(From syracusenewtimes.com)
Fill in the blank in the headline above, please and thank you.
Oh, Kevin James. Why in the world would you do this to yourself?
My Long Island guy, fellow Mets fan, dude who grew up down the same block from me in Suffolk County, funny fellow all those years on TV show “The King of Queens.”
Co-writer, again, on “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” How bad was it?
Please click the link below to read my review for this week’s Film Blog entry at the Syracuse New Times site.
http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/silly-slapstick-cant-save-awful-mall-cop-2/
So, yes, there are times when we enter a movie theater wanting to like a movie, hoping to like a movie, perhaps because we do read reviews and see trailers ahead of times both of those contrary, we know, to popular opinion.
And then …
Which leads me to this week’s set of Movie Questions:
What was the last movie you started to watch with big hopes that left you totally unsatisfied, and why? What actor let you down so, and did you give her or him another chance? What’s the worst movie you’ve seen lately, and what did you dislike about it?
Mark Bialczak 
Aww, that stinks to hear that Kevin James didn’t live up to his normally awesome self this time. Actually, just two nights ago, I saw JLo in “The Boy Next Door” and to say it SUCKED is an understatement! It was two hours of my life I’ll never get back. I was tempted to leave 30 minutes in, but it was such a train wreck, I had to see how they would ever salvage it.
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I hated the trailers for that one, too, Rachel. That actor looked like a teenager about as much as I look 30. J-Lo should be above a stinker like that.
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wouldn’t have expected much from a Mall Cop movie–the entire premise sounds not-promising. Kevin James isn’t high on my list, so no disappointment on my end. But I know what you mean about being let down. Can’t remember my last disappointment. Maybe because you vet what I decide to see 😉
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I heard a song about this. You vetter you vetter you vet. Now I’m getting silly. Must be late here, Liz. 😉
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I usually run to the theaters for a Kevin James movie. I knew this one would be disappointing. What a bummer. I’ll give it a go at the dollar show.
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It’s not worth a dollar, Red. I swear.
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That bad… ugh.
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On the other hand if a John Wayne fan – all his movies were great.
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I’m glad you still vote for the Duke, Carl.
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Oh, this kills me. He continues to do these horrible movies! He doesn’t need to be so desperate, he is so talented. Ay Kevin, por favor! 😦
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I know. He is so talented. He needs to smarten up! Thanks, Mrs. B. Let’s pitch in and manage the man.
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I enjoy Kevin James and wish he could be able to say, “No,” when he reads a bad script. I liked him in the Zookeeper movie, Mark! I enjoyed him on television, too. Thanks for saving me some money. You are a jewel! Smiles!
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Worse than you think, Robin. He didn’t read it, he co-wrote it. 😦
Anyway, yes, I will still root for him to turn in more good projects again. Save your money on this one, though, that’s smart.
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I can’t believe that movie needed a sequel. I think it made $22M over the weekend, though, so I guess America demanded one!
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People voted with their cash, Austin. I thought it was awful. Oh, well. No accounting for mass appeal.
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People are strange…
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I’d rather read and see your stories, Austin.
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Thanks, Mark. You are so wise!
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No…say it ain’t so MBM! Sigh. I just realized earlier today that this movie was out. Then while I sit in an office waiting for an appointment I see your review, read the review, and am very sad about the review….. sigh. I suppose it happens. But I’ll still love him. 🙂 So there’s that!
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I still love him, too, MBC. He gets this one forgiveness pass in my book.
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Mine too. Heaven knows I turn in stinkers in my life time. I almost wrote “pass stinkers” 😀
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I’ve done both, MBC.
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Ha! 😉 Who hasn’t? 🙂
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I rarely enjoy this brand of comedy.
The last movie I thought I’d like but ended up walking away from involved Jennifer Connelly and Colin Farrell. I don’t remember what it was called, but my walking away was the right thing to do, as at some point, I reentered the room and saw them flying on Pegasus.
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There you go, Joey. It turned into a Mobil gas station commercial.
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Haha! I seriously looked at my beer and asked my husband and daughter if that was actually ON the tv!
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And I kind of like Jennifer Connelly. There you go. No accounting for what goes on these days.
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Ahhhhh geeze… I like him. Well… I remember a Sharon Stone movie, one of her firsts, that she just bombed in. Then I of course liked her in other films so I gave her a second chance. I should though… as she and I went to the same college. We had a class together and hung out in her dorm room and such. I would love to get a hold of here and reminisce. I have tried but have gotten no where!
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That’s pretty cool that you and Sharon Stone were college pals, Nancy. You’d think she’d have a momento or two to al least send a note of howya doin’.
Yeah, I of course will give Kevin James another chance, he coming from down the block and all. 🙂
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I couldn’t take the first one, won’t try for a second. I have noticed some of the films that flop, may be improved in re-editing, as in “raw and uncut”. Thinking of Peter O’Toole in “The Stuntman”, Bruce Willis in “The Color of Night” or Vin Diesel in “Babylon A.D.”.
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The second try, fixing the ills. I guess, Fannie. Makes sense to me!
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darn it, he is one of my favs. i loved his show and just love his comic timing. i’d love to go see him do standup live. when one of my favs jumps the shark, i still tend to watch their movies, but maybe on a rental basis rather than in a theater )
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Yes, rent it or wait for cable on this one if you must, Beth.
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Wow, it must have reeked if you said you cannot forgive him for co-writing it. I wince when I see the trailers because it’s like the clown at school who wants people to laugh with him, but instead they’re laughing AT him. Every time I see it, I think, “Surely he had to hit the chiropractor the next day. Aging bodies can’t take falls like that. I would be bruised and banged up.” It’s that same feeling when Molly Shannon would plunge into fold-up chairs on SNL as Mary Catherine Gallagher, but at least she was in her early 30s. And it’s not like he was FORCED to do it. The fat guy doesn’t always have to be funny. The fat guy on the “Last Man on Earth” isn’t funny at all, but so likable! Your post makes me think of Eddie Murphy. Man, he had the world by the huevos, he was THE MAN. But he stopped making good movies 20 yrs ago. My husband keeps a copy of Pluto Nash in our entertainment center, and I won’t even try to watch it.
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Sometimes the well is suddenly dry, Kerbey, and they can’t admit it. I hope the artisan spring runs anew for both men. Been awhile for Eddie, though, you are right.
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I think Paul Blart looks stupid, too, but every time the trailer comes on, my kids lose their minds! They want to see it so bad,but I’ll wait until it comes out on cable. As far as bad movies go, I usually finish a movie no matter what. But I turned off “This is 40” only 20 minutes or so into it. That kinda bummed me out cause when I think of Judd Apatow, I think “Freaks and Geeks” and “Bridesmaids” and “Superbad” and laughing my butt off and feeling nostalgic. This made me want to get hit my a bus before I turn 40. I’m hoping “While We’re Young” will give me renewed faith in my future middle ages. 🙂
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Don’t give up on the Middle Ages, Rachel. One stinker from Apatow does not a bad life make. Take it from me. Been there, making it through that. 😉 Besides, he could not top the Trinity you mentioned. Especially “Bridesmaids.” That’s my fave from him.
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Mall Cop merited a sequel? We really are sinking to new lows.
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Exactly, Barbara.
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Yes, I really liked King of Queens but just didn’t see much potential in the first Mall Cop, especially not enough to substantiate a sequel. Your review does not surprise me. It happens. I think there’s a lot of pressure on actors and musicians to always put something out that the public is going to like and I do try to give them second chances but once they are on their third or fourth it becomes apparent that there may be no coming back.
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In music, the second album usual is the one that quacks like a duck. Here’s my theory: A solo artist or band spends their whole life honing the material for the debut album, and then realizes, holy crap, I have one year to do it again! That’s pressure. The same correlates with hit movies.
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Yes, exactly. There are some bands that have quite a few albums worth of material. I think that happened more often back when not everything was already done already. For actors it’s a little easier. People have comeback roles all the time.
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Yes, people come back on the screen because others can write roles for them. In music, the best artists (my opinion here) also not only can, but want, to write their own songs.
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… am disappointed. I really like Ryan Gosling as an actor and George Clooney as an actor and a director, but I was really disappointed in “The Ides of March.” I like to give people chances to redeem themselves, though, because greatness may return.
You never turn in a stinker, Mark.
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You are wise about chances for redemption, Ann. Genius can and does return. 🙂 Thank you, my friend.
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It’s true Mark – i thought the trailers for Mall Cop 2 looked good. I will avoid the movie. Thank you.
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They picked out the good two minutes, Paul. Tricky sons of guns.
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