Since I started the SNL 40 Reviews really late (as in November 22 late), I'm giving us a quick catch-up of the season before the 17th, when the show returns like with Kevin Hart as host and Sia as musical guest. So, of course, let's begin with the season premiere, which I thought, right off the bat as the best episode so far this season, and might keep its title after the mediocre episodes that aired after it.
Host Chris Pratt has had a huge year. Besides starring in the ultra-praised Parks and Recreation, he's also done big things in film, starring in The Lego Movie, one of the biggest-selling and best-reviewed animated films of all time and Guardians of the Galaxy, the second-biggest-selling film of the year and the best film I saw at the movies, and in will be starring in Jurassic World coming later this year, among others. So there's no denying that he a big movie star and will continue to be for the next few years. And that's big enough to be the first host of SNL big historic fortieth season.
So let's get started with the first cold open...which was boring as hell and tedious.
It's a spoof of CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crawley, who as you know is leaving the network in . Aidy Bryant portrays Crowley and her guests were former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (Kenan Thompson) and hall-of-famer Shannon Sharpe (Jay Phaoroh). Host Chris Pratt briefly appears as Commissioner Roger Goddell.
This was barely funny and was frustrating for the most part, because Aidy messes up a few of her lines and makes this skit slower than it should be. Kenan and Jay do their best, but does save this sketch from being a wallbanger, but doesn't make it great. I know 5 minutes is kinda long, even for the SNL opening sketch, but this dragged on for what felt like between 10 minutes and an eternity. I feel sorry for the members in this sketch, but their performances don't make it work.
And now that that's over, "Live form New York, It's Saturday Night"! (sorta.)
Now for a bit (I promise), let's talk about the latest title sequence. My God, is it beautiful. Like pretty much every open, it features sweeping shots of New York City mixed together with the starring and featured cast members. What makes the cast shots cool, is that their names, when shown, move with their movements. And then their initials are briefly. Also, the wonderful retro vibe the sequence gives off. The camera angles and shots like like those of the 70s (Check out the sequence from the first seasons on YT for comparison).
After being blown away by the open, the awesome-ness continued onto the host set, where Chris performed his monologue. His wife, actress Anna Faris, appears to show him major support. The Mono song was a goofy and awkward ditty, and that made it funny and sweet.
Straight after, a pre-taped sketch mocking Cialis about a strange prescription medicine for erectile dysunction...while having the feeling of going to the club and getting crazy...also known as getting turnt up. (ugh) It's called Cialis Turnt. (sigh)
It's funny, but also corny. This is a pre-taped that isn't about a current event topic. This fake Cialis ad could've aired during the 30-something seasons and would've fit perfectly.
He-Man & Lion-O
The Sketch After the Monologue features Kyle Mooney as a young boy named Danny who makes a wish on his birthday for his toys, He-Man & Lion-O from Thundercats, to come to life. (Why this sketch with 80s toys that takes place in this decade is beyond me) After the blow on his candle (and some mysterious lights coming from nowhere for a few seconds), his wish actually comes true. His action figure toys (Pratt and Taran Killam, respectively), have become human-sized and interactive with Danny. But things don't go to plan; they instead want his Birthday cake, like his older sister, find joy in touching their privates (which the sensation of them suddenly growing also give them a liking). Danny's mother also takes a liking to them. Creepy.
This was a super funny skit, playing off the fact that the toys have barely brains to use and do whatever tickles their fancy. Also, although Ari did a really good job as She-Ra, I felt she didn't need to be in this sketch other than to wear She-Ra's outfit. Replace her with any white female member and not much changes. It just feels the same. All in all, this was a weird yet funny sketch.
Vet Office 2
Next up--oh God!! I hate this crap sketch!! This recurring stinker of a sketch debuted last season in Episode #9 hosted by Josh Hutcherson. It's a sketch at an animal hospital, where the nurses are talking about their day and help visitors with their pets' medical problems in terrible ways. This was the worst sketch, and since this sketch felt like one that felt one-and-done, I really didn't expect it to come back this season. It wasn't funny, it was really forced, and those Southern accents were God-awful.
I honestly don't have the time to explain more. I HATE THIS SKIT!
Marvel Trailer
Fortunately, something great came after that.
This pre-tape is loosely based on Marvel's success after Guardians of the Galaxy, a very obscure and almost unknown comic book turned into a huge monster smash movie and one of the biggest of the year. So in this spoof, the company decides to replicate the success by producing and releasing films that are completely made-up and have no story to build off from. They pretty much know they'll make a lot of money, just by slapping the Marvel name on top. THIS. IS. GENIUS!!
It just has to be funny and creative to take the success of something no one's heard of, and mock it in the way of other things no one knows about and release them to huge success. Great job, writers. Great job. Although the repeated use of the start of Hooked on A Feeling was annoying.
Booty Rap
The next sketch takes place at a bar, where a group of ladies and a bunch of guys separately have a night out. One of the ladies (Aidy) goes to one of the guys (Chris) tries to ask him out, and does so in a very...liberating manner.
The guy also has a way of peeking his interest.
I'm gonna say this: This is funny as hell. The fact that it started out as a normal, random sketch and turned into this absurd, out-of-nowhere rap-song-skit based off of Nicki Minaj's annoyingly popular "Anaconda". This was a genius concept and genius execution. Chris is genius with his lines about buttering them biscuits and flapping them jacks and CRACK-CRACK-CRACK, but using Aidy as the lady rapping to ask the guy out was a gold mine. Her mannerism and her having, and I quote, "a big fat ass" really make it work just as well. This just has to be one of my favorite sketches.
Bad Boys Pre-Tape
Later, another pre-taper; this time by Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett, with Pratt appearing as their friend Maxie. It's pretty much a parody of sitcoms from the 90s. Right down to the post-production, dialogue, camera work and segues. And it's genius...but at first I was confused by it. But now I noticed, that's the point. It's supposed to be confusing. With the way 90s sitcoms were like, that makes sense. And that makes it all the more funny.
NFL Intros
The NFL on CBS is the setup for the following skit. Players of the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers appear for the usual roll call (you know, their name, rank, and college they went to). But instead of that last one, the players instead state physical or mental crimes they all committed over the past several years.
This was a hilarious sketch all around. But the funniest part came when LesJones comes in unexpectedly to say a crime she committed: Hitting her husband right back. I laughed so hard I thought I whole the neighborhood! (Okay, maybe I didn't do that; but it was still hilarious.)
And finally, the last sketch of the episode is Puzzle World 6, in which a group of game testers try out a new game. The game is very simple, with two characters on the side to help out (Pratt and Vanessa Bayer) But after they finish level, they do some...things.
Wow, this was too funny. Especially when the level is reached. The things the characters did, especially the "war scars" thing left me a little breathless.
Her first song "Break Free" was very impressive. Starting off in acoustic version played piano, her voice was really good, and the music was amazing. Then she jumped off the piano and runs to the stage, performing the studio version. I was happy she performing both versions, but I thought she tried too hard when she performed the rest of it on the stage. I though this performance was really good, but the second was even better.
For the first time ever, I heard what I thought was her best song yet, "Love Me Harder" with The Weeknd. Her voice was even better, the beat sent me good shivers and Weeknd's vocals were just as great. They both work great together. This song would be favorite Ariana song ever.
So overall, I loved both songs. Very solid performing from Ms. Grande.
Update Time:
Part 1:
Part 2:
This ep aired way before I began the reviews, so I'll say my thoughts in hindsight.
Well, the new Update team that everyone has been waiting for for months (especially since Cecily Strong announced that she's leaving to return to the sketches full-time) finally came. Now before I get to my sympathy toward them without sounding like a hypocrite and liar: I will say my opinion now, they were terrible together at first sight...but they weren't an abomination like everyone thought.
Colin Jost barely improved from last season and Michael Che was really bad. But hey, there's a reason: Jost was only a co-anchor for half a season; that's not enough time to improve and make a name for yourself (although that did happen for the worse), and Che is new to SNL, at least on-camera. No matter how much you want to criticize them, you seem to forget that they just happened to be a new team. You gotta give them time to grow as a team to really make an opinion about them. I figured this would happen; in fact, I myself felt this team wouldn't work.
Because of this, the producers decided to give viewers a final goodbye to Cecily at the Update desk full-time in the form of A Girl You Wish You Haven't Started A Conversation With At a Party, who appears to discuss the Ebola virus. She hasn't missed a beat. She's as great as the first time we saw her. Also, she made a passing reference to her short time as co-anchor with Colin with this:
"Who is that?" "That's Colin."--
"He looks like my ex. He died at Burning Man."
Making her second appearance, after her controversial debut last season, Relationship Expert Leslie Jones talks about dating in this new decade and the questions surrounding them.
-At the time, I said this the minute she appeared on the desk: She needs to be a cast member! She is FUNNY, and shows it too. I know her humor isn't for everyone, but I know it's for me, so when the announcement came that she would become a featured cast member, I just said this: "HELL YEAH!! THANK YOU, GOD!!!" So this would become the start of her mark on the show, and it's gonna be documented here from start to finish.
--
Making his debut as, new cast member Pete Davidson (the first member to be born in the 90s) also really make his mark, by discussing his thoughts on a young man being caught -- of being a sexual position with a statue of Jesus Christ: that's talking about a game called "Would You Go Down on a Guy", which is being asked if you'd have sex with another dude for a lot of money.
-My goodness, this young man is hilarious! His goofy bravado, awkward mannerisms and jokes make his segment hilarious and one to talk about. It's great that Lorne and the producers chose Pete to join the cast, because he has talent and proves he has talent. I hope he appears again on Update as this schtick, because this is genius. But not too much, it's really genius.
So after watching this first offering of the newest Update, it left me with some desire for them to get better. And as the season will progress, they'll get through improvement, for better or worse.
So as I said, best episode of the season so far. Chris gave his all in the sketches and the cast did amazing. I laughed hard at almost all of them and found them all great, hoping the next episodes will be like this. But this is SNL so that's not gonna happen. And as the next reviews prove, my instincts (along with the comments on the TV-show websites) would be correct.
No comments:
Post a Comment