The Best and Worst of Mark Ruffalo

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Now You See Me 2" star Mark Ruffalo.

Films starring Mark Ruffalo that I've seen:
Windtalkers
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Zodiac
Shutter Island
The Kids Are All Right
Date Night
The Avengers
Now You See Me
Begin Again
Foxcatcher
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Infinitely Polar Bear
Spotlight

Best Performance: Foxcatcher (2014) 
This performance was the moment I realized just how gifted of an actor Ruffalo truly is. His turn as former Olympic champion wrestler David Schultz-who reluctantly decides to move into the estate of wrestling benefactor John du Pont (Steve Carrell) to help his younger brother Mark train (Channing Tatum) for the Olympics- is a masterclass in powerful, understated acting. When his character becomes a major cog in the story around the halfway mark, Ruffalo commands the screen and steals the spotlight from the similarly brilliant Carrell and Tatum with his powerful presence and raw, subtle emotion. If it wasn't for J.K. Simmons' electric performance in Whiplash, Ruffalo would've been the clear choice for Best Supporting Actor at the 87th Academy Awards.

Worst Performance: Begin Again (2014)
This is a textbook case of weak writing killing an actor's chances of giving a quality performance. Ruffalo plays a by-the numbers, stock character (a one-time successful music producer is reduced to a booze-and-depression-fueled slump until he unexpectedly stumbles upon a talented young singer that rejuvenates his creativity and passion for music) and despite his undeniable gifts as an actor, he just can't overcome the parade of cliches he was given to work with.

Best Film: The Avengers (2012)
The quality of the films in the vast Marvel film cannon is all over the place, especially since they started controlling the content of a majority of their films with the launch of Marvel Studios in 2012. The Avengers marks one of the handful of times where the comic giant absolutely nailed it. The Avengers is basically superhero film nirvana with its array of interesting characters, grand-scale action sequences, an excellent sense of humor and a great villain (Tom Hiddleston's Loki). Marvel is going to have an extremely difficult time making a film that matches or tops the level of fun and pure spectacle this film so effortlessly achieved.

Worst Film: The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The Kids Are All Right is one of those films that I feel got praised by critics and award shows simply because it's an indie movie that focuses on a lesbian couple. Yes it may have a nice message about equality and show sheltered and/or ignorant people who have never encountered a gay couple in their lives that they're relationship dynamics, issues, etc. are exactly the same as straight people's, but that doesn't mean it's an enjoyable piece of art. A majority of the characters are extremely unlikable, the acting from everyone besides Ruffalo and Julianne Moore is well below average and the ending is cornier and less organic than most of the movies that come out of mainstream Hollywood. For my money, this is one of the weakest films to be nominated for Best Picture during the 2010's so far.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Finding Dory" star Idris Elba. 

Quick Movie Reviews: The Nice Guys, X-Men: Apocalypse, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

The Nice Guys: Writer/director Shane Black's first original project since 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang very well could be his best work to-date. Black's flare for clever storyelling and excellent dialogue makes this pitch-black buddy cop comedy set in the seedy underworld of late 1970's Los Angeles pop off the screen with quirky, crackpot energy and a nearly non-stop level of fun. Matching the brilliance of Black's writing is the damn near perfect performances from Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in the lead roles. Crowe and Gosling are nothing short of electric together and they both demonstrate a level of comedic prowess they've never shown in any of their previous roles. The Nice Guys is exactly the type of endlessly entertaining and hilarious thrill ride that was needed to set the tone for the rest of the 2016 summer movie season. 
4.5/5 Stars

X-Men: Apocalypse: While it never reaches the soaring heights of its two predecessors (2011's First Class and 2014's Days of Future Past), Apocalypse still manages to be another satisfying and highly entertaining entry in the X-Men franchise. The action sequences are consistently well-executed and impressive performances from series newcomers Tye Sheridan (Cyclops) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler) makes an already impressive ensemble cast even stronger. The script has its share of issues with character development and a ridiculous overdub forces Oscar Issac's performance as the titular villain to fall flat, but even with its flaws, it's still pretty far ahead of the other superhero films released so far this year.

4/5 Stars

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping: The Lonely Island are certified modern comedy legends. The trio's second feature film following 2007's absurdist comedy masterwork Hot Rod is an early contender for best comedy of 2016 and easily one of the funniest films to be released in the past decade. Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer apply their trademark abstract humor to a relentlessly clever and hysterical mockumentary that takes aim at the superficial,excess-filled world of pop music. The performances from the entire cast-particularly Samberg as the the titular pop sensation Conner4Real, Tim Meadows as his manager and a real-life pop icon as his soft-spoken chef-are note-perfect and the 86-minute runtime is so jam-packed with jokes that it will take multiple viewings to catch all of them. Don't be surprised if this film joins the likes of Grandma's Boy and Super Troopers in the cult comedy hall-of-fame sometime in the next few years. 

4.5/5 Stars

2016 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Cornerbacks

50.Bene Benwikerie (Panthers)

49.Jeremy Lane (Seahawks)

48.Tramon Williams (Browns) 

47.Robert Alford (Falcons)

46.William Gay (Steelers)

45.Kevin Johnson (Texans)

44.K'uwan Williams (Browns)

43.E.J. Gaines (Rams)

42.Terrence Newman (Vikings)

41.Shareece Wright (Ravens)

40.Davon House (Jaguars)

39.Patrick Robinson (Colts)

38.Bradley Roby (Broncos) 

37.David Amerson (Raiders)

36.Russ Cockrell (Steelers)

35.Tramaine Brock (49ers) 

34.Kyle Fuller (Bears)

33.Xavier Rhodes (Vikings)

32.Kareem Jackson (Texans)

31.Delvin Breaux (Saints)

30.Malcolm Butler (Patriots)

29.Prince Amukamara (Jaguars)

28.Logan Ryan (Patriots)

27.Orlando Scandrick (Cowboys)

26.Joe Haden (Browns)

25.Sam Shields (Packers)

24.Marcus Peters (Chiefs)

23.Casey Hayward (Chargers)

22.Janoris Jenkins (Giants)

21.Jimmy Smith (Ravens) 

20.Ronald Darby (Bills)

19.Aqib Talib (Broncos)

18.Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Giants)

17.Captain Munnerlyn (Vikings)

16.Trumaine Johnson (Rams)

15.Bashaud Breeland (Redskins)

14.Sean Smith (Raiders)

13.Brent Grimes (Buccaneers)

12.Adam Jones (Bengals)

11.Jason Verrett (Chargers)

10.Darius Slay (Lions)

9.Desmond Trufant (Falcons)

8.Stephon Gilmore (Bills)

7.Jonathan Joseph (Texans)

6.Vontae Davis (Colts)

5.Darrelle Revis (Jets)

4.Josh Norman (Redskins)

3.Chris Harris Jr. (Broncos)

2.Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)

1.Richard Sherman (Seahawks)

2016 NFL Position Rankings: Top 25 Inside Linebackers

25.Denzel Perryman (Chargers)
24.Avery Williamson (Titans)
23.Koa Misi (Dolphins)
22.Paul Worrilow (Falcons)
21.Ryan Shazier (Steelers) 
20.Rolando McClain (Cowboys)
19.Alec Ogletree (Rams)
18.D'Qwell Jackson (Colts)
17.Kiko Alonso (Dolphins)
16.David Harris (Jets)
15.Karlos Dansby (Bengals)
14.Jordan Hicks (Eagles)
13.Daryl Smith (Buccaneers)
12.Brian Cushing (Texans)
11.Mychal Kendricks (Eagles)
10.C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
9.Lawrence Timmons (Steelers) 
8.Danny Trevathan (Bears)
7.Sean Lee (Cowboys)
6.Jerrell Freeman (Bears)
5.NaVorro Bowman (49ers)
4.Brandon Marshall (Broncos)
3.Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)
2.Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)
1.Luke Kuechly (Panthers)

Album Review: Chance the Rapper-Coloring Book

23-year old rapper/singer Chance the Rapper is living the dream. He's become one of the most in-demand and hyped artists in the hip-hop community since he dropped his breakout mixtape Acid Rap in April 2013 without the backing of a record label and he welcomed his first child into the world last September. His long-awaited second mixtape, Coloring Book, is a celebration of the blessings life has given him over the past few years. Unfortunately, not much of that joy carries over to the listening experience. 

Chance may be as happy and clear-minded as ever in his personal life, but his music has never been more confused. Where Acid Rap reflected a 20-year old kid that was completely confident in himself and the lifestyle he was living, Coloring Book represents a young man whose life has been completely uprooted and is now trying to figure exactly how these drastic life changers are going to effect him in the long-term. 

To say that Coloring Book suffers from an identity crisis would be a vast understatement. Over it's 55-minute runtime, it frequently teeters between being an R&B/soul, gospel, pop and drug-inspired hip-hop record. Pairing overblown, preachy Christian material ("How Great", "All We Got", "Blessings") that rely heavily on choirs and horns with trippy, keyboard and synth-driven songs that either directly deal with taking drugs or using them as metaphors for sex, love, etc. ("Same Drugs", "Smoke Break", "All Night") is not a combination that works on any sort of musical or emotional level. Frequently shifting genres may make for a unique sound, but when those shifts are as extreme and sudden as the ones on Coloring Book are, it makes for a record that feels incoherent and haphazardly assembled. 

Further ruining any chance Coloring Book had of establishing a coherent vision is the army of guest artists Chance enlisted to be on this project. I have no issue with a rapper throwing a handful of guest spots on their record to add variety and depth to a project, but what Chance did on Coloring Book is complete overkill. Chance seemed to be desperate to prove just how famous he's gotten since Acid Rap was released by bringing in over 20 artists-many of whom are wildly popular artists- to guest spot on this 15-track mixtape. As a result of having a legion of big-name artists featured throughout this record, he ends up taking a backseat on his own songs far too much and it results in a project that feels more like a bizarre group compilation album than a fully-fleshed out solo release.

The features are not only too frequent, they are almost exclusively terrible. With the exception of a pair of clever and amusing verses from 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne on "No Problem" and a shockingly tight set of bars from usual guest verse slacker Future on "Smoke Break", the guest spots on here range from unnecessary (T-Pain and Kirk Franklin on "Finish Line/Drown", Jeremiah on "Summer Friends") to flat-out embarrassing (Young Thug and Lil Yachty on "Mixtape", Kanye West on "All We Got"). Chance's choice to pad Coloring Book with a plethora of guest artists instead of taking the reigns himself plays a pivotal part in its inability to establish a consistent tone and sense of direction. 

For as flawed as Coloring Book is, there are a handful of times where everything comes together and Chance's special musical gifts shine through."Angels" is a damn near perfect slice of pop rap, "Juke Jam" is a beautiful ballad anchored by a truly stunning vocal passage from Justin Bieber and the aforementioned "No Problem" is a ridiculously catchy middle finger to the record labels that tried to interfere with the making of this record. The issue is that these moments of triumph are too infrequent to salvage the disjointed vibe that runs through this mixtape. Chance has way too much talent and creativity to give up on at this point in this career, it's just extremely disappointing that his first major release after the success of Acid Rap is something as middling and messy as Coloring Book.

2.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Angels (feat. Saba)
2.Juke Jam (feat. Justin Bieber and Twokio)
3.Blessings (reprise) (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)

Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2016 (as of 6/1/16)

10..letlive.-If I'm the Devil.... (Release Date: June 10th)
9.Gojira-Magma (Release Date: June 17th)
8.Despised Icon-Beast (Release Date: July 22nd)
7.A Day to Remember-Bad Vibrations (Release Date: August 19th)
6.Riff Raff-Peach Panther (Release Date: June 24th)
5.Thank You Scientist-Stranger Heads Prevail (Release Date: July 29th)
4.ScHoolboy Q-TBD (Release Date: July 8th)
3.Periphery-Periphery III: Select Difficulty (Release Date: July 22nd)
2.Every Time I Die-TBD (Release Date: TBD August)
1.Revocation-Great is Our Sin (Release Date: July 22nd)

Also excited for:
Beartooth-Aggressive (Release Date: June 3rd)
Gates-Parallel Lives (Release Date: June 3rd)
Volbeat-Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie (Release Date: June 3rd)
Vale of Pnath-II (Release Date: June 10th)
Red Hot Chili Peppers-The Getaway (Release Date: June 17th)
Iggy Azalea-Digital Distortion (Release Date: June 24th)
Rae Sremmurd-SremmLife2 (Release Date: June 24th)
Whitechapel-Mark of the Blade (Release Date: June 24th)
blink-182-California (Release Date: July 1st)
Night Verses-Into the Vanishing Light (Release Date: July 8th)
Clams Casino-32 Levels (Release Date: July 15th)
Black Crown Initiate-Selves We Cannot Forgive (Release Date: July 22nd)
Russian Circles-Guidance (Release Date: August 5th)
Skeletonwitch-The Apothic Gloom (Release Date: August 19th)

2016 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Outside Linebackers

50.Markus Golden (Cardinals)
49.Brooks Reed (Falcons)
48.Courtney Upshaw (Falcons)
47.Erik Walden (Colts)
45.Ahmad Brooks (49ers)
45.Trent Cole (Colts)
44.Trent Murphy (Redskins)
43.Manny Lawson (Bills)
42.Jelani Jenkins (Dolphins)
41.Shaq Barrett (Broncos) 
40.Anthony Hitchens (Cowboys)
39.Nigel Bradham (Eagles)
38.Jadeveon Clowney (Texans)
37.Aaron Lynch (49ers)
36.Robert Mathis (Colts)
35.Preston Smith (Redskins) 
34.Willie Young (Bears)
33.Akeem Ayers (Rams)
32.Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers)
31.Lamarr Houston (Bears)
30.Derrick Morgan (Titans)
29.Vontaze Burfict (Bengals)
28.Vincent Rey (Bengals) 
27.Telvin Smith (Jaguars)
26.Junior Gallette (Redskins)
25.Julius Peppers (Packers)
24.Connor Barwin (Eagles)
23.Elvis Dumervil (Ravens)
22.Bruce Irvin (Raiders) 
21.Melvin Ingram (Chargers)
20.Brandon Graham (Eagles) 
19.Whitney Mercilus (Texans)
18.Brian Orakpo (Titans)
17.Terrell Suggs (Ravens)
16.DeMarcus Ware (Broncos)
15.Aldon Smith (Raiders)
14.Anthony Barr (Vikings)
13.Ryan Kerrigan (Redskins)
12.K.J. Wright (Seahawks)
11.Dont'a Hightower (Patriots)
10.Pernell McPhee (Bears)
9.DeAndre Levy (Lions) 
8.Lavonte David (Buccaneers)
7.Clay Matthews (Packers)
6.Thomas Davis (Panthers)
5.Tamba Hali (Chiefs)
4.Jamie Collins (Patriots)
3.Khalil Mack (Raiders)
2.Justin Houston (Chiefs)
1.Von Miller (Broncos)