KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Is "50 Shades Darker" duller? How about "John Wick 2" and "Lego Batman?" FOX 4's Russ Simmons and Shawn Edwards weigh in on this week's Popcorn Bag movie reviews! “Fifty Shades Darker” is the second title in the erotic romantic drama series based upon the bestsellers by E. L. James. The story of a kinky S&M relationship isn’t bad enough to be campy fun and is about as erotic as a cold shower. Actually "Fifty Shades Darker" is a huge improvement over "Fifty Shades of Grey." But let's be clear the bar was really low. Dakota Johnson’s beguiling performance as the naive Anastasia Steele is the only thing this movie has going for it. Jamie Dornan as the handsome but twisted billionaire Christian Grey, is as drab as his name, however. “Fifty Shades Darker” could have been called “Fifty Shades Duller.”It's actually more focused. And a lot sexier, steamier and edgier. Keanu Reeves is back for more R-rated bloody mayhem in “John Wick: Chapter 2,” about a super assassin reluctantly drawn back into the business.
The ultra-violent action thriller exists for one reason, and that’s to allow some of the best stunt people in the world to expertly ply their trade. And Keanu Reeves was one of those stunt people. He actually did a lot of his own stunt work. The results are incredible. The movie is violently poetic and endlessly entertaining. Inspired by Hong Kong action cinema, this zippy flick gets 5 popcorn bags as a stunt reel, but the vengeance plot gets a little tiresome. Still, the skillfully choreographed action makes it a decadent guilty pleasure. Every bit as good as the first film which was a surprise hit. Nothing surprising about "John Wick: Chapter 2." Who would have thought that an animated movie about toy building blocks would have been blockbuster? But 2014’s “The Lego Movie” was just that, a cheeky, brash and entertaining surprise. The sequel, "The Lego Batman Movie" isn't quite as good, but is goofy and colorful romp that's sure a lot more fun than Ben Affleck’s version of the Caped Crusader.
A lot more fun. The tone is perfect. Basically it's an animated satire. No not as good as the Lego Movie but every bit as zany.Sign in or Become a MemberGet access to amazing benefits like free refills on large popcorn & up to $5 off tickets every Tuesday. Join for free now, or upgrade and get even more great perks.Chuy S BirthdayMovie BirthdayBirthday ThemeBirthday IdeasMovie PersonalizedPersonalized PopcornHale Bear LegoPrem S LegoMatthew S LegoForwardThe LEGO Movie Personalized Popcorn or Treat Box, LEGO Favor Box, DIY, Digital File. You guys, have you seen The Lego Movie? Have you have you have you have you? Because if you haven't, you should totally go see it as soon as possible. Yeah I know you're busy, but what have you got going on that's more important than being completely and thoroughly entertained for 100 continuous minutes? I'm feeling evangelical about The Lego Movie because I took my kids to see it this weekend and I was totally surprised by how much I loved it. While my 6-year-old was squirming in his seat and my 8-year-old was semi-distracted by the task of ferreting every last kernel out of his popcorn bag, I was utterly enraptured by the action happening onscreen.
Honestly, I don't think I've laughed that much in a theater in years. What I'm saying is that I'm almost entirely certain you'll love it even if you don't have kids -- but if you need a little extra encouragement, here are 5 Lego Movie in-jokes that were clearly meant to sail right over little kids' noggins. The Lego Movie was written and directed by the team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also did 21 Jump Street, which starred Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. In The Lego Movie, Tatum voices Superman and Jonah Hill plays the socially awkward, overly clingy Green Lantern. Channing to Hill, when their characters get stuck together in a wad of gum: "I super hate you." Cobie Smulders from How I Met Your Mother voices Wonder Woman in The Lego Movie. If this seems like an oddly appropriate choice, given Smulders' gorgeous WW-esque looks, Joss Whedon has said he considered her for the role of Wonder Woman in his draft of the eponymous film, which never went into production.
Smulders was also reportedly in the running for the Wonder Woman role in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman, but lost out to Gal Gadot. That's a bummer for her, but it looks like Smulders is at least enjoying playing a minifig version of the superheroine: The failed BIONICLE product line.When Morgan Freeman-voiced Vitruvius describes the various worlds Lord Business has tried to master, he mentions there are some no one cares about. Watch the blink-and-you'll-miss-it glimpse of Bioncile, the line of toys Lego discontinued in 2010 (semi-replacing it with the Hero Factory series). Nice little self-deprecating nod to one of Lego's own unsuccessful products. Early on in the movie, Emmet's "friends" are seen eating croissants and turkey drumsticks while waxing poetic about what makes them all individuals. The joke here is that Lego only has a few foods that fit into mini-fig hands. Croissants show up in over 30 different LEGO sets, while turkey drumsticks are in well over 50. And now for the last one, which is a BIG spoiler if you haven't seen the movie ...
At the very beginning of the movie when Lord Business and Vitruvius fight over the Kragle, we see a title screen that says, "Eight and a half years later." This we can assume refers to the birth of Finn, the live-action kid who's been playing with the Legos all along. As MTV puts it, So though it's never explicitly stated, when Finn was born, The Man Upstairs locked his toys away, separated the worlds and made sure that his son would never play with them. Given the poignant ending, this is yet another beautiful, emotional detail that adds to the richness of the film. I couldn't possibly list all the rapid-fire jokes from the film, because they're nearly nonstop from beginning to end. And on top of all that relentless humor, the last 35 minutes take an initially confusing turn into live-action territory that may just have you sobbing into your popcorn. So many thumbs for The Lego Movie -- a true rarity in that it's equally enjoyable for kids and grownups. Have you seen The Lego Movie?