The Office - Season Two (2002)

The Office (2001-2003)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

Season: Two (2002)
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Number of Episodes: 6
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

[IMDb]

Comments: Original review: Throughout all of my years, all of the awesome films, marvelous television shows, and wonderful trash I have watched, there is nothing to me greater than the original Office. There is no film or television series that has made me both laugh and cry like a little baby like this one has. From the epic performance by Ricky Gervais as David Brent to the amazingly told love saga of Tim and Dawn, this show is absolute perfection to me. I own the three seasons of the new Office with Steve Carell, but have not been able to watch it. I saw the first ten minutes when it premiered and turned it off; it was too similar to the original. I have read many reviews stating it found its footing in the second season, so one day I will have to visit the new Office. Until then, I have Tim, Dawn, David, and even Gareth to keep me company. Absolute perfection.

Updated thoughts: Don't get me wrong, the original Office is my favorite show of all time. But I really didn't realize how much I enjoyed the new Office, and how much it has grown on me. It really is a great show as well, and upon revisiting the show I probably will rate it higher (I still think there's a few too many episodes a season though). And finally, no matter how obsessed I was with Tim and Dawn (and how many times I watched their penultimate scene), I did find myself missing a little bit of the absolute chemistry and wonderfulness that is Jim and Pam. That's one thing I never thought I'd say.

The Office - Season One (2001)

The Office (2001-2003)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

Season: One (2001)
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Number of Episodes: 6
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

[IMDb]

Comments: Original review: Throughout all of my years, all of the awesome films, marvelous television shows, and wonderful trash I have watched, there is nothing to me greater than the original Office. There is no film or television series that has made me both laugh and cry like a little baby like this one has. From the epic performance by Ricky Gervais as David Brent to the amazingly told love saga of Tim and Dawn, this show is absolute perfection to me. I own the three seasons of the new Office with Steve Carell, but have not been able to watch it. I saw the first ten minutes when it premiered and turned it off; it was too similar to the original. I have read many reviews stating it found its footing in the second season, so one day I will have to visit the new Office. Until then, I have Tim, Dawn, David, and even Gareth to keep me company. Absolute perfection.

Updated thoughts: Don't get me wrong, the original Office is my favorite show of all time. But I really didn't realize how much I enjoyed the new Office, and how much it has grown on me. It really is a great show as well, and upon revisiting the show I probably will rate it higher (I still think there's a few too many episodes a season though). And finally, no matter how obsessed I was with Tim and Dawn (and how many times I watched their penultimate scene), I did find myself missing a little bit of the absolute chemistry and wonderfulness that is Jim and Pam. That's one thing I never thought I'd say.

Piranha 3D (2010)

Piranha 3D (2010)

Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Screenplay by: Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg

Genre: Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Running Time: 88 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Theater

There's something in the water.

[IMDb]

Comments: Alexandre Aja was a horror director on the rise. After his very highly-praised High Tension, Aja directed the very solid Hills Have Eyes remake. But after the disappointing and very mediocre Mirrors, Aja decided on another remake, this time of Joe Dante's Piranha. The film's been received well, and I was looking forward to it. But it turns out I wasn't that impressed. Sure, there's a lot of violence and nudity (which is always a plus!), but it just felt like Aja was trying too hard to make it a B movie. There were a few awesome moments (Ving Rhames taking the propeller/motor off of a boat and using it as a weapon against the piranha), but there were so many goofy moments as well (the entire end of the film made me dumber). There's a surprising amount of recognizable people in the film, but the acting's awful for the most part (which the plethora of B movie dialogue didn't help). Piranha is a fun movie and I enjoyed myself, but Aja tries way too hard to make a cult classic out of a mostly Hollywood-esque film. Better luck next time, Alexandre (which will be next year, for Piranha 2).

The Office - Season Four (2007-2008)

The Office (2005-????)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Developed by: Greg Daniels

Season: Four (2007-2008)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Number of Episodes: 14
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Reams of laughs.

[IMDb]

Comments: Well, I waited too long to order Season Five of The Office, so now I have to wait until at least Monday (gah!) to dive into the next chapter. I really enjoyed the fourth season of the show, and I think this may be the strongest season yet. This is due to two factors: less episodes and all of that wonderful Jim and Pam interaction.

While sometimes I wish British shows ran longer than six episodes a season, that format worked extremely well for the original Office. On the other side of things, US shows can run for too many episodes if they're popular, which I think hurt the second and third seasons of The Office to a degree. Each episode certainly had its merits, but often a tighter arc tends to work better. Anyway, Season 4 only had 14 episodes (due to the strike, although five of those were hour-long episodes), and the season felt a lot... smoother. But Seasons Five and Six each have 25+ episodes, so I guess we'll see how that goes.

And then Season Four was the one where Jim and Pam finally started dating. Even if they didn't date, I loved that they were given more screentime, because the two have such a great chemistry together (and like the original, they are the backbone of the series). I guess it would risk over-exposing the two, but I can never have enough of Jim standing at the desk talking to Pam. My two favorite moments of this season revolved around those two. The first was Jim talking with Dwight in the stairwell when Dwight's heartbroken, and then going and kissing Pam when he's thought about how he left because of her before (that was one of the great and defining moments of the show), and then the banter the two had about Jim proposing followed by Jim confessing to the camera that he bought the ring for her the week after they started dating. It was a fucking great moment.

So now I will wait. Season Five will be here next week and Season Six the week after (I preordered it yesterday with the third season of Chuck, I couldn't help it). Until then, I think I will revisit an old fave...

The Office - Season Three (2006-2007)

The Office (2005-????)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Developed by: Greg Daniels

Season: Three (2006-2007)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Number of Episodes: 23
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Reams of laughs.

[IMDb]

Comments: Wow, I have just been plowing through these episodes. I guess that's what happens when you have too much free time/no life. Anyway, Season Three was another strong showing. I realize that a lot of people watch the show because of Dwight and Michael, as so often the episodes are based around them, but I really wish the show had some more of Jim and Pam. I like the slow build of the relationship, but each episode I was always more concerned with how they were going to interact moreso than whatever party Michael was throwing. And then some episodes they didn't even really show their great chemistry at all? I couldn't imagine watching this show on a week-by-week basis because it would get so frustrating waiting for that moment.

I'd like to add that I really liked the character of Ryan (B.J. Novak) a lot more. At first I wondered why Novak was even in the main credits, considering he gets as little screen time as the rest of the secondary characters (I always assumed it's because he's a producer/writer on the show, which means he gets to be in the main credits). But he really was funny as hell this season (in his limited screen time). While I still don't know why he gets to be in the main credits, he definitely stands out as the best of the rest in The Office. And I like Ed Helms, but holy shit his character is annoying. I was excited that he was sent away for "anger management" but I always knew he'd be back, considering he's on the covers of the upcoming DVDs and those somewhat annoying TBS commercials.

Anyway, time to slam through Season Four and hope that my order of Season Five gets here on Saturday-ish.

The Office - Season Two (2005-2006)

The Office (2005-????)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Developed by: Greg Daniels

Season: Two (2005-2006)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Number of Episodes: 22
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Reams of laughs.

[IMDb]

Comments: The Office had a strong second season, and I became more engrossed in the show (as I predicted I would). Sure, there's still some jokes here and there ported over from the original, and every once in a while Michael says or does something exactly like David Brent making me wish I was watching the original instead, but overall I must say that I'm a fan of the Americanized Office.

One of the things I do like is how the show humanizes Michael Scott earlier on. In the original Office, Ricky Gervais is mostly an ass and comic relief until the end of the show, when he (spoiler alert!) begs for his job, and then when he tells Finch (the UK equivalent of Todd Packer) to go fuck himself (end spoilers). That approach works for that show, but with 20+ episodes a season, Steve Carell really needed to be endeared to the American audience so they could truly care about the character, which Greg Daniels did. And I like that, because he's still a buffoon, but you realize there's a decent guy under the facade.

Obviously, my favorite part was the whole Pam-Jim romance, but I wish they had gotten some more screen time. As funny as parts of the show are (when Jim explains that he filled Dwight’s headset with nickels until Dwight became used to the weight, then removed them all so he hit himself in the head, I died laughing), the best parts are always the looks and glances the two give each other. I loved that in the original as well, as Tim and Dawn would always glance at each other or casually touch each other. It was wonderful.

Anyway, I'm on to Season Three. I just ordered Season Five on Amazon so I have quite a few more episodes to go. I'm debating on whether I should throw down the cash to get Season Six as well so I can watch the new episodes this fall, but as I said before I hate paying that much for DVDs (especially since I'm definitely buying Season Three of Chuck -- less that two weeks now). Also, that season got very mixed reviews too. I guess it will depend on how I feel after finishing up Season Five. Until then.

The Office - Season One (2005)

The Office (2005-????)

Created by: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Developed by: Greg Daniels

Season: One (2005)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance
Number of Episodes: 6
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Reams of laughs.

[IMDb]

Comments: I have put off watching the Americanized version of The Office for five years now. As if I hadn't made it clear before, the original Ricky Gervais Office is my favorite thing ever. Ever. I have attempted to watch the Steve Carrell version a few times before, but the similarity in the first few episodes always drove me away. No matter how many times I've read that the show finds itself in the second season, and how many times I've been told the show is hysterical, I could never get into it. Until now.

Let's be honest. For fans of the original, the first two episodes are awful. They're basically the exact same show with virtually no discernible difference from the Gervais version. Luckily, episodes three through six were hysterical! I knew that once I let myself watch the show I'd be a fan, but I never knew it would be so soon. Sure there's still several similarities to the original, but The Office certainly starts to become it's own show in the second half of Season One (read: it doesn't import joke after joke without changing anything).

So now I'm starting to get hooked. I'm about to chuck in the first disc of Season Two shortly, and I'm very excited. After riding the emotional roller coaster last week with Chuck (I've been re-watching several episodes from Season Two because they're so fucking awesome, which is why I've haven't been watching much else), I think I'm ready to hop back on with Jim and Pam. Don't worry though, because Tim (with his Fisher Price-like cartoon face and hair) and Dawn will always be number one in my heart.

Chuck - Season Two (2008-2009)

Chuck (2007-????)

Created by: Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak

Season: Two (2008-2009)
Genre: Comedy | Action | Drama
Number of Episodes: 22
Episode Running Time: 60 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Not shaken. Just nerd.

[IMDb]

Comments: I won't lie, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't enjoy Season Two of Chuck like I loved the first, mostly due to what looks like a very limited premise on paper. Luckily, I was wrong and fucking loved Chuck's second go-around. There's several great storylines, and even though the show's very loosely based in reality (as I said in the Season One review), they tend to work. Chuck's entertaining as hell, and there's such a great romantic storyline at the core that it makes the show one of my favorites. It's literally killing me that I have to wait two-and-a-half weeks for Season 3 to come out. Aah!

If I have one complaint, it's about the large amount of dialogue that's added in on post-production. It's extremely noticeable, and at times you can even see characters' lips moving saying one thing but actually hearing what's added in later. It can be annoying, but the show's so awesome otherwise that I can forgive it.

Chuck - Season One (2007-2008)

Chuck (2007-????)

Created by: Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak

Season: One (2007-2008)
Genre: Comedy | Action | Drama
Number of Episodes: 13
Episode Running Time: 60 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

He's the Secret. She's the Agent.

[IMDb]

Comments: Chuck was a show I liked from the beginning. I watched several episodes from the first season back in 2007, but I unfortunately missed a few here and there (alas, this was a time before I had a DVR; how did I survive then?). Anyway, once Season Two rolled around, I didn't want to keep watching the show since I missed a few episodes, and thus I've been deprived of Chuck until now (when I found the first two seasons for $20 each the other day). I'm probably being a little generous with the rating for a show that's so loosely rooted in reality, but I won't deny that I fucking love it (perhaps because I identify with the character of Chuck so much). The plan of action now is two roll through the second season, and then drop $40 to pick up Season Three when it's released on September 7. This way, I can slide right in to watching Season Four later in the month (which I think may be the last season, judging by the fact the show was barely renewed this season). I would also like to do this with the second season of Fringe so I can watch Season Three in the Fall, but I hate dropping that much money on individual DVD releases so that plan may never come to fruition (as NHL 11 comes out around that time as well, and I have severely limited funds). Anyway, in short: Chuck's a great show that's fun as hell.

The Other Guys (2010)

The Other Guys (2010)

Directed by: Adam McKay
Screenplay by: Adam McKay and Chris Henchy

Genre: Action | Comedy
Running Time: 107 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

[IMDb]

Comments: I'm feeling rather lazy, so this will be short and sweet. The Other Guys is a fairly mediocre film. There's several funny moments, but there are other parts that tend to drag the film out a bit. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect. And is anyone sick to death of Rob Riggle? He's had a few bit parts in some major films lately (Step Brothers, The Hangover), and he's the exact same character in every film. He brings nothing new to the table. When I saw him in The Other Guys I knew the type of character he was going to be, and that's exactly what happened. But then again, I guess the same thing could be said about Will Ferrell. Oh well. Anyway, I'm out.

Kick-Ass (2010)

Kick-Ass (2010)

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay by: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn

Genre: Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 117 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

I can't read your mind. But I can kick your ass.

[IMDb]

Comments: My original review is here. I liked the film then, but was less than impressed at times. However, my opinion on the film has changed since I first saw Kick-Ass in theaters. I definitely enjoyed it more this time around. It's still a bit scatterbrained throughout the first half of the film, but knowing that now I was able to look past it and really enjoy the film. It's definitely original and highly entertaining. The rest of my witty insights can be found on the original review.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Screenplay by: Kurt Wimmer

Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 109 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Blu-ray

The system must pay.

[IMDb]

Comments: Original review: The moment I saw the trailer for Law Abiding Citizen, one thing popped to mind: this will make a great rental. However, it's a rainy afternoon and I had nothing better to do, so it came down to a toss up between this and Where the Wild Things Are, and sadly I chose Law Abiding Citizen. It's not a horrible film, but it's completely unrealistic. The other main problem is the movie lacks a true main character to root for. Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler share screen time, and both have their reasons for the audience to cheer for them at the beginning. Soon enough, though, Butler starts murdering everyone, and thus I expected him to be portrayed as a villain. However, he is still shown by F. Gary Gray in a sympathetic light. I won't lie, I was cheering for Butler the entire time and wanted him to fucking kill everyone. But I'm a little off-center, and therefore I like when people get fucked up (in movies, mind you). Law Abiding Citizen is a terrific film to rent, and not much more. It's way too over-the-top to be a serious piece of filmmaking, but you'll definitely be entertained in the end.

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

Directed by: Jay Roach
Screenplay by: David Guion and Michael Handelman

Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 114 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

Takes one to know one.

[IMDb]

Comments: While I've wanted to see Dinner for Schmucks since I first saw the trailer, my enthusiasm was muted slightly by the average reviews the film started getting last week. So with my expectations in check, I headed to the theater this afternoon not expecting much. And perhaps that's why I fucking loved the film. Dinner for Schmucks was very funny, and I found myself entertained for the nearly two hour runtime. Sure, the plot's both ridiculous and thin, but once Steve Carell and Paul Rudd get together on screen, none of that really matters. I found that the film is reminiscent of I Love You, Man (and not just because Paul Rudd's in both), as the film has a very similar plot at its core, while being tonally similar throughout. But anyway, I really enjoyed Dinner for Schmucks for what it was. Screw what the critics say.