SNL 41.6 Review - Matthew McConaughey, Adele

Original Airdate - 11/21/15

Just looking at that combination of host and musical guest, this looks like a powerhouse episode.  Matthew McConaughey is one of the hottest names going right now in Hollywood.  He has hosted before, but that was back in his romantic comedy hunk phase.  Now he is in his critically-acclaimed phase.  He can still be funny though.  As for Adele, nothing needs to be said.  So would the episode live up to the hype?  No ... no it could not...

Cold Opening

One of the more consistently entertaining segments SNL does right now is the Fox & Friends parody, partially because to exaggerate an already crazy concept, they have to completely fall off their rocker.  It makes for great cold openings.  This segment featured Dr. Ben Carson, brought to you by Jay Pharaoh, who completely nails the uncomfortably calm demeanor of the presidential hopeful.  However, the whole sketch was ruined when they cut the best part of the sketch every time.  At the end of every sketch, they run a list of ridiculous mistakes they have made so far in the show.  This is one of the funniest and most creative moments SNL has right now.  This time, they decided to cut this rolling scroll of one-liners in favor of yet another clip of Leslie Jones yelling at the camera.  Leslie Jones is funny, but she could have yelled at the camera in another sketch.  By putting it here, it ruined the sketch.

Monologue

I realized something from this monologue.  I would listen to Matthew McConaughey tell stories all day long.  He is going to make a great old man one day.  For his monologue, they simply send him out on stage to tell the story of the origin of his catchphrase, "All right, all right, all right."  Any time you can reference Dazed and Confused and Wooderson, it's a good day.  It was a fascinating story also.  It shows that a good monologue doesn't have to be an elaborate monologue.  More times than not, the opposite is true.

Weekend Update

To celebrate Thanksgiving, Colin and Michael decide to be in the giving mood by each writing a joke for the other one.  If you watch Weekend Update at all, you know Che rolls his eyes at most of Jost's punny punchlines, while Jost just doesn't have the guts to say what Che says.  Only two guests on Weekend Update this week.  First, we have a character brought back from a random sketch a couple seasons ago.  Vanessa Bayer is way too good at being a little kid.  She comes on as a child actor to read a few headlines and picks the most gruesome and morbid headlines to focus on.  It's not a great bit, but it wasn't bad either.  The star of this Update was David Ortiz, brought to you by Kenan Thompson.  Big Papi recently announced he would be retiring after the 2016 season, so the guys brought him on to discuss it.  What happened next sounded nothing like David Ortiz, but it was hilarious.

Best Sketch

As far as sketches go, this episode was pretty lackluster, which was disappointing with a talent like Matthew McConaughey in the building.  The best sketch was a prerecorded bit that used a concept I feel the show has used before back in the day.  It focused on a family getting together at the holidays that can't find a topic of conversation without arguing.  There is only one thing that can bring this holiday gathering together: Adele.

Worst Sketch

There were several candidates for this spot with as many sketches falling short.  The worst of these sketches was this game show called "Should I Chime In On This?"  The host would give a headline from the news of a controversial topic while loudmouth, uninformed contestants decide if they should chime in on this.  The host even says, the correct answer is always no.  However, the contestants can't help themselves.  It was a very interesting concept, and very telling of where our society is right now.  However, in execution the sketch just fell flat and wasn't funny at all.

Dark Horse Sketch

Usually, I take the Dark Horse Sketch from the post-Weekend Update portion of the show.  However, all those were terrible this episode so I picked a sketch that felt like it should have been in that portion that was pretty funny.  The premise was they have invented a 3D printer that could make a man.  They had three men on stage to try and show how their printed man blended in with other men.  This was one of the few sketches that showed McConaughey's true comedic ability, mainly his capacity for physical comedy.  It was fun.

Grade

I was hoping for such great things out of this episode.  I am a big Matthew McConaughey fan as he has shown he can pretty much do anything.  However, this SNL episode showed something he hasn't shown in quite some time; not comedy, but failure.  There were some decent moments, but this episode overall just didn't work.  I will say it was better than Donald Trump's episode, but that's not saying much.  Outside of Weekend Update, the monologue, and Adele belting out her latest music, the rest of the episode was pretty forgettable.

***C***

View the full episode here:

Skyfall (2012) Review

Directed by

Sam Mendes

Skyfall is one of the most refreshing experiences I have had at the movies in 2012. It is perhaps the first 2012 movie I have seen that is just completely in touch with its tone and what it wanted to accomplish. The Sam Mendes addition to the James Bond franchise is a very key movie for the series, and everything it has to offer clicks. I knew almost nothing about the movie going into the IMAX midnight premiere, and maybe that is the best way to go into a film of such high anticipation. All of the brilliant little details of the story and characters offer wonderful surprises and twists. Everyone seems to still anoint Casino Royale as the class of the modern Bond films, but this movie surpasses its two predecessors in substantial fashion.

I always find it hard to discuss the plotlines of Bond films without giving too much away. Tomorrow Never Dies is the “submarine one” and Die Another Day is the “one with the invisible car. The plot is always what makes the Bond films what they are, and to start discussing the plot would take a large chunk away from the experience I ran into that problem with my Quantum of Solace review, and I didn’t even really realize it until Terry tore my review apart. So, to avoid giving anything away, Skyfall is about the past coming back to haunt the characters. M (Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench) has her largest part in some time, and her back-story is one of the main parts of the film. Bond (Daniel Craig, in his best performance as 007) is on a mission to find a computer drive with the names of British Intelligence agents on it, leading him to the mastermind behind the ordeal Silva (Oscar-winner Javier Bardem). Bond clashes with MI6 and some new faces at the agency after a failed mission in which he is gunned down by fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) and believed to be dead. On the surface, the film’s story is a classic for the franchise, but never has the film really explored the dark shadows of the characters’ pasts quite like this one does. John Logan worked with Neal Pervis and Robert Wade, writers of the past two Bond films, to piece together what is the tightest script for a 007 film in many years. It is so interesting, filled with drama, suspense, believable character arcs, and surprises. I am glad that Logan and company signed on for the next two because this is really becoming its own franchise now, almost unrecognizable from the previous 20 films.

The acting in the film is superb. Daniel Craig owns Bond now. His demeanor is flawless, and his character here isn’t quite as rough as the previous films. He is scarred both emotionally and physically, and we are able to see another side of the coolest character ever in film. He still has that classic Bond charm, but it is in a different manner. He doesn’t really have the suave womanizer traits in this film, seeing as there really isn’t the “Bond Girl” this time around. It is much more about the distant past and confronting it. Judi Dench gives her finest M performance as well. Ralph Fiennes is underused, but as the film goes on it becomes more and more apparent why he is in the film. Naomie Harris was a nice addition to the cast. Ben Whisaw’s Q is refreshing and funny. Albert Finney is great. The movie is owned by Javier Bardem, though, who is a sure-fire Best Supporting Actor contender. He creates the most sinister and compelling Bond villain since the Connery Bonds. He is remarkable in this film, almost creating a character nearly as chilling as his Anton Chigurh, but in a different way. He is just one of those actors born to play villains.

What I most appreciated about this film, however, is how it pays homage to the past films in the franchise. The score is could have been from any number of the earliest Bond films. The fight scene choreography was less Bourne this time around and more tactical. The plot twists were subtle, and the character arcs were not forced. It all just felt totally authentic. The best element that the film has is the cinematography by the great Roger Deakins. It is by far the best shot film of the year. The set pieces were so calculated and beautiful. The fight scenes all seemed to be staged in a way that was unforgettable and haunting. The only comparison I can think of with that dynamic was last year’s Drive. The quieter scenes showed Bond returning to the shadows (both figuratively and literally). The opening chase scene was breathtaking, with one shot of him on cruising across rooftops on a motorcycle that looked like a shot out of a ‘60s Bond film. Deakins and Mendes work wonders for the look of the film. There are several shots that will not leave my memory for some time.

So, where does Skyfall stand in the film’s storied franchise? I have not seen 6 of the entries, but I put it just behind the pinnacle of all Bond films (and action films in general for that matter) Goldfinger. The song by Adele is amazing, the best one since Live and Let Die. Everyone still seems to love Casino Royale, and while that was one of the more daring and game-changing Bonds, this one is the film that marks the departure from the previous entries. It pays its homage, but then takes steps to create its own legacy. Sam Mendes is one of the best directors in the world, and I actually put this as his second best film as well (behind Best Picture-winner American Beauty, of course). Skyfall downright shocked me with how textured and confident it was. There are only a few middle scenes that are not necessarily paced right, which makes its almost two and a half hour running time seem a bit much, but other than that, this is about as good as a Bond film can get. If you think that they have milked everything they can out of that character, think again and go see this movie. Any casual fan of the franchise will find great thrills in it.

Rating: 3.5 stars