Paul Feig Director Showcase

With the release of The School for Good and Evil this month, I decided to watch through all 9 of Paul Feig's movies. Paul Feig has somewhat of a distinct style in his films. He leans pretty hard into the humor aspect whether it be slapstick humor in the Melissa McCarthy films or more subtle humor like in Last Christmas and A Simple Favor. While not a top-tier director, he is very good at making solid B movies that are always entertaining. I found some level of enjoyment in all of his films. With that being said, I am going to rank all 9 of Paul Feig's movies.

9. Unaccompanied Minors

Unaccompanied Minors is definitely the weakest of Paul Feig's films. While his later films are more geared toward adult humor, this movie is designed as a kids' movie. It has the occasional funny moment and it has some familiar actors from some TV shows that are fun to see (Ryan and Kelly from the Office and Fez from That 70s Show) but as a whole, it isn't particularly funny nor all that memorable. It also has a bit of a pacing issue with the film essentially having two third acts in its 90-minute run time. While it does have some sweet moments in there, overall it is just a pretty generic kids' movie with 1-dimensional characters and lackluster humor.

Score 5/10 Grade: C

8. Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters 2016 was Paul Feig's attempt to reboot the Ghostbuster franchise. However, the film ended up being a pretty generic blockbuster lacking any of the magic of the original. Granted, it is not near as bad or deserves all the hate it gets for being an all-female Ghostbusters movie but it definitely isn't good either. Just like the previous film on the list, the humor isn't really all that funny. Additionally, none of the Ghostbusters are really all that charming and they lack any sort of chemistry between them. The main redeeming quality is Chris Hemsworth as he really steals every scene he is in. In the end, if the movie would have ditched the connection to Ghostbusters and just been an original movie about girls fighting ghosts then I think it would have been much better received.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

7. I am David

I am David is the film that feels least like a Paul Feig film as it is very serious with little to no humor in the film. It is a nice little story about a boy trying to start a new life. It has some very moving moments and some sweet interactions. However, the story structure is just a bit off. The storytelling is very episodic, really consisting of David moving from one place to another meeting people in each "episode" and then leaving and moving on to the next. It also basically has no third act. I was watching the film and saw there were only 10 minutes left and wondered how everything would be resolved so quickly. The result was a very rushed ending that crams 30 minutes of a third act into a 10-minute ending and did not really work.

Score:6.5/10 Grade: B-

6. Last Christmas

Last Christmas is Paul Feig's much better attempt at a Christmas movie. It is a very sweet feel-good movie and has some fun characters to watch. Emilia Clarke was also a lot of fun in this movie and was a very likeable Part of its charm is also part of the reason it is held back for me and that is that the film is basically a movie one would watch on the Hallmark channel except with actors you have heard of. It is just a pretty generic feel-good Christmas movie which is just not really my kind of movie. It was also quite predictable. I figured out what the big "twist" would be about 10 minutes into the movie and exactly what you would expect from a movie like this. Overall, while it is a bit predictable and "Hallmarky", it does you make feel good and won't make you walk away regretting the watch.

Grade: 6.8/10 Grade: B-

5. The School for Good and Evil

This is Paul Feig's newest movie and is one of his most epic. This movie does a great job of world-building and introducing the audience to the school. The two leads are also very likable and have great character growth reflective of the school they were sent to. It also has some great magic action as well as some good sword fights. The thing that keeps this movie back is that there are quite a few plot lines that are left unresolved. There are things brought up in the first half that are made out to be important but then are never mentioned again. The film also feels about 20 minutes too long. Overall, this is a solid fantasy epic that could've made the top three had it been trimmed down.

Grade: 7/10 Grade: B

4. Spy

Spy is Paul Feig's take on the spy genre and stars Melissa McCarthy. This movie was a lot of fun to see. Seeing Melissa McCarthy as a spy action hero was so much fun and was not something I needed in my life until now. It has a lot of the action sequences, chase scenes, and shootouts that you would expect from a Spy film but with Melissa McCarthy in on all of the action. Jason Statham is also a lot of fun in this film as he is so over the top and steals every scene that he is in. The only thing holding this film back is that the plot in how they go about the mission is just a bit too convoluted but overall this is a fun action spy movie.

Grade: 7.2/10 Grade: B

3. Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is probably the film that Paul Feig is most known for. It is a lot of fun, very funny, and has some truly heartwarming moments in the end. The bridesmaids all have great chemistry with each other and share some really funny moments. Each event has something about it that is memorable whether it be the dress shopping, the bachelorette party, or the bridal shower. There is something to laugh at throughout the film. Of course, Melissa McCarthy is great in this film stealing every scene that she is in and delivering several memorable lines. The only thing that keeps this film from the top film is that Annie gets to be so unlikeable. The film tries to make you feel bad for her but in the end, she does some pretty selfish things that cause me to really not like her. Had they laid back a bit on her portrayal, this may have been my favorite film on this list.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

2. The Heat

The Heat is Paul Feig's take on the buddy cop action genre. The Heat is a really funny film. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy have such great chemistry together and both play their respective roles very well. There is also some good action in this film both with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. There are also a lot of fun side characters in the film including Mullins's family and the Albino officer. Overall just a solid buddy cop action film. The only thing that keeps this film from the top spot is that the plot is a bit too generic with just another story about two opposites having to work together to stop a drug lord. While it is not very original, it is still a lot of fun.

Score: 7.7/10 Grade: B

I. A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor is my favorite of the Paul Feig films. It is a mystery film mixed with a dark comedy and really worked for me. Anna Kendrick does a great job in her role, playing a very sweet innocent mom. I also really enjoyed the intrigue and mystery that is involved in the film. It gets to be very exciting at times with its thrills and suspense. Blake Lively is also very good in her role as the mysterious friend and has a lot of chemistry with Anna Kendrick. Overall, this is just a solid film with good character, a compelling story, and a great mystery, and is top-tier Paul Feig to me.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+