Ask Mikey Book Reviews Movie Reviews Recipes

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  Review: Wayne, others score on Young Money album

  Lil Wayne isn’t just the founder of Young Money Cash Money Billionaires, he’s the rap squad’s captain, too. And on “Rise of an Empire,” Weezy plays his role well, anchoring a winning compilation from the camp, and making up for last year’s lackluster “I Am Not a Human Being II.”“All y’all that lashed out, I’ll come see what that’s ‘bout, but you don’t need to call the fireman, to put a (expletive) match out,” Wayne rhymes on “Moment,” his singular solo contribution to the group’s latest release.Weezy is energetic on the D.A.-produced “Senile,” trotting out what sounds like a Drake-inspired flow, while Tyga dishes up a solid but forgettable verse in addition to his duties on the hook. Nicki Minaj drops in on “Senile,” too, but she’s best on another single, the ruthless “Lookin (Expletive) (Expletive).” The song pleased Minaj’s Barbz, but the colorful rapper drew heavy criticism when she used a photo of Malcom X with a rifle in his hands and juxtaposing it with a racial slur for the track’s artwork.That song, along with Drake’s Hit-Boy-produced single “Trophies,” certainly got fans buzzing about the new album, but the group’s top-billers aren’t the only ones doing their part.Newcomer Euro holds his own as the only other YMCMB star commanding a solo track on the compilation, and he proves himself deserving of the honor. The Dominican Republic-born rapper deftly narrates his rise from “ripped shoes. to water views,” establishing himself as one to watch on “Induction Speech.”YMCMB regulars Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz and Mack Maine pull their own weight, too, muscling up on “Fresher Than Ever,” also featuring Birdman and Flow. Gudda, Millz and Maine also appear on “You Already Know,” featuring and produced by Maroon 5 keyboardist and YMCMB signee PJ Morton. But while both the producer and rappers seem to be doing their respective jobs, the collaboration doesn’t quite pay off.

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  A speedy, robust take on a classic: shepherd’s pie

  When it comes to shepherd’s pie, there are those who tow a rather strict line, and there are those who go with the comfort food flow.The former group will maintain that shepherd’s pie must be made with only certain meats and certain toppings, and must be prepared in a certain way. I fall into the latter group, a freewheeling bunch willing to reinvent shepherd’s pie based on whim and convenience.In my case, so long as there is a meat — any meat will do — on the bottom, corn on top of that and some sort of buttery mashed something over it all, I’m willing to call it good. I even do a quick version that involves no baking whatsoever. The meat and corn are browned in skillets while the potatoes are boiled and mashed nearby. Then I assemble individual portions directly onto serving plates.I’m even willing to be liberal with the very name of the dish. When I was a child, I’d actually never heard of shepherd’s pie. My great-grandmother always called it Chinese pie, a bit of a New England regionalism I’ve never been able to suss out the origins of. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my Chinese pie was everyone else’s shepherd’s pie.And so with all due respect to the purists who will claim this is no shepherd’s pie, I give you this wonderful version that begins with a blend of sausage and ground bison, and ends with buttery-brown sugar mashed sweet potatoes.Sweet potato and bison shepherd’s pie

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  Marine veteran writes three-part novel on his life

  Marine veteran Robert Serocki Jr. always knew he wanted to serve his country, dating back to when he was 5 years old and living in Detroit.He served his country in the United States Marine from 1988 to 1992, also serving in the first Gulf War in 1990.Serocki Jr. said he planned on making a career inside the military, attending U.S. Corps Marine Scout Sniper School in Southern California and being top of his class.He was told by his commanding officers that he would be a perfect drill instructor for the Marines.Serocki Jr. said it was something that he always wanted to pursue, but after serving in the Gulf War he decided he was done serving in the military.When he entered civilian life, Serocki Jr. bounced around to different occupations from being a rodeo cowboy to expanding his own landscaping business.

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  ‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ is a pleasant surprise

  A few weeks ago we got “The LEGO Movie,” an animated feature that looked like a disaster waiting to happen. Since its release, however, the film has become a box office hit and received praise from virtually every human being on the planet, myself included. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is another family movie that seemed destined to flop at first glance. A modern day 3-D extravaganza based on a 1960s cartoon that was never even so great to begin with? I smell another “Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.”Against all the odds, though, “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is actually a pleasant surprise from DreamWorks Animation. It doesn’t completely hit it out of the park like “The LEGO Movie” or the Oscar-winning “Frozen.” But it is much better than any “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” movie has any right to be.For all those who didn’t grow up watching “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” Mr. Peabody is a sophisticated, talking dog who’s a scholar in everything from history, to engineering, to culinary arts, to time traveling. He’s all Brian the dog from “Family Guy” ever aspired to be. Peabody, voiced here by Ty Burrell of “Modern Family,” adopts a young boy named Sherman (Max Charles), who’s always eager to learn although he occasionally forgets to use his brain. Some people question whether it’s ethically right for a dog to raise a child. Of course the more pressing questions are how a dog can talk, why doesn’t the government seize his time machine, and what will happen to Sherman when Mr. Peabody dies at 14 of old age. Then again, none of that really needs to be addressed in a film like this.Peabody and Sherman have a number of escapades across time in the WACAC Machine. Sherman misguidedly shows the time traveling device to Penny, his classmate/rival voiced by Ariel Winter. From there, the film plays out like a series of vignettes along the lines of “History of the World: Part 1” meets “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” The gang crosses paths with the likes of Stanley Tucci as Leonardo da Vinci, Zach Callison as King Tut, and, best of all, Patrick Warburton as a thickheaded King Agamemnon.There’s also a nice moral in there about unlikely families and what it means to be a parent. But much like “Despicable Me 2,” “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is really more about just making the audience laugh and that’s not at all a bad thing. Director Rod Minkoff of “The Lion King” pumps the film with colorful animation, fun characters, clever gags, and plenty of hyper cartoon action to go around. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” offers no more and no less, delivering exactly what the target audience desires. If that sounds like your cup of tea, the film should be something you’ll really like.• Ahwatukee native and Desert Vista graduate Nick Spake is a student at Arizona State University. He has been working as a film critic for five years, reviewing movies on his website, NICKPICKSFLICKS.com. Reach him at nspake@asu.edu.

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  ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ is repetitive

  When “300” came out almost seven years ago, you probably either thought it was the coolest movie of all time or the lamest movie of all time. While it was dumb and silly, the film’s glorified violence, striking look, and classic one-liners did admittedly have an effect on the macho dinosaur in me. The sad truth is that the style over substance appeal of “300” is only good for one movie. The first time you see such eye candy popping out at the screen, it’s friggin’ awesome. The second time around, it’s about as repetitive as watching Optimus Prime transform over and over again. That’s just one of the reasons why “300: Rise of the Empire” is dead on arrival.This long awaited sequel of sorts shifts focus from Leonidas and his merry men to the Greek navy. They’re lead by general Themistokles, played by Sullivan Stapleton who can’t hold a candle to Gerard Butler. On the opposing team is Eva Green as Artemisia, a Greek dominatrix now playing for the Persian army. It’s nearly impossible to remember any of these characters by name, as they’re all interchangeable blank slates lacking any humor or personality. Granted, a few have interesting back-stories, such as Rodrigo Santoro as good old Xerxes. However, the exposition is so rushed through dull narration that you never develop an emotional connection to anyone.But what am I doing using words like “emotion” in a review of “300?” Nobody going to see this movie will care about the character development or the hero’s journey. What they will care about is super slow mo action, CGI blood, pointless nudity, CGI backdrops, unintentionally hilarious sex scenes, CGI everything, speeches ripped-off from superior historical war epics, and more action. What’s really shocking is that “300: Rise of an Empire” can’t even deliver a descent action set piece.Much of the film takes place on giant, bland ships on the bland, dark sea. Restricting the major battles to one environment backfires big time, making the already repetitive action feel even more repetitive. The vibrant colors of the original film are meanwhile traded in for a grimy look as rain pours on our topless heroes. Director Noam Murro can occasionally produce a nice shot. But for the most part, he’s made quite a lifeless looking film that’s a pale imitation of Zack Snyder’s original.“300: Rise of an Empire” is without any applause worthy kills. It doesn’t have a single quotable line of dialog. The film isn’t even memorable enough for the likes of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer to “parody.” Halfway through, you’ll find yourself thinking, “This is actually kind of boring.” When it’s all over, you’ll be thinking, “Seriously, that was it?” The fact that a movie such as this isn’t even mindlessly entertaining is the greatest sin of all.• Ahwatukee native and Desert Vista graduate Nick Spake is a student at Arizona State University. He has been working as a film critic for five years, reviewing movies on his website, NICKPICKSFLICKS.com. Reach him at nspake@asu.edu.

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  ‘Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me’ reminds us that comedy is hard

  To this generation, Elaine Stritch is probably best known for playing Alec Baldwin’s overbearing mother on “30 Rock.” Before she was Colleen Donaghy, however, Stritch already had quite the résumé. In a showbiz career that’s now spanned roughly seven decades, she’s done it all, from movies, to television, to radio, to cabaret. Stritch cemented herself as a performing legend on the Broadway stage, starring in countless plays and finally winning a Tony for her one-woman show back in 2002.As you might have guessed, Stritch is the focus of “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me,” the debut documentary feature from Chiemi Karasawa. Whether or not you’ll like the film all relies on how much you like Elaine Stritch as a human being. As far as I’m concerned, the notion of somebody not enjoying Stritch’s company is inconceivable. Her various friends, assistants, and colleagues, which includes Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, and the late James Gandolfini, seem to agree.Stritch has always stood out with her eccentric wardrobe of hats, ties, and furs, but no pants. She’s also clearly the most outgoing 87-year-old actress working today. Completely unapologetic, she isn’t afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind to the camera. We get a lot of hilarious incites into Stritch’s personal life as she reminisces of meeting JFK and experiencing her first orgasm. While stocking and sometimes unpredictable, Stritch mainly comes off as a loving individual who cares deeply for the people in her life and the people she’s lost.The life of the party in public and a riot on stage, one might assume that Stritch could keep going with no end in sight. The sad truth is that Stritch’s age and diabetes have taken a toll on her health in recent years. Being an on again, off again alcoholic hasn’t helped. There are several brave moments when Stritch lets down her defenses and reveals how tired she’s become. Stritch has accepted that her death is inevitable. But that still doesn’t stop her from getting back on stage and putting her own unique spin on “I Feel Pretty.”Stritch plans to retire in 2014, or 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or 2018. One can only hope Stritch lives forever and keeps performing until the end of time. When Stritch does leave this earth, though, at least she’ll be leaving behind a rich body of work and a film that encourages us all to live life to the fullest. Stritch further reminds us that dying is easy, but comedy is hard.• Ahwatukee native and Desert Vista graduate Nick Spake is a student at Arizona State University. He has been working as a film critic for five years, reviewing movies on his website, NICKPICKSFLICKS.com. Reach him at nspake@asu.edu.