Tony’s Take: Reviews of “Max” and “Ted 2”
“Max”
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 111 minutes
Toscano’s Take:
Rating: D
A dog that helped US Marines locate weapons and bombs in Afghanistan returns to the U.S. and is adopted by his handler’s family after suffering a traumatic experience.
The film is a maudlin look at the relationship between an angry teen and the dog his soldier brother trained. But the film doesn’t really cover much about that, in fact, it is a confusing and sappy piece that doesn’t really know what it wants to be.
I found the characters comically stereotypical as well. The straight-laced, hard working dad, whose worried his youngest son isn’t ruining his life. The overly concerned mom, who just wants to let her son know she loves him. The fast-talking best friend and his tough-as-nails cousin who is also the sweetest girl in the world.
The film jumps from plot to plot trying to establish and reestablish characters and becomes unintentionally funny in the process.
What it boils down to is a silly, overly sentimental, badly written, squeaky-clean movie, being promoted as a “family film.” And, well yes, it is a family film. But not a very good one. In fact it panders so bad it needs to stand on the freeway on ramp with a sign. “Max” gets a D and is rated PG
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Starring: Studio:
Thomas Hayden Church Warner Bros. Pictures
Josh Wiggins
Lauren Graham
“Ted 2”
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 108 minutes
Toscano’s Take:
Rating: B
Picking up where “Ted” left off, newlywed couple Ted and Tami-Lynn want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he’s a person in a court of law.
“Ted 2” manages to sew together a patchwork of chuckles, moans and hard laughs. Writer/ director/ actor Seth MacFarlane pummels the audience with rapid-fire jokes and non-sequiturs, the film never loses momentum.
And I think that’s what makes “Ted 2” work. It’s a kind of “oh that didn’t work?… here’s another one” attitude.
But somewhere at the heart of “Ted 2” is a tender story about needing to love and to be loved. Which is why, even the poorest-taste jokes are ultimately forgivable.
“Ted 2” gets a B and is rated R.
Starring: Studio:
Seth MacFarlane Universal Pictures
Mark Wahlberg
Amanda Seyfried
