This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A foul-mouthed teddy bear and a heroic dog are the new contenders to battle dinosaurs at the box office.
"Ted 2" is like most Seth MacFarlane projects: Funny in parts, a drag in other parts. Ted, the living teddy bear, gets married to his floozie girlfriend Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) — but then has to go to court to get his civil rights when the state of Massachusetts rules he's not a person. The jokes are scathingly profane, and some of them are quite hilarious. But, when MacFarlane (who directs, co-wrote and gives Ted his voice) strains to equate Ted's plight to slavery and the fight for gay marriage, the movie strains from the weight.
"Max" is a flag-waving adventure drama, about a Marine-trained dog whose handler (Robbie Amell) is killed in action in Afghanistan. The dog, Max, is returned to the Marine's family in Texas, and cared for by his jaded teen brother (Josh Wiggins). The boy-and-his-dog story is charming, but the story veers into ridiculousness when it becomes an overamped "Scooby Doo" episode involving arms deals and Mexican drug cartels.
The best of the week is "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It's a touching mix of comedy and tragedy, as a movie-loving outsider teen (Thomas Mann) befriends a classmate (Olivia Cooke) who has been diagnosed with leukemia. The performances — by Mann, Cooke, newcomer RJ Cyler, and grown-ups Connie Britton, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal — are sharp, funny and authentic. (Read The Cricket's interview with Mann, Cooke, Cyler and director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.)
"The Strongest Man" is an amiably offbeat character study, about a Cuban-born construction worker who philosophizes about life — until his most prized possession, his gold BMX bike, is stolen. The meandering story gets tedious in places, but the gentle humor and characters are enjoyable. (The movie's director, Salt Lake City native Kenny Riches, will be attending Sunday's 7 p.m. screening at the Tower Theatre.)
Lastly, "A Little Chaos" is a dull period piece, with Kate Winslet as a headstrong gardener hired to create a spectacular fountain in the garden of Versailles for King Louis XIV (played by Alan Rickman, who also directed). The story gets bogged down in palace intrigue and an unconvincing romance between Winslet's character and the king's royal gardener (Matthias Schoenaerts).