*12* - Extra Ordinary (2019)

As I said it in other years, for the usual weekly entry I'm choosing what subject I can pick (if I can pick) from what I've seen in the days nearby, but for each blog anniversary and end-of-year I'm trying a bit more to find a title that's worth to be watched. Unfortunately, if in the beginnings of this I was reserving some time to see at least 3 movies, for some years I'm more focused on carefully choosing, hoping to find "the lucky one" from the first try, because there's no time for a second one. Now, I realize that I even got late to the "carefully choosing" part. Ergo: no chance for a 5/5. But "Extra Ordinary" is still a bit more than "ordinary" :)

Somewhere in Ireland: Rose Dooley is an auto instructor and the daughter + apprentice of the famous Vincent Dooley, ghost exorcist and paranormal expert. Former exorcist actually, because during a badly ended session he got crushed by a truck. So Rose, traumatized by the event, tries to focus on her more domestic job, although the community seems more productive in restless spirits and rising the number of scared potential customers than in people needing a driving license. And like that we get to Martin Martin who still lives with his late wife, deceased since 10 years. "The plot thickens", to directly quote the character, when Christian Winter, a "one-hit wonder" singer, having moved to Ireland to evade taxes, and becoming an expert in satanic rituals to find his way towards the 2nd-hit wonder, sets his eyes on Sarah Martin, the daughter of Martin Martin.

There's enough I guess to not get into spoilers. The movie is something like "Ghostbusters" meets Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg, but without Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. We have the same feel and dark humor as in "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz". Sometimes it might seem a bit silly, but everything is forgotten when we reach the final crescendo, getting more & more crazy by each scene, reaching its climax at the end (really, even for the VFX, where there's a major contrast with what you'd expect for the low-budget you just watched). It's not a masterpiece, but the actors are ok, the script is ok, we have a minimalist score that fits well, and most important: I laughed. And that doesn't happen often lately when seeing comedies (that's why I'm actually typically avoiding these).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

So, that's it for the 12 year anniversary. I still persist in continuing with probably the most unread blog in the country as views/days of existence :) (presumption not verified but highly probable). But well, moving on ;)...