Movies 2

I, Tonya

 At first I didn't want to see this since I remembered the story so well. (I thought)  When you add in the back story and the story of Tonya Harding's Mother and the tale of her boyfriend's friends. Wow!
Great cast and great story.   It is ****star. 2018 movie 6

Black Panther

As tired as I get with Super hero stuff, I was grateful for this story with a great message for today.  The Villian seemed more James Bond than  some Destroying a city ending.  ***** star.
2018 Movie 7

Annihilation

Alien arrival on earth or is it?  A remote section of the country has been taken over by something and every scouting party that goes in vanishes.  Now an all woman team goes in (2018). Good flick with Alien and  Close Encounters  elements.   Enjoyed it.  ***1/2 stars. 2018 Movie 8

Red Sparrow

Movie for today's headlines;  Russian Spy stuff. Raw story. Well done.  Hard R.  **** stars. 2018 movie 9.

Gringo

Fun Stupid Movie. Great with popcorn. Great Fun.  ***stars.  2018 Movie 10

Tomb Raider

Remake, since we are now requiring strong female leads.  Laura Croft is back and the sequels are already planned.  Fun action.   ***stars.  2018 movie 11

Fall Movies 2

Same Kind of Different Than Me is a very good movie and true story./ Well acted and directed and it will give you all the encouragement you need to help those less fortunate. ***1/2 stars  2017 Movie 38

Thor- Ragnarok: Ok movie about super hero stuff. OK popcorn movie. **1/2stars  2017 Movie 39

Murder On the Orient Express: Great remake and very enjoyable. Great cast. ***stars, 2017 Movie 40

Daddy's Home 2: Guilty Pleasure   ***stars   2017 Movie 41

Wonder: One of the year's best movies. great story about coping and bullys. Great cast. The boy star is the same kid from the great movie "Room".  I give ****stars; 2017 Movie 42

Roman J Israel, Esq:  Anything by Denzel Washington is good. ***1/2 stars; 2017 movie 43

Last Flag Flying:  Great Movie, Great cast, and one of my favorite directors. blends two stories of Vietnam war and Iraq and the effects on veterans and families.  *****stars, 2017 Movie 44

Catching Up at the Movies

Weird collection of movie:  An aging superhero, a monster from my youth and a Shack.

"Logan" is of course the "Wolverine" of the X-Men series. And as any animal, he is getting long in the tooth.  This is one of those stories of passing the torch to a younger version of him although a girl.  It is a fitting end for Logan. I had to see it through but lets face it Logan needs to rest.

2017 Movie #10   I give it ***stars.

"The Shack" is a movie that I dreaded like i dreaded the book. Having dealt with the death of a daughter (actually never finishing), it is not entertainment.  The movie in many ways is better than the book because it condenses without missing the point.  The gist of the story is the importance of our connection with God and our friends and family.  People debate the theology that is implied in the book, but the message is much simpler. Sometimes we have to get out of our way and our mind and open up to God and open up to see those who love us and need our love.  Hate and guilt and grudges keep us bottled up.  I loved this version of the story.

2017 Movie #11  I give it ****1/2 stars

Ok, "Kong, Skull Island" is a pleasure of my youth.  I loved King Kong as a kid. It was the first story of greed and men who just want to make money if it it risk people and things. King Kong was one of those Things.  This retelling is filled with Hollywood A-list actors and is great action fun.  not was what I needed to end the week.  AND I liked it in 3D.

2017 Movie #12  I give it **** stars

Fall Movies 2

The Good movies are starting to arrive but not soon enough. Went to see three more:

"Inferno" was just OK. I see almost anything that Tom Hanks is in and with Ron Howard directing I know  the story will make sense.  Dan Brown's book are a little much for me but the movie was entertaining. **1/2 stars; 2016 movie 34

"Keeping up with the Jones'" was just a fun popcorn movie. Good actors, witty dialogue.  Fun in the dark with popcorn. **1/2 stars; 2016 movie 35

"Hacksaw Ridge" is a different horse. This is a true story that I used in my Sunday School  class for two weeks before the movie arrived. You can go on YouTube and see an 18 video about the true events that are portrayed and listen to the real Desmond Dodd tell his tale. A Seventh  Day Adventist who enlisted in the Army in WW2 but refused to fight but became a Medic. It is a story of living out your faith and great heroism.  It has harsh war scenes not for the timid.  If you can stand the battles the rest is very fulfilling.  I give it *****stars; 2016 movie 36

Catching up on movies

Over the break the family went to see "Zootopia" for the second time. Yes, it is that good.

2016 Movie #9

Then last night we went a saw "Allegiant" based on the third book in the Divergent series.  The popcorn was good and some of the sci-fi ideas of the future were cool, but not a great movie.  Would not see it again. But I read the books so......

I give it **stars. 2016 Movie #10

Oscar 2016

To the one of you that still read my drivel, here is my oscar comments:

Best Actor will probably be Leonardo Dicaprio for"Revenant"  Good Jobe among many good actors.

Best Actress should be Bree Larson for the "Room".  She runs the gambit of all possible emotions. I will be disappointed if she doesn't.

My pick for Best Picture is "Spotlight": Emotional true story with the best cast possible.  "Revenant" may win because the Best Director and best movie are usually the same.

While really can't comment about the supporting roles. I see where they will probably it one to Stallone because he has been Rocky for 40 years.  This is similar to giving John Wayne best actor for "True Grit" because they failed to reward him for previous years of movie roles.  It hope Mark Ruffalo gets it, but have not seen all the nominees.  By the same token I would like Jennifer Jason Leigh to get it for "Hateful 8". That movie deserves a nod of some kind.

This was a great movie year.

Holiday Movies

When Holiday movies arrive there is something for everyone.

The Hunger Games series came to an end in a way similar to Harry Potter: Divide the last book into two parts. "Mockingly part 2" is just that.  Since I read the books a few years back, the last movie was a little fresher even though I knew the result.  It was a good enough movie but glad its over.

2015 movie #52  I give it **1/2 stars

We took our granddaughter to see "The Good Dinosaur" and although it is a kid's movie (meaning the  Dad dinosaur dies like Lion King) the story is for adults.  At the beginning of the story a giant meteor is heading for the earth but misses, leaving the dinosaurs alive. the premise is that the dinosaurs take the human role and the human, a little boy named Spot, takes on the animal(dog) role.  From there the movie is basically a western with varmints, rustlers, and cattle drives.  Not sure if this was inventive or lazy!

2015 movie#53  I give it **1/2 stars

Movies for rainy days

We went to two movies this week that were as different as night and day.  

The first was "Hot Pursuit" starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. It is a chase movie, a buddy movie, an odd couple movie, but most of all it is like an "I Love Lucy" story with Ms. Witherspoon being Lucy and Ms Vergara as Desi.  It is about not understanding each other and being out their comfort zone which is standard Lucy/Desi stuff. Good to watch when there is nothing else going on.

I give it ** stars. 2015 movie 25

The second movie was very different.  We have had movies this year about droids and artificial intelligence. But this movie. "Ex Machina"is sort of the serious look at the subject.  

Ex Machina is from the greek meaning "god from the machine".  There we learned something! I had to look it up!

A young male programmer wins a week with the super-rich owner of the world's largest search engine company.  He flies to a remote location and finds that his project is to test an actual A.I.  This female droid is beyond anything imagined.  Then the story begins.  This is drama and mystery in a sic-fi way.  It is both well acted and suspenseful.  NOTE: As the movie progresses (about the last third) involves scenes of nudity. Naked A.I. but not in a sexual way.

This movie does question how much man-made people could work and be safe.  Much to think about.

Not a popcorn movie. R-Rated  2015 Movie 26 and I give it ****stars.

It's strange to go "Into The Woods"

I was needing a movie, but I wanted a Good Movie.  "Into The Woods" was the highest rated movie in our area that we have not seen. I knew that it was based on a Broadway Musical and that should have been a warning flag. BUT look that the cast: Meryl Strep, Johnny Depp.. wow!

From the start I loved the way they too several Children's stories such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and  Jack and the Beanstalk and wove them into a seamless tale.  This movie started great. In the Movie's defense it was listed just over two hours.  I give the first hour ***stars.  I can't rate the last half because after an hour and a half, we left.  I didn't care anymore and the songs became so forced. It is not "Frozen" and certainly not "Fiddler".  It seemed to be a way to introduce new gowns to sell little girls.

No Wait: While we were waiting to see this Disney movie about Cinderella, the previews were of a new coming Disney Movie about: Cinderella!  They also showed another preview "Tomorrowland" which just happens to be an area in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.

2015 Movie #3

Big Hero 6: Mike gets fooled!

 

When I saw the preview for "Big Hero 6", I imagined another lovable cuddlyDisney Character in a "duck out of water" sort of way.  The first half of the movie was in that vane.  And then------it changed into an animated super hero flick, the very kind of movie that I try to avoid.  It is a movie for computer minded kids (Grandson Avery to be exact) and is a movie for geeks and nerds by design.

I am sure the target audience loves it, but in this world of Avengers, Batman, and the rest but I need a break. Another Comic Book Movie.

Great graphics.  The Joke on me was that I thought Big Hero 6 was the big inflatable robot but to my surprise it is 6 more heroes good for 6 more sequels.

Yes, It's ok for kids, but not ok for this Grandpa.

2014 Movie #50   I give it ***stars for the first half and **stars for the second half,

Fall Movies

"When The Game Stands Tall" is a great high school football movie.  It is a true story of a California High School that won 151 straight games and the aftermath of the loss that broke the string.  Good motivational movie for any competitive sports team. If I was in school I would give it ****stars, but as I am not: ***stars.

"The November Man" is a great action movie with special effects for us "Baby Boomers".  The special effects are that a guy over 70 is made to look and act like he's 30!  Fun movie in the James Bond style.  ***stars

2014 movies 37 & 38

Winter's Tale

"Winter's Tale" is a fantasy movie in the world of Nardia. It is a complex story on one level and simple on the other. The overriding story is of LOVE.  It is of a man who is a thief who stumbles across a wealthy young lady who is dying.  It is also the world of guardian angels and demons. The angel is in the form of a white horse that can spout wings and fly.  The demon: Russell Crowe and by the way the devil is Will Smith.

This is a story that spans over 100 years and is very enjoyable  and was perfect for Valentine's Day.

Colin Farrell is great as the lovable thief and Jessica Brown-Findlay shows that there is life after Downton Abbey. Other great actors include William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly.

The old good versus evil story plays well here.

I give it ***stars.  2014 movie #9

The Secret Life

As usual I started the year having seen the better movies available at the local cinemas.  I had seen the trailer for  "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and was not impressed.  But we wanted a movie and gave it a go.  I'm glad I did.  The preview did not give any idea of the story.  The trailer was cut in a way that some scenes that appeared to be major were actually minor.  Walter Mitty day-dreams a more exciting life than he actually lives.  When he finally goes for an adventure, the movie is much fun.  it is also a travel movie with great scenery (Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas).

I don't know if this was a motto of Life Magazine but it was an important statement in the movie.

I give it ***stars.  2014 Movie #1

The Butler

A good friend asked me this morning if I had seen "The Butler" yet.  I said that I hadn't and he said, "Its a good movie, but a little political!"  Well I thought, it is about a Butler to 7 Presidents!

I just got back from seeing it or should I say reliving it.

The Butler is a true story of a White House Butler.  It is a great history story that began just when I started reading my Weekly Readers at school and ends in 2008 with Obama's election.  It is well acted and well directed.  It is really the story of civil rights in the USA and is told in a fashion that makes the viewer uncomfortable.

I grew up with these stories.  The movie talks about the Freedom Riders and Civil Rights marches of Dr. King in 1964 in the south.  My parents and I drove through the south that summer and was 20 miles from Selma, Alabama when the famous march was held.  WE also stopped along the way in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and witnessed the signs and tension of the day.  This was a time of 2 lane highways not Interstates and cafes instead of fast food.  We would walk in a nice cafe, and see signs at the register saying, "WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO NIGGERS" and then see a large rack of KKK pamphlets by the door, where today we would see tourism information.  Nothing was hidden.

This movie depicts in a giant way what I witnessed in a small way.  It is a story that must be told and it is superbly so.

It is ****star.

2013 movie 36 

Wolverines

I learned a few of things tonight while watching, "Wolverines 3D".

One: He really isn't anything like a wolverine.

Two:  I don't really care.

Three:  I am tired of super hero movies about nothing but fighting and pain.  A little humor (Iron Man) goes a long way.

Two hours I won't get back.

I give it *1/2 stars.

2013 Movie 32

RED 2

Warning:  The movie being discussed is PG50 which means it contains wit, dialogue, and actors over 40.  Young people should be cautioned.

RED 2 is a fun movie with a great cast,  humor  AND action.  It is always helpful when a comedy doesn't take things seriously.  It is fun from start to finish. Of course there is treats for us older citizens when the stars make the younger foes look well "silly".

It is a sequel and a fine one at that.  John Malkovich can say more with his facial expressions than most say with a speech.  Helen Mirren steals the show but everyone else is close behind.

It is the kind of comedy I needed, just now.

I give it ***stars.   2013 Movie # 30

World War Z or what would happen if Romney won?

I am at a conference alone so I looked at the remaining movies available and went to see "World War Z".  I wondered what would happen if the future had come out differently.  The only thing we as a society has not done yet is the wholesale bitting and chewing by each other to each other.  Just kidding!

I heard people say that this was a fast moving and tense movie, but I was totally unprepared.  I only like comedy Zombie movies like "Warm Bodies" etc.   But wow! I kept asking myself:  "You are watching this for fun.  This  movie is rated PG13 for language.  Come to find out, Zombies don't use profanity.  The regular humans don't use profanity. BUT the audience sure does!

Holy Crap!

Brad Pitt was great and the story was intriguing and  unlike, "White House Down" the president gets killed in this one. They just walk in the room and say, "the President is dead and the vice-president is missing." 

I'm telling you that this is a cautionary tale.

I give it ** 3/4 stars out of five.  2013 movie 28

Lone Ranger rides again

If you read the reviews, you won't see the "Lone Ranger" (or as I used to say as a kid: The Long Ranger).

I grew up with the TV version of this western character. LR and Tonto were favorites.  I hated it when Tonto would have to sneak into town  to check things out and not be hanged for being an "indian".

This movie decided to change things with Tonto being the lead or almost.  You will read that it is a long movie (2-1/2 hours) and silly (It is in the fashion of Pirates of the C.).  If you are a 60-something kid, it is a fun western about our first hero.  AND the first one that refused to kill people just like the original TV Superman.   We were nicer back then.

It is full of CGI and other effects. It even has a horse (Silver) who can get on the roof of two story buildings and the top of moving trains.  IT is explained that the horse is a SPIRIT horse.  We all know that Spirit Horses can do magic. So what's the problem?  THIS IS A MOVIE!

I REALLY HAD FUN.  I give the movie ***stars out of 5.

2013 movie 27