Reel News: Week of May 15 — Mad Max Fury Road, Pitch Perfect 2, Lambert & Stamp, Mortdecai

Upcoming Theatrical Releases

Mad Max – Fury Road
Director: George Miller
R; 2 hr.
Trailer

In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland. (Synopsis by Warner Bros.)

Check out my review on The Dagger later this week.

Pitch Perfect 2
Director: Elizabeth Banks
PG-13; 1 hr. 54 min.
Trailer

After a humiliating command performance at Lincoln Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform. (Synopsis by Universal)

A slight improvement on its predecessor that does justice to the female-heavy cast; a nice change from the male-centric Hollywood norm. But this never gets much beyond the repetitive humor or lack of actual characters to be truly successful. It may be lazy, but it is still fairly fun. See it.

Lambert & Stamp
Director: James D. Cooper
R; 2 hr.
Trailer

Aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to search for a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor, and manage the iconic band known as The Who and create rock ‘n’ roll history. (Synopsis by Sony Pictures Classic)

A must-see for fans of rock documentaries. The combination of a great band and the twist of focusing on the men behind the scenes makes for a fantastic film. It is a little too long in parts, but still manages to keep the audience engaged. See it.

Upcoming DVD Releases

Mortdecai
Director: David Koepp
R; 1 hr. 46 min.
Trailer

Juggling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy wife and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold. (Synopsis by Lionsgate)

Intentionally aiming for a nonsensical and ham-fisted performance, this ends up somewhere too far gone. The jokes fall flat and Depp pulls off a performance similar to his Wonka incarnation: too eccentric and weird to be relatable. Skip it.