The D Train

Way beyond my expectations.

Jack black was nothing but hysterical. Honestly could not stop laughing at him.

James Marsden make a fantastic side kick to Black's fantastic performance.

Another great Jack Black movie written by Mike White who also wrote School of Rock.

Black plays the head of his 20 year high school reunion committee who after seeing one of his classmates, Oliver lawless played by Marsden in a national TV commercial, weaves a very tangled web to get the coolest guy in the school to come to the reunion so he can be a hero but his quest turns out a little disastrous.

This movie impressively went places I did not expect and turn out some real funny results that change how I see Bromance movies forever.

This one you got to see.

It is really hard to know quite what to make of this movie. I am inclined to think it's a hair away from being a masterpiece or just trash.

I usually don't pay too much attention to which actors are or aren't in something, or rather usually I prefer to not recognize any actors, but the presence of Jack Black in here gives it a certain credibility, and his impeccable comic timing makes this that much more palatable.

A very dark story about how much of our identity hinges on who were were as youths and how our lives go down hill from there. The plot demands that you believe that a class reunion could be that much of a big deal. It throws its own hands up at one point and tries to hand wave a plot hole by making it an oversight by the main character but it's still just a plot hole.

Things take a very awkward turn half way through in a way I did not see coming. It's an intentionally discomforting movie where things can get quite excruciating. It's a tricky balancing act, not going over board with that kind of thing and overall this movie, despite its intelligent armoury of characterisation and nuance, doesn't quite pull its ambitious story off. Having said that I'm very glad this movie found its audience there were people who could get out of this movie the very particular thing it had to give.

It rather smugly ends thinking it's resolved all it characters problems but it hasn't.

3 and under are reserved for movies in which the acting is garbage. the acting in this movie is good.

the movie is the problem.

jack black has chops, but they're wasted in this movie. mr. marsden also sells it. the acting isn't what's wrong with this movie. what's wrong is: what? why did we, the audience, just watch this? it was everywhere, all over the place, and had no landing. it just sort of was.

in a few weeks someone will be talking to me about the movie about that guy at the reunion where he got buttf*cked, and i'll say: "Idunno man. Idunno what you're talking about." Then he'll mention Jack Black, and I'll say, "Oh, I think there was a Netflix thing that sucked where he was a salesman of some kind, and that dude from the transgender show who is really popular was his boss." we'll both agree that that's the movie we both saw, then we'll go back to our desks.

the end.

that's where this ends.

...Which is odd, to say the least.

If you love film, you'll find something to take from this. If it's just simple entertainment you seek, best look elsewhere.

It's a puzzler - read some of the polarising reviews - in a way, it reminded me of Jim Carrey in 'The Cable Guy'; you don't get what you expect, and that can be a shock to some, and a boon to others.

Interestingly, and unexpectedly, I now think more of Jack Black - mayhap he just hasn't had the right vehicle to stretch his talents fully in, yet.

It's never going to make the pantheon, but it does have some things of merit; not least of which is the ability to make you cringe whilst not looking away. The how-can-it-possibly-be-resolved expectation is uncomfortably high.

I liked it; the discomfort, as it dawns on you, is tremendous and it walks its' line well - not subtle, but hey - I imagine the studio execs having a nightmare trying to decide how to market this. Whether it dawns on you, or slaps you in the face, will depend...

Once you've watched it, just think on that for a minute - because that vapid 'Tries to get reunion together' rubbish just doesn't cover it, does it?

Loved the soundtrack - especially the INXS lyricism - and some of the lines were priceless. (Lawnchairs)

I liked it. I feel the ending was rushed a little, but then, how else to cover bases?

I was a little surprised by this movie, because it had some layers that I didn't really expect. Now, I can't go into much detail about these layers, because I want to be totally spoiler free, but they are there.

The D Train is listed as a comedy, but I think it's more of a comedy/drama, because, like I said, it's not all silly fun. The comedy is often silly, it is Jack Black after all, but when it is serious, it is serious. I kind of felt for Jack Blacks character. He does some dumb stuff indeed, but he is also tossed into a couple of situations he doesn't know quite how to tackle. (here those aforementioned layers comes to play)

I don't laugh that easily, so when I watch a comedy I first and foremost want to be entertained, not laugh. And I was entertained by this movie. It did make me chuckle a couple times too, though.

I think part of the reason for this movies relatively low score (here on IMDb) is exactly that it is not a clean comedy, and definitely not a clean drama, it falls between two chairs, and maybe some are confused by that. We do love to define stuff, don't we? Us humanoids that is. Yes we do.

Anyway, it's an alright movie with some heart, some drama and some goofiness. Not your worst, not your best.