Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile (2019)

I've been really looking forward to seeing Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile because serial killers have always fascinated me and Efron's performance received a lot of praises from critics.

The film is based on Elizabeth Kendall’s memoir The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy and follows Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) mainly during the 1970s. The first part focuses on his relationship with former girlfriend Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins), the second on his trails as he’s charged with multiple first-degree murders.

Since Joe Berlinger also directed Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, a brilliant, captivating, and entertaining documentary, I was expecting Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile to be just as interesting and compelling. Unfortunately, partially because I’ve seen the documentary and therefore there wasn’t anything else to learn about Bundy, and partially because the film doesn’t have a focus — it’s not Liz’s story as it was supposed to be considering it’s based on her memoir, it’s not Ted’s, nor Carol’s, nor the victims’ —, the film didn’t work that well for me. Furthermore, it feels like a disjointed series of episodes, and the non-fictional footage added here and there only makes it more disjointed. 

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile does, however, a good job with the characters — while the script doesn’t do them any good, the cast provides strong performances. Ted Bundy was a highly intelligent, manipulative, calculating but also an incredibly charming man, and Zac Efron delivers all that. And he does more, he also delivers Bundy’s mannerisms to perfection. Lily Collins gives a compelling performance as Bundy’s girlfriend, Liz — she loved him and believed his innocence but at the same time she was afraid of him reason why she gave his name to the police, and Collins conveys this struggle of hers very well. John Malkovich also does a good job as the judge, although I would have appreciated if the character hadn’t had been reduced to a generic judge. Kaya Scodelario also does a nice job as Carole Anne Boone, Bundy’s obsessive friend who would later become his wife and the mother of his daughter. I wasn’t a fan of Jim Parsons’s performance as the prosecutor though as it reminded me a lot of his Sheldon Cooper, and Haley Joel Osment is kinda bland. 

Netflix, Sky Cinema

Other than the acting, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile needs to be praised for avoiding shock value and leaving out almost all the gruesome details of Bundy’s crimes — it was hard to sit through that while watching the documentary, so it would have been unbearable in a film that has a lighter approach to the subject as its purpose is to show how good Bundy was at deceiving people. 

In addition, the film also has striking cinematography with beautiful shots, and dynamic movements, greats sets, costumes and makeup — they did such a good job at ageing Efron and Collins. I also liked that Berlinger added those events that seem so unreal to be true — like Bundy’s courthouse escape through a second-floor window, and his proposal and marriage in the courtroom. 

Despite its many positive aspects, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile still was an underwhelming film as the story was unevenly compelling, the script quite weak and the wicked, evil and vile aspects of Bundy don’t really emerge.

The Paperboy (2012)

Despite my aversion for Matthew McConaughey —the less I see of this guy, the better I feel— I watched The Paperboy anyway because it has Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman peeing on his face and genitals and I wanted to see what he did to deserve that. 

The story follows an idealistic reporter, Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey), who returns to his hometown when Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) asks him to prove that Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), the man she met via letters and whom she is in love with, on death row for the murder of a sheriff, is innocent, and drags his college-drop-out younger brother, Jack (Zac Efron), into the investigation.

It's not the first time I see a "let's prove this man is innocent before he's executed" story on screen, but The Paperboy sure knows how to stand out from the crowd as it's very different from anything I've seen before. Unfortunately, the story is rather confused, it feels dragged and, as it progresses, it becomes less and less interesting. Also, there are many pointless subplots that kind of get in the way and distract from the main storyline.

The characters aren't much better. They are quite contrived and bizarre, they lack characterization and development —the film is filled with one-dimensional caricatures—, and they are unlikeable and difficult if not impossible to sympathize with. I didn't even care about any of them, except for Efron's Jack, who sadly isn't much more than a horny young man, and yet you care about him because he's about the only innocent person in here. 

Despite this, the actors, at least some of them, still manage to do a very good job and make The Paperboy a little more bearable. Nicole Kidman is great as Charlotte Bless, an ageing bimbo/nymphomaniac/slut who has formed a relationship with a convicted man via letters, John Cusack is pretty creepy in the role of Hillary Van Wetten, the man on death row, and Zac Efron does a pretty good job as the innocent, inexperienced Jack. As for McConaughey, he is completely wooden. 

Millennium Films

The acting, however, is not enough to conceal how trashy The Paperboy is. It just deals with racial and sexual contents in a stupid, soap-opera-like way, and there are some scenes that are beyond uncomfortable to watch, and I'm not talking about Nicole Kidman peeing on Zac Efron, but Kidman tearing the crotch from her tights so that John Cusack could masturbate in front of everyone else.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

Frankly, I don't know what I've been doing with my life for the past years. I mean, I love Zac Efron since I was 14 so why on earth did I hear about Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates for the first time when a couple of weeks ago when Margaret from Cinematic Corner watched it? 

Anyways, the film follows Mike (Adam DeVine) and Dave (Zac Efron), two brothers with the tendency to screw up every important family event. As the wedding of their younger sister, Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard), approaches, Mike and Dave are told by their parents (Stephen Root and Stephanie Faracy) to bring good girls as dates at the destination wedding in Hawaii. They have the brilliant idea of posting an ad on Craigslist, all the women volunteer to be their dates and they end up on TV. Slacker party girls Tatiana (Audrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick), not wanting to be just two other girls to be interviewed, find a way to meet the brothers and be picked. Of course, things in Hawaii don't go as smooth as Mike and Dave were hoping. 

The plot is bad, like really bad as nothing really happens other some a lot of ridiculous, absurd things —I'm having a really hard time believing this is based on a true story. In a few words, it's the typical, predictable "wedding where everything goes wrong" kind of plot where nothing that interesting goes on. That said, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates still manages to be somewhat unpredictable and engaging. 

Again, it's a movie that should not work as the characters too are terribly written —they are thin and none of them has much of an arc, and most of them are not even that likeable. We know nothing about any of them, so why should we care about the wedding, right? And yet I kinda got attached to them and, even though I didn't care whether Jeanie was getting married or not —to be honest, I was rooting for her and the massage guy lol—, I wanted things to work between Mike and Tatiana, and Dave and Alice.

20th Century Fox

It's the actors that made Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates work for me, that made it as entertaining and engaging as it was. While there are no Oscar-worthy performances in here, Adam DeVine and Zac Efron do a nice job as the brothers, both giving funny performances. Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick are both delightful, too bad the film doesn't really know what to do with them. The supporting cast does a decent job, Sugar Lyn Beard being the standout as Mike and Dave's sister.

As for the comedy, it is far from being clever, sophisticated. On the contrary, it's your typical raunchy, mindless comedy with dirty and vulgar jokes. Despite this, the film is funny and, while there are jokes and gags that fall flat, there are some pretty hilarious moments, and overall the film is quite enjoyable.

We Are Your Friends (2015)

I added We Are Your Friends on my watchlist years ago because of my crush for Zac Efron. It didn't appeal to me much though so I never watched it. Now that Margaret over Cinematic Corner has reawakened my love for Zac, I finally watched it (it's not like I have much of a choice. Italian Netflix doesn't have many of his films).

The film follows Cole Carter (Zac Efron), a 23-year-old aspiring DJ in the electronic dance music scene, who spends most of his time partying with his friends. When he meets James Reed (Wes Bentley), a once-famous DJ who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated when Cole falls for James's much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski).

The major issue with We Are Your Friends is the plot. It is very predictable in its dramatic turn, it is superficial and shallow at its best —what was I expecting though. It focuses on the most superficial things in life such as drugs, alcohol and meaningless sex. It's not compelling, it's filled with contrived and unnecessary subplots —I kind of approved of the real estate job thing as it gave us Jon Bernthal— and overall, it does a very poor job at showing the importance of friendship.

The characters don't have a lot of depth either as they have very little characterization and development. There are not likeable nor relatable characters —unless you are a slacker who does drugs for fun. They are just dull. Same goes with the relationship between some of them —Cole and James, Cole and Sophie, James and Sophia—, they are just dull and kind of bland.

It's the acting —and the actors— that makes We Are Your Friends a little less painful to watch. While Emily Ratajkowski is horrible —she is very believable in the role of the bland model though— and Cole's friends are nothing but forgettable —the poor script sure doesn't help—, Zac Efron gives quite a compelling performance as Cole, the ambitious DJ trying to get his big break, and carried the film well. Wes Bentley gives an interesting performance as James, the alcoholic, wasted DJ who decides to mentor Cole. Also, Jon Bernthal is in it —it's a small role but he gets plenty of time to look hot.

StudioCanal, Warner Bros. 

As for the direction, Max Joseph does a mediocre job. While the visual style in one drug scene really pops out, and the DJing process is shown in an interesting way, the pace is too slow, and the film is surprising soulless for a movie about music.

Ultimately, We Are Your Friends does a decent job at making a commentary on how young people are living meaningless lives, but it fails to deliver on the friendship front. It's pretty forgettable so, unless you love one of the actors, you can skip this.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

I remember when I first saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year and all these teenage girls, myself excluded, were screaming when Zac Efron made his first appearance on the screen. That's all I could remember about the film as I've never rewatched it. And I even have it on DVD. The reason? It's simply terrible.

This time around, the East High School kids are getting ready to graduate which means each will go their separate ways. Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) are those having a tougher time as Troy is planning to attend the nearby University of Albuquerque and Gabriella wants to attend Stanford University in California. Meanwhile, Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) still plots to steal Troy from Gabriella and to get her part in the school Spring musical.

Excluding the college part, High School Musical 3: Senior Year essentially has the same plot as the two previous movies. It's still tremendously stupid, predictable and filled with nonsense --why on earth does Sharpay end up with Zeke at the end of each movie and yet at the beginning of the following movie she acts like she doesn't even know him, she still goes after Troy, and that poor guy tries to win her "heart" all over again? And the subplots, oh Jesus, they are terrible. There are hints all over High School Musical and High School Musical 2 that Ryan, Sharpay's twin brother, is gay and now he's developing a romance with Kelsy? What the actual fuck, Disney?!

The characters somehow manage to be even more shallow than they were in the previous movies of the series. Unfortunately, complexity isn't their only lack. They also are incredibly boring, not to mention the new characters who basically are clones of the original characters. They are made even worse by the cast. Other than delivering terrible performances as these kids can't act shit, the actors lack energy. There's a better chemistry between the main actors, but it alone is not enough to save the film.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

As for the musical part of the film, it's pretty awful. All the songs just sound like those of the previous two movies, still very silly but not so catchy and fun. The dancing is beyond terrible as pretty much all they do is jumping. And there's a number, a Zac Efron solo, that looks like something straight out of Magic Magic. So that's appropriate for a kids movie, but having a gay character isn't?

 

High School Musical 2 (2007)

I don't know why, but High School Musical 2 has always been my favourite of the three. I would watch it over and over, especially when I was in bed, sick. I guess it's because it was more colourful --there's a lot of bright pink though-- and it wasn't set in the school. 

In this second entry, summer has arrived and Sharpay (Ashely Tisdale) still hasn't given up the idea of having Troy (Zac Efron) all for herself so she has him hired at her parents' country club. Unfortunately for Sharpay, all the Wildcats get a job at the country club, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) included. As if having to compete with Gabriella for Troy wasn't enough, Sharpay also has to fight to win the talent show hosted at the club like her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) and she do every year. 

Plot-wise, the film is just like its predecessor. Silly, predictable, with more holes than Swiss cheese, and many stupid and pointless subplots. Not to mention how unconvincing the ending was. In order words, it shouldn't work. And yet, just like its predecessor, it kind of does. It isn't the most interesting of stories, but it's a tiny bit entertaining. 

The characters are still very idiotic, with very little characterization and no development whatsoever --and this time around even the adult characters get this poor treatment. However, some of the minor characters from the first film gain some importance, especially Sharpay's brother, Ryan, who is, finally, no longer just Sharpay's brother but a person of his own. Which I guess it's one of the reasons I always liked High School Musical 2 better as, unlike most if not all teenage girl, I didn't have a crush on Zac Efron but on Lucas Grabeel. 

As for the acting, it's still pretty bad, especially from Vanessa Hudgens --seriously, she is unwatchable--, but at least the cast seems more comfortable with each other and their characters. 

Disney-ABC Domestic Television

The songs are still lame and cheesy and don't move the plot a bit forward but, to be honest, I love them all. They are catchy and fun and make the film much more enjoyable. Also, the musical numbers feel more believable. The awful lip-syncing is still a no-no for me though. 

High School Musical (2006)

It was summer 2007, about a year after it premiered on Disney channel, that I first watched High School Musical and I loved it. I was 13 at the time. I'm 24 now and, while wandering through the shelves, I picked High School Musical's DVD and rewatch it because, you know, we all need to do something stupid once in a while.

It's New Year's Eve at a ski resort. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star of a small-town high school basketball team, and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), a math genius, are forced to sing karaoke together and instantly click. After the break, Troy returns to school only to find that Gabriella is a new student there. They become friends quickly and decide to audition for the upcoming school musical but the cliques they belong to don't approve and try to separate them. On top of that, drama queen Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother Ryan (Luca Grabeel) try to prevent them from getting the leading roles in the musical. 

Or I could just have said, it's the Disney channel version of Grease, which translates into, unoriginal, quite stupid and predictable story that doesn't make a lot of sense and it's filled with plot holes. Moreover, it does have absolutely no drama and no climax. Despite that and the fact that I'm an adult woman, I still found it a tiny bit engaging and, no matter how old you are or what's your generation, it's not that hard to relate to the story. I didn't/do, but I can imagine people relating. 

Same goes for the characters. They are terribly written as they are nothing but a bunch of idiotic high school stereotypes, with very little characterization and even less development --actually, there's none--, and they are atrociously played --seriously, these kids can't act for shit. Also, where's the chemistry between Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens? Weren't like dating at the time?-- but a few of them, the good guys, are likeable and quite sympathetic. 

Disney-ABC Domestic Television

The songs are pretty lame and cheesy, just like everything else about High School Musical, and they don't move the plot forward one bit, but they are also pretty catchy and quite unforgettable. I mean, it's been 10 years since I last saw this movie and I still know the lyrics to most songs. The musical numbers, however, are all lip-synched and the audio/video synchronization is completely off. 

But again, in spite of all the flaws, I still was able to enjoy High School Musical.