Hansen and Chris Lowell each fall perfectly back into their old, familiar roles. Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, and Tina Majorino evolve their characters credibly to make their new personalities seem less abrupt and more plausible. Jerry O’Connell, Gaby Hoffmann, and Martin Starr blend well with the seasoned cast. Martin Starr is like he has never been before; he is downright creepy, with a dangerous quality to him that he’s not portrayed before. Starr gives one of the notable performances in Veronica Mars, even if some of his character’s arc is telegraphed by his performance.

Ultimately, Veronica Mars is well worth watching. It’s enough to please fans and get a whole new audience to pick up the television series. For a film that had such a public battle to get made at all, that is truly a mission accomplished!

For other works with Krysten Ritter, be sure to visit my reviews of:
She’s Out Of My League
Confessions Of A Shopaholic
27 Dresses
Gilmore Girls - Season 7
Veronica Mars - Season 2
Someone Like You

8/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Love Actually With Half The Charm, Cast, And Great Moments: Stuck In Love

The Good: Acting, Some good lines
The Bad: Very predictable plot and character arcs.
The Basics: Stuck In Love is an erratic romantic dramedy that has a family of writers and artists struggling to make sense of their lives after a divorce.


There are a number of different types of romantic comedies. I think the best ones tend to be romantic dramas, the dramedies with great lines, wonderful performances and interesting characters. I’m sure every writer aspires to create the next When Harry Met Sally . . . (reviewed here!) or Love Actually (reviewed here!), but in the world after the greats are written, it’s tough to make the next great romantic movie. Josh Boone’s attempt is Stuck In Love. Stuck In Love is more analogous to The Squid And The Whale (reviewed here!) than Love Actually.

To cut to the chase and eliminate all comparisons, Stuck In Love is a romantic dramedy that is plagued by being erratic and predictable. The film has some incredible highs which are muted by obvious seeding foreshadow elements that lead to the most predictable possible payoffs. The result is a film that is worth watching for about five truly incredible lines and character moments. They are, fortunately, spread out enough to not make the rest of the film entirely miserable, but Stuck In Love is not a satisfying film experience.

Bill Borgens, who is still obsessed with his ex-wife, gets together with his two children for Thanksgiving. His daughter, Sam, tells him that her novel is being published and Bill is upset when it is not the book that he helped her edit. Bill’s son, Rusty, is obsessed with a cute girl in his class, Kate. He spends Thanksgiving stoned, jealous of his sister and returns to school where he reads a poem in front of class that is obliquely about Kate, getting her attention. Rusty is also the only member of the family to visit Erica, Bill’s ex-wife, on Thanksgiving, but it is very awkward. Responding to his father’s advice, he pursues Kate to a party with a big bag of weed and discovers Kate is using coke. Rescuing her from her abusive boyfriend, they flee the party.

Over the course of the year that follows, the Borgens wrestle with the emotional issues that have plagued them since Bill and Erica divorced. Bill works to give up stalking Erica and his fuckbuddy Tricia helps get him registered on singles sites to get him dating again. Still, he clings to the hope of Erica returning. The jaded Samantha develops her first romantic relationship, with Louis. While Samantha steps out of her father’s literary shadow, she and Louis actually fall for one another. At the same time, Rusty works to be a good guy in Kate’s life to help her get off drugs. Events climax at Sam’s book release party when Kate gets champagne and falls off the wagon, sending the Borgens into a tailspin to find her . . . coming together in the process.

The revelation of why Bill is still obsessed with Erica is a remarkably satisfying moment in the film, but it comes almost too late for the viewer to care about or actually believe it. It is very hard to suspend one’s disbelief for a guy who claims to be still in love with his ex-wife, waiting for her to come back because his love and conviction are so strong, yet has casual (and athletic) sex with the neighbor down the street. Stuck In Love feels like a movie trimmed down for time; one line between Bill and Sam serves as the exit of Tricia from the narrative and the disappearance of Kristen Bell’s character from the story is somewhat abrupt. As one who has been rewatching Veronica Mars (reviewed here!), it’s hard not to see Bell’s Tricia as an unremarkable role for Bell, but how little she is in Stuck In Love makes one wish Josh Boone had found more to do with the character and actress.

In a similar way, the film’s resolution is entirely unsatisfying and completely undermines the relationship Erica and her husband, Martin, have. While audiences might cheer for the “happy” ending, to accept it, one has to completely neglect the idea that Erica has had a life of her own outside Bill and her children.

Greg Kinnear gives a solid, but familiar, performance as Bill Borgens. Jennifer Connelly, like Kristen Bell, is underused as Erica. Stuck In Love makes better use of its young cast. Lily Collins is unlike she has been in anything else in which I’ve seen her as the brassy, disillusioned Samantha. She and Logan Lerman have good on-screen chemistry and Collins sells Sam’s change of heart when her character starts looking for the classmate she never noticed before. Despite being cast to look a bit too much like Lerman’s character, Nat Wolff is decent as Rusty. Rusty is a somewhat understated role, but Wolff does well with it, with a casual body language that makes it realistic that a sensitive guy would take to heart his father’s advice to go out and live.

Ultimately, Stuck In Love is underwhelming with moments the viewer is likely to truly enjoy. The result is a movie worth watching, perhaps, once, but not much more than that.

For other works with Lily Collins, please visit my reviews of:
The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones
Mirror Mirror
Priest
The Blind Side

5/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

So Many Wonderful Actors Create Something Horrible: Movie 43

The Good: Moments of actual humor, Wonderful cast used fairly well.
The Bad: Drawn-out concept, No character development, An equal number of misses as hits
The Basics: Movie 43 is a sketch comedy film that pushes the envelope of good taste with drastically mixed results.


When it comes to comedy films, there are very few that live up to the hype for repeated viewings. When, during a first viewing, viewers find themselves bored or frustrated with the premise of the film, it does not bode well for the film’s longevity in the collective unconsciousness. Slapstick comedies especially suffer from the problem of having limited rewatchability, as do sketch comedy programs. So, last year’s star-studded film Movie 43 had two potential strikes against it before the movie even began. Despite having an incredible cast of classy actors, Movie 43 is little more than an extensive, R-rated episode of MadTV or Saturday Night Live.

Movie 43 trades on its extensive movie-star cast to try to fool viewers into believing they are watching something other than lowest common denominator humor for under an hour and a half. The film, which is loosely held together with a plotline of a failed writer trying to sell his first script to a movie studio executive at gunpoint, is filled with raunchy humor that frequently crosses the line of good taste.

Opening with Charlie Wessler pitching to Griffin Schraeder, Wessler tells stories that he thinks are supposed to be heartwarming and crowd-pleasing. The first is a blind date between a woman who is excited to go out with one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. Davis is rich, successful, single . . . and has a scrotum on his neck, which causes Beth quite a bit of discomfort to see during her dinner with him. That is followed by a couple talking with another couple about their homeschooled son. They tell their new neighbors all about how they haze their son and provide him with awkward high school-level first sexual experiences (which is beyond troubling to the neighbors and the audience). Then comes the “romantic comedy” pitch where a woman asks her boyfriend to poop on her and, after getting some advice, filling up on burritos and laxatives, he feels he needs to rush into meeting his girlfriend’s bizarre request.

The pitches continue with a young man working at a grocery store when the young woman who loves and loathes him comes in and the two give each other sexually explicit small talk . . . over the public address system in the store. There is a parody of an Apple product; the iBabe, which is a life-sized MP3 player in the shape of a naked woman. After the initial advertisements, the makers of the iBabe wrestle with the public relations nightmare of young men whose penises are mangled when they fuck the iBabe and encounter the unit’s cooling fan inside the vagina of the unit. Superhero fans are treated to a sketch wherein Robin is out on a speed date with Lois Lane and then Supergirl when Batman comes and cockblocks him. In another sketch a boy has a girl over for a first date when she has her first period and bleeds through her pants. The three males in the house freak out having no idea how to deal with the event and it only serves to embarrass and horrify her. A brutal segment follows in which two men capture and torture a leprechaun for his gold. Then comes a first date in which a man and a woman play an escalating game of truth or dare. They end up horribly disfiguring and humiliating one another before finally consummating their relationship. The penultimate segment is a hilarious mockery of sports movies. In it, a coach motivates his high school basketball team by pointing out that the students are black and they are going up against a white team so they are guaranteed to win. Partway through the closing credits comes the final segment, a sketch involving a couple that is interrupted by their (animated) cat, Beezel. Beezel has a crush on his owner, Anson, and when Amy walks in on Beezel masturbating to pictures of Anson in a swimsuit, a very violent series of encounters follow.

Such is the type of humor in Movie 43. Sadly, there is not really much more to the movie than the sketches themselves. Movie 43 scores as high as it does with me because it actually is amusing in points. Movie 43 is entertaining and it is funny when it is not being entirely disturbing.

Moreover, Movie 43 is a cinematic example of “better ingredients, better pizza” as it were. Getting Liev Schreiber, Terence Howard, Elizabeth Banks, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Kristen Bell and other a- and b-list actors to perform in the sketches makes them seem like something more than cheap shots and gross-out humor. But, that’s mostly what Movie 43 is; it’s just fortunate that the jokes land as often as they do, or else the movie would be far less than it appears.

For other works with Leslie Bibb, please visit my reviews of:
Iron Man 2
Confessions Of A Shopaholic
Iron Man
Talladega Nights: The Legend Of Ricky Bobby

2/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Disney’s Latest Animated Musical Is Almost Entirely Frozen.

The Good: Decent voice acting, Generally good animation
The Bad: Obvious plot progression, Pretty predictable character development
The Basics: Disney’s Frozen is a lackluster animated musical that unsurprisingly was stuck in development hell for years and is now released with little chance of being an enduring Disney classic.


Today is a big milestone for me: my blog just got its 1,000,000th hit and I couldn’t be more excited about it! To celebrate, I was eager to review one of the new films of the season. My thoughts on Disney’s new animated musical, Frozen, come on the heels of my getting momentarily excited about an indie film that bore the original name of Frozen, The Snow Queen (reviewed here!). Fortunately for Disney, their beleaguered production Frozen is better than the ridiculous independent film The Snow Queen. Unfortunately for Disney, Frozen is such a typical Disney animated film that offers so little in the way of surprises, thrills, or genuine enjoyment for adults that it is impossible for me to recommend it.

Frozen is, at best, uninspired, at worse, unambitious. The film lacks a real spark. While there are plenty of Disney films that make musicals out of fairy tales, like this year’s big Disney Blu-Ray release, The Little Mermaid (reviewed here!), the success of those movies hinged on great music and animation that had a realism for the world it created. As ridiculous as it might seem, Frozen suffers as much from not having an obvious hit as it does from having a more stylized sense of animation than the truly classic Disney hits. The cartoonish quality of the physics of Frozen might seem forgivable given that one of the main characters is the sidekick living snowman, but the look and feel of the film is often more ridiculous than fantastic, which undermines the longterm viability of the movie.

In the kingdom of Arendelle, the princesses Elsa and Anna grow up together. Elsa, rather incredibly, can manipulate the cold and she has the ability to freeze objects and water almost effortlessly. Anna appears to be a normal girl and they play together like normal sisters. While playing, though, Elsa hurts Anna by accident and to prevent her from ever hurting Anna (or anyone else) again, her memory of the incident is wiped and the two are separated. They grow up the rest of their childhood apart and following the death of their parents, years later when Elsa is to be installed as Queen of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna briefly reconnect. When that happens, Elsa’s powers are revealed again and when she flees, Arendelle is cast into eternal winter. Anna, having had something of a magical night with Prince Hans, leaves him in charge of Arendelle and strikes out to find where Elsa has fled to.

Anna must go on a quest to restore spring to Arendelle and melt the snow. To that end, Kristoff and Anna meet in the frozen wasteland on the way to the mountain refuge Elsa has taken. Accompanied by a musical, wisecracking snowman, Olaf, the pair journeys across the snowscape to try to find Elsa, while finding themselves drawn more and more together. When they encounter Elsa, the Queen puts ice in Anna's heart and Kristoff finds himself racing to get the Princess back to Hans so love's kiss might restore her heart. But everything is not as it seems and Anna's return to Arendelle does not solve all the kingdom's problems and an unexpected villain rises to attempt to take over.

Frozen tells a predictable story that uses all of the obvious Disney conceits without truly presenting anything fresh and incredible. The story focuses more on the familial love between Anna and Elsa, with the Anna and Hans and later Anna and Kristoff acting very much as a b-plot. Anna’s sense of determination to restore life and color to Arendelle is clearly motivated by a love she has for her sister. Given the years Anna and Elsa spend separated following the childhood incident, Anna’s love for Elsa seems much more abstract than realistic and that undermines her willpower. Sure, she’s a plucky Disney Princess, but the pluck appears on the page more than as an organic manifestation of her character: she loves her sister because she is her sister, not because of the intense years of bonding they shared growing up (whatwith spending their more recent years separated).

So, Anna bears some feelings of guilt across the snowy expanse as she and Kristoff try to find Elsa and bring her back. Kristoff is a generic Disney love interest and he is easily overshadowed by the charisma of Olaf. Olaf is goofy and gets many of the good lines to set up the big moments, which is largely what one expects from a Disney sidekick. The wisecracks from Olaf come pretty much when one expects to keep the pace tight and that acts against the film in some ways; if you’ve seen any three Disney films, you can pretty much call when Olaf will intervene to say the right thing to Anna or Kristoff to keep the quest going and the movie flowing.

Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, is presented as an enthusiastic, goofy sidekick that fits into the usual pantheon of Disney sidekicks. Gad is vocally expressive and he was perfectly cast to play Olaf. But even Gad illustrates just how troubled Frozen was as a Disney production: sidekicks in Disney films have had a tendency to be runaway parts sought by well-established performers. While I like Gad, he doesn’t have the recognizable quality of, for example, Gilbert Gottfried when Aladdin was released or Eddie Murphy (from Mulan!). Any critique of Gad, though, is divorced from the on-screen content in Frozen. Gad might not have the star power, but he plays Olaf wonderfully.

The vocal cast of Frozen might not be trying to capitalize on a-list actors to present itself, but the performers do an excellent job. Kristen Bell plays Anna and she is so vocally expressive in Frozen that it is surprising how few voiceover jobs she has on her resume. Bell and Idina Menzel (Elsa) play off one another well and have similar vocal ranges, so they sound like they could easily be sisters. The cast is rounded out by Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Ciaran Hinds, and Alan Tudyk who all managed to act wonderfully with only their voices.

Despite the performances, Frozen is way too predictable and obvious to be worthwhile. It is not horrible, but it feels so familiar that it manages to come across entirely as stale, making one wonder why Disney pushed forward with the project as opposed to just letting it go.

For other Disney animated films, please visit my reviews of:
Monsters University
Wreck-It Ralph
Brave
Tangled
Toy Story 3
A Christmas Carol
Up
Ponyo
The Princess And The Frog
Bolt
WALL-E
The Incredibles
Lilo & Stitch
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Monsters, Inc.
Mulan
Hercules
The Lion King
Beauty And The Beast
Lady And The Tramp
The Sword In The Stone
The Aristocats
Sleeping Beauty
Fantasia

6.5/10

For other film reviews, please check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Daring To Be Different . . . And Present The Awkwardness Of The Real World, The Lifeguard (Largely) Succeeds!

The Good: Good acting, Interesting characters, Decent setting
The Bad: Overbearing soundtrack, Mundane and familiar plot
The Basics: Summer’s celebration of indie films finishes with one with real crossover appeal as Kristen Bell and Martin Starr give us something new in The Lifeguard!


We’re down to that time in Summer Blockbuster Season; all of the major studio releases are burned out and there are a handful of indie films that are hoping to get mainstream attention before the September doldrums begin. One of those films is The Lifeguard which seems to need nothing more to sell it than Kristen Bell in a one-piece bathing suit on the movie poster. Hell, it was good enough to get my attention and when I sat down to watch it today, I did so with absolutely no expectations.

So, because I had no expectations, I have no problem beginning this review with my latest rant. What the hell is it with indie movies and soundtracks?! Seriously, do directors and smaller studios think the only way to make their money back on non-mainstream films these days is to pack them with music that will be delivered whether or not it fits the actual film or scene? I mention this at the top of The Lifeguard because after at least two tracks that might not have been horrible on their own (they seem to be telling a decent musical story, albeit, on the nose and similarly in this context) blare over moments in the film that could have been good for helping to characterize the film’s protagonist, Leigh, the movie gets quiet and actually takes the time to develop a mood. While that mood is demoralizing and more than a little unpleasant, the film at least accomplishes something in those moments. So, note to indie filmmakers: stop cluttering your films with so much vocal music that distracts from the tone and feel of your movie! (And a little f-you to Liz Garcia for gutting what could have been the film’s emotionally intense sex scene with a song just robs the moment of its . . . well, moment. Talk about obvious and on-the-nose musical direction!) The Lifeguard does have something to say and by the fifteen minute mark, it is making a statement and it is engaging enough to keep the viewer’s attention.

Leigh is an investigative reporter working in New York City and loathing how her stories, like one about animal abuse involving a tiger kept shackled in an apartment, are buried in the newspaper, so she flees the City and Raj to return to her parents’ house for the summer. Begging for time to rebuild her life and figure out her new priorities, she reconnects with her friends and gets her high school job back working as a lifeguard at the local pool. Sworn at and told off by ten year-olds, Leigh gets annoyed and turn to the son of the pool’s maintenance worker – Little Jason – for companionship. With her adult friend, Todd, Leigh starts to put her life back in order and tries to impress upon Little Jason just how good the area they live in is.

When Leigh confides in Little Jason about how she has been treated and aids the local teenagers in getting the police off their backs, Jason begins to respond to her friendship. Little Jason comes to Leigh’s aid, harassing the ten year-olds who were abusive to her and with the basic connection made, Leigh finds herself developing a serious emotional entanglement with the young man.

Despite the annoying refrain from Leigh about being twenty-nine, instead of thirty, The Lifeguard feels fairly fresh as a very present story of young adults struggling in today’s world. The Lifeguard actually nails head-on the issues today’s twenty- and thirtysomethings face, from struggling at jobs that are little over the pathetically-low minimum wage to dealing with the usual adult struggles that seem all the more daunting without economic security. Leigh, Todd, and Mel are all adults who did what society dictated in terms of getting an education and a good job before they basically discover they were sold a dream that does not allow them to actually succeed. Instead, Leigh does good work as a reporter and is marginalized professionally and personally, Todd remains lodged in the closet, and Mel is stuck in her home town as assistant principal, where she inspires her students less than Leigh does. Mel’s struggle to have a child mirrors Leigh’s attempts to find herself and the benefit Leigh has is that she can open up to Little Jason in a way that she is not able to (though she tries with her husband, who is very reticent).

The Lifeguard struggles to find its footing when it focuses on Mel and her husband, John, though it is no fault of actress Mamie Gummer. While Gummer and her co-star Joshua Harto, who had a more memorable supporting role in The Dark Knight (reviewed here!), have no real on-screen chemistry, the scene feels more like filler. Writer and director Liz W. Garcia seems to be uncomfortable keeping the focus solely on Leigh. When she does, however, she returns the film to something much more watchable.

Like so many films with teens through thirtysomethings, The Lifeguard incorporates weed, though the film earns its “R” rating early on from children swearing pretty vocally at Leigh. Much more impressive than that – or the fact that The Lifeguard is unafraid of male nudity is the acting. Martin Starr, who is easily one of the most reliable go-to actors for “goofy” is intense, articulate and delightfully serious as Todd. From his first shot in the film to his last, Starr gives the viewer something we have not seen from him before. And he rises to the occasion as the serious and realistic sidekick to the fantasy-dominated Leigh.

As for Kristen Bell, she might not present Leigh with the spunk and perkiness of someone like Veronica Mars, but she makes Leigh instantly memorable. Leigh seems somewhat lost without ever appearing stupid or girlish. She and co-star David Lambert have wonderful on-screen chemistry (how Dax Shepard could ever watch this film is something of a mystery!) and they sell the risqué relationship without making it seem at all creepy or predatory. More than just looking good in a swimsuit, Bell delivers a strong performance in the quiet moments when she emotes Leigh's loss and sense of personal desperation and the camera settles on her to capture her eyes and mouth expressing those emotions.

Amy Madigan gives her usual solid and impressive performance without being creepy. She makes Leigh's mother seem like she should; a well-rounded, actualized character in her own right completely independent of Leigh's narrative.

The Lifeguard is set in a small town in Connecticut and it contrasts beautifully with New York City. The noise and motion of the City is beautifully replaced by quiet (when Garcia doesn’t clutter it with the soundtrack) and actual conversation. The setting helps sell the movie and it is enough to get viewers thinking about all the potentials that will come with going back to school or the end of the summer when the movie hits theaters. Like Dreamland (reviewed here!), the setting plays well to the sense of personal desperation with the characters who are lost and looking for direction.

Unlike the plethora of dumb comedies, predictable horror movies, or obvious attempts at Oscar contenders that will drop around the same time, The Lifeguard presents a serious and smart film that illustrates well the complexities of young life while still being entertaining.

For other works with Martin Starr, please check out my reviews of:
This Is The End
The Invention Of Lying
Adventureland
The Incredible Hulk
Knocked-Up
Freaks And Geeks

6.5/10

For other film reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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