Perfect Review For A Sunday..."God's Not Dead"

God's Not Dead (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo, David A.R. White, Dean Cain

Directed by Harold Cronk

The Story:

Josh (Harper) is getting ready to take a philosophy class with Professor Radisson (Sorbo).  The Professor employs a means to skip over the discussion of religion by having all of his students do the following:  Write on a piece of paper "God Is Dead" and sign it.  Josh can't bring himself to do it, and the battle lines are drawn.

So that's the main story going on here.

There are a few others that all intermingle during the course of the film.

That said, the underlying story is a pretty solid one.

Granted, the way that the story is told, and the way characters are utilized, they go full-on stereotype mode, and ratchet the character to an "11".  Dean Cain, in particular, is given some laughingly bad (and evil) dialogue to make us certain that he has zero redeeming qualities. 

That makes for a few weak chinks in the characterizations, but again, most of that takes place in the sub-stories that are happening on the screen.

The battle of wits between Josh and the Professor is the real story, and Josh has to simply argue for 20 minutes during 3 different classes that God is NOT dead.

If he can convince his peers that maybe, just maybe, the Professor is wrong.

The arguments made are pretty good ones also, probably the same ones we've all heard regardless of which side you take in the debate.  This is the meat and bulk of the movie, and these parts do not disappoint.

The final act is a bit too contrived in the way that all the characters seemingly must run into each other one more time, but so be it.

The story, while fictional, is based in part, as you'll see as the credits roll, on the dozens of similar attacks on students of faith on campuses all across America.

Pretty sad, but not surprising.

Final Grade: I'm going B+ on here.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'm going with a strong thumbs up on here.  The good far outweighed the bad.  I'd get it.

Sticking It To The Man! "Cesar Chavez"

Cesar Chavez (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich

Directed by Diego Luna

The Story:

The auto-biography of civil rights/labor leader Cesar Chavez (Pena).  His non-violent tactics drew support from Senator Robert Kennedy (Jack Holmes) and helped organize the local farm workers in California to earn decent wages by attempting to unionize the laborers.  However, his strides for equality on the farms took a toll on his life at home.

I remember learning about Cesar Chavez in high school.  Organizing the farm laborers in California, Chavez is one of the integral civil rights leaders in the late 60s that is overshadowed in the history books.  However, what he lived through needs to remembered and this movie does an excellent job of showing what Chavez and the rest of his people endured in the vineyards of California.

Shot at. Locked up. Sprayed with fertilizer.  All that and more were endured by Chavez and his family and the rest of the union members in their bid for better wages and working conditions for the farm workers.

There are sub-titles for the movie, but there is plenty of English to go around, just letting you know what you're in for.

Very solid biopic, and I'm glad Chavez' story was finally told.


Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Wouldn't need to purchase this one, but one that I could see again in the future.

Who Are These Guys? "The Impostors"

The Impostors (1998)

Rated R for language

Starring Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub

Written & Directed by Stanley Tucci

The Story:

Maurice (Platt) and Arthur (Tucci) are two out-of-work actors who offend an actor (Molina) and wind up as stowaways on a cruise ship.  However, as they attempt to remain out of sight from the authorities, there are other nefarious plans afoot on the ship.  Nobody is to be trusted on this ship filled with Impostors!

This is an obvious homage to the days of Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

Tucci and Platt make a wonderfully adept comic team who work well off one another trading straight man/comedian roles throughout the film as the situations change.

The each keep stumbling into various plots of death and sabotage as they try and stay hidden from the authorities.

Naturally, all of the storylines and cases of mistaken identity will collide in the final act.

The movie is a bit uneven, with various degrees of amusement and hilarity and stretches where it isn't as funny.


Final Grade: C.. maybe C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It was a fine one-time viewing, I would have little need to watch it again.

Rob From The Rich... "Robin Hood"

Robin Hood (1973)

Rated G

Starring Brian Bedford, Monica Evans, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Pat Buttram,  Peter Ustinov, Terry Thomas, Roger Miller

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

The Story:

The animal kingdom decides to tell the story of Robin Hood (Bedford) to let us know what really happened.

Awesomeness ensues.

The first Disney film I ever remember seeing.

It's been my favorite Disney film ever since.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

Having seen nearly every other version of Robin Hood, I will say that this is the best version of the tale as well.

Take that Errol Flynn.

And honestly, if you've tried to read the book, you know how utterly boring it really was.

Disney instead injects some great character designs and wonderful voice actors to make this tale magical.

The fact that Robin and Marian (Evans) are really overshadowed by every other character, tells you how deep the talent on display really is.

You could dock points to Disney, and Phil Harris for basically playing the same character from The Jungle Book  as Little John and Baloo share some striking similarities, not the least of which is the voice.

But that's a minor quibble.

Instead marvel at Prince John (Ustinov) and Sir Hiss (Taylor) as possibly the best bad guys to ever grace the screen.

Hilariously evil, they never fail to make me laugh in the movie.

The songs, most of which are handled by Alan-A-Dale (Miller) are catchy, and I can whistle the tunes to this day by memory.

My little one had no interest in this movie when we found it on Netflix.

Now she can't get enough of it.

Welcome to the club.

Currently available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  Probably still my all-time favorite Disney film.  Might have to upgrade it to Blu Ray someday.

"When In Rome" You Might Meet Your True Love

When In Rome (2010)

Rated PG-13

Starring Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Alexis Dziena, Danny DeVito

Directed by Mark Johnson

The Story:

Beth (Bell) attends the wedding of her sister (Dziena) in Rome.  She takes some coins from The Fountain of Love which causes the men (Arnett, Heder, Shepard, DeVito) who threw those coins into the fountain to fall madly in love with her.  Can she balance her career with the affections of these men as she tries to figure out a way to break the spell, and maybe realize that the one guy not under a spell (Duhamel) could be her Mr. Right?

This is a fun little romantic comedy that is light, breezy and easy to enjoy at any time.

I've seen it a few times, and it's one that even the kids enjoy watching when it's on.

Bell gets to play the leading lady, and has a fun time playing the romantic, harried lead against a host of different leading men.

Arnett, Heder and Shepard bring different levels of zaniness to their roles giving Bell the hardest time trying to brush them off.

DeVito brings a level of humanity and sadness to his part.

At the end of the day though, it's Duhamel who grounds the movie as the potential suitor who gets overlooked too often.

Mr. Right is often there, people are often just too busy with their lives to notice.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and it gets watched every so often.  Always a fun time.

The Future Is Decided By Facebook Personality Quizzes... "Divergent"

Divergent (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Kate Winslett, Tony Goldwyn

Directed by: Neil Burger

The Story:

In a dystopian future (is there any other type?) the survivors of a war that ravaged the world (or at least America) have been divided between 5 factions to keep the peace.  You have Amity (Peaceful), Erudite (intelligent), Abnegation (Selfless), Candor (Honest) and Dauntless (Brave).  Each has its role in society and keeping the peace, and when children come of age, they take a test to see what their aptitude is, but they still have one last choice that they can make at a ceremony.

However there are those that the test does not work on.  They are called Divergents, and they are being dealt with, permanently.

Welcome to the latest Young Adult fiction to be turned into a trilogy (or larger) movie franchise.

The story centers around Tris (Woodley) who is a Divergent growing up in Abnegation but just doesn't feel it like her parents (Judd & Goldwyn).  At the ceremony, her brother chooses Erudite and Tris goes for the Dauntless.

Needless to say, their parents are a bit crushed.

The Dauntless then initiate the newbies into their ranks under the lead of Eric (Courtney) and Four (James).  Only they are upping the ante and kicking out the worst recruits as the tests get harder.

If you are kicked out of a faction, you become one of the faction-less, which is the future buzz-word for the homeless.

Not only does Tris have to survive her training and remain with Dauntless, once she learns that she'll be targeted if anyone finds out she's a Divergent, well, that takes the last half of the movie to unspool.

Believe me, it's a long movie also.

While she doesn't have the charisma or chops of Jennifer Lawrence, the rest of the cast, especially Four, try and keep the audience engaged.

However, some poor casting choices on several of the characters end up making several people irrelevant in the overall scheme of things because they are very difficult to tell apart from one another.

Final Grade: C/C+ range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I didn't love it, but I hardly hated it.  I'll be back to check out the sequels.

Some Tales Aren't Worth Telling... "Winter's Tale"

Winter's Tale (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe,

Directed by Akiva Goldsman

The Story:

Peter Lake (Farrell) is a thief on the run from Mr. Soames (Crowe) when he finds a woman named Beverly (Findlay) and falls in love.  However, Soames is going to do whatever it takes to find Lake, and kill him.

Now, add in guardian angels, demons, the devil himself, and you've got yourself a crazy adaptation of a novel that drags on for nearly 2 hours and makes no real sense whatsoever.

The End.

I was about that close to pulling this one out at the 20 minute mark, but I wanted to see if there was any bit of this movie that made any sense.

I'm closing in on 90 minutes and the movie has moved to present day, and it's about to ramp up to the final act when all will be revealed and we will rejoice with a very happy ending.

Or something.

I'm not buying it.

Literally, or figuratively.

:)


Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah.  Once was more than enough.  I'm still amazed I watched the whole thing. ;)

Something Many Already Believe..."Heaven Is For Real"

Heaven Is For Real (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Greg Kinnear,  Kelly Reilly, Thomas Haden Church, Connor Corum, Lane Styles, Margo Martindale

Written and Directed by Randall Wallace

The Story:

Todd Burpo (Kinnear) is a pastor whose local church is growing and loving his lessons.  Life of course is strange, and one day his son Colton (Corum) falls ill and has to be rushed to the hospital.  It turns out his appendix has burst and he is probably going to die.  The community prays for little Colton, and miraculously, he survives.  When he gets home though, he begins to share with his family exactly what he saw and did while he was under the knife, and these revelations shake the foundations of everything his family and the local congregation believes.

This is indeed based on a true story, with the book going into far more detail than they can do in a 90 minute movie, so naturally some things are going to be condensed.

I anticipate this movie will naturally divide audiences.

Those that believe will likely quite enjoy it.  Those who do not, will not.

But putting aside religious or philosophical differences, know that there are 3 fundamentally cool things that happen to little Colton in this movie that should not be discounted from his trip to Heaven:

1) He hugs his big sister.

No, not Cassie (Styles).  Instead, Colton meets a little girl who looks similar to Cassie but has no name.  We, and Colton, learn that Todd and Sonja (Reilly) had a miscarriage after they had Cassie and before Colton came along.  They never told anyone, and as they never knew what the baby was going to be, they never named her. 

Bring a tissue.

2) He meets his grandpa.

When he tells his dad about his meeting with Pop, Todd shows him a picture of his dad.  Colton says no, that's not him.  Todd then unearths a long-buried picture from a trunk of his dad as a young man and shows hit to Colton.  That's him.

Cool.

3) When shown pictures of Jesus from the Bible, Colton says no, that's not what he looks like.  Time passes and it is forgotten.

Then, while watching a news program highlighting a little girl from Lithuania who has been painting pictures of her visit to Heaven...

Colton walks by, looks and his mouth drops.  "That's him".

Nice!

Cue the goosebumps and tears of joy.

There's more than just that, but hopefully that makes you interested in seeing the film.

I think you'll be glad you did.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again in a few years. :)

Potty Mouth... "Bad Words"

Bad Words (2013)

Rated R for language

Starring Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Phillip baker Hall, Allison Janney

Directed by Jason Bateman

The Story:

Guy Trilby (Bateman) has a photographic memory and an 8th grade education.  When he discovers a loophole in the rules for The Golden Quill, the largest spelling bee in the nation, he sets out on his quest to win.

By any means necessary.

It's rude, it's crude, it's amusing and occasionally finds a heart and some sentiment in the proceedings.

Trilby's intentions are never fully revealed as the voiceover to narrate the tale unfolds.

However, he is out for some sort of revenge which becomes clear as the movie rolls along.

He's vicious and cruel to the other kids he shuts down as he advances ever closer to the final round.

So too are the officials who attempt to stop him.

Naturally, along the way, Guy runs into a kid, Chaitanya (Chand) and the two begin to bond and become unlikely friends.

Of course, as with everything else in this movie, that's not a very healthy relationship either, and the two are going to form an unlikely bond with one another.

Pretty good, but given the rating, this was a one-trick pony at my house.

Final Grade: C+/B- range.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Sorry, once was plenty for this film. 

Fore? I'd Give It A Five! "Tin Cup"

Tin Cup (1996)

Rated R for language

Starring  Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin

Directed by Ron Shelton

The Story:

Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy (Costner) is a golf pro at a dusty old course in Texas.  He gets a new golfer, psychiatrist Molly Griswold (Russo) who Roy flips for.  The problem, she's dating his old friend, and PGA sensation David Simms (Johnson).  Simms dares McAvoy to try out for the US Open, and so begins Roy's road to redemption to qualify for the Open and try and win Molly away from Simms.  Will he win the Open and the girl, or flame out on both?

Kevin Costner makes excellent sports movies.

As golf is technically a sport, this is one of my three favorite golfing movies.

Yes, Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore are the other two.

:)

This one has the added bonus of being a romantic comedy, and a pretty good one, so both the guys and the ladies should have little problem compromising and enjoying this one together.

See, the perfect date film can sometimes be a sports movie too!

Written and directed by Ron Shelton, the man knows his way around a sports film.  Having delivered his first feature, Bull Durham (baseball) with Costner and also helming White Men Can't Jump (basketball) and Play It To The Bone (boxing).

I think that just means he owes us a football and hockey film, and he'll have hit all of the main sports.

Cheech Marin works as Roy's beleaguered best friend and caddy who tries to help Roy with his golf game, but gets exasperated when his advice falls on deaf, and often dumb, ears.

Johnson comes across just slimy enough as the bad guy.

It appears that he and Marin hit it off rather well as the two would star in Nash Bridges for the next 5 years after Tin Cup was made.

Costner and Russo make a fun on-screen couple.

The film ends perfectly with a nod to what makes sports, and sports moments great.

As the years pass, people forget who won and lost, but the 'moment', whether they are great or dubious plays, live forever.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: This is a fun one to break out every so often and watch again.  It's fun everytime.

It's A Wild And Crazy World In "The Great Outdoors"

The Great Outdoors (1988)

Rated PG

Starring John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening

Directed by Howard Deutch

The Story:

Chet (Candy) is out for a family vacation with his family when Brother-in-Law Roman (Aykroyd) crashes the vacation  uninvited with his family.  Tensions rise, tempers flare and families clash living together under one roof.  However, at the end of it all, family is family...
and you can't legally kill them.

A little charmer from writer John Hughes that didn't strike the magical heights that he would enjoy with other films.  He was a year away from striking comedy gold with Candy in Uncle Buck.

This one is good, just not great.

However, there is a couple really good bits, sold perfectly by Candy and Aykroyd.

The best part is probably the water-skiing scene with Candy on skis and Aykroyd at the helm.

Candy plays the beleaguered everyman perfectly, and he works as the perfect foil to the slimy Roman perfected by Aykroyd, you'd think that this guy goes on to found a certain Tire Kingdom in another movie.

A fun stroll down memory lane if you haven't gone there in the last quarter of a century.

Man, that sounds like an awful long time...

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Cute, but not enough to own it.  A nice one to pull out every decade or so.

Time To Spice Up Your Salsa... "Cuban Fury"

Cuban Fury (2014)

Rated R for language

Starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd, Ian McShane

Directed by James Griffiths

The Story:

Ben Radcliffe (Frost) is a young teen who loves to Salsa Dance.  His competitive dance skills are blossoming under the tutelage of teacher Ron Parfitt (McShane) but on the night of the finals, Ben is bullied, beaten and leaves his passion behind.  Decades later, an out-of-shape Ben has all but forgotten Salsa dancing, but when he meets his new boss, Julia (Jones), Ben is in love.  Of course, he is pushed aside by Drew (O'Dowd) his co-worker who has designs on Julia himself.  However, when Ben learns that Julia loves to Salsa, he begins to get back into dancing shape.

Based on a true story.

Because apparently one day Nick Frost thought of this story, and one screenplay later, here it is.

It's a little slow, perhaps deliberate, I'm still not certain, on the build-up to the story.  Then it gets going and about the mid-way point, there are changes towards the absurd .

Basically the funniest, and weirdest scene in the entire movie is the parking garage dance-off between Frost and O'Dowd.

Seriously.

Hilariously weird stuff.

I give them credit for trying some odd stuff.  Some of it works, some of it doesn't.

But it's all original, and the cast is more than willing to throw themselves into the material.

Frost is especially convincing as poor Ben who you root for to succeed as the ultimate underdog.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Too crude to be an engaging romantic comedy, too odd to be a perennial classic.  Silly, but otherwise forgettable.

And Now For Something Completely Different..."A Monster In Paris"

A Monster In Paris (2011)

Rated PG

Starring Adam Goldberg, Jay Harrington, Danny Huston, Vanessa Paradis, Sean Lennon, Madeline Zima

Written and Directed by Bilbo Bergeron

The Story:

Paris...1910... the city is underwater due to flooding and Raoul (Goldberg) and Emile (Harrington) are two friends who are delivering goods to make a living, but Raoul is dying to invent things and Emile wants to be a filmmaker.  One delivery gone wrong, and the boys accidentally create a giant flea (Lennon) that will terrorize Paris!  Except, he's not that terrifying.  In fact, he's got a musician's heart.  Things are about to get weird.

Weird.

That's actually a good way to describe this one.

The first animated offering from EuropaCorp/Bibo Films...

It's a beautiful film.

While not quite up to the standards of Dreamworks/Pixar/Disney...

It still looks very good.

It's got an original story, which is rare enough in Hollywood these days.

Plus, I listed the American voice cast, as opposed to the original French cast that worked on the film.

Vanessa Paradis as Lucille is the lone hold-over that I saw that worked on both films.

Her part is rather important to the film as well as the damsel in distress who is actually more in control than just about anyone else in the film.

It's charming, but not likely going to fit the mold of entertainment for every child.

Available to stream as of this writing on Netflix if you want to see what it's all about, and see if your children liked it.

Mine loved it.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: My kids saw this last year, and picked up a copy from Blockbuster as they went out of business.  While I wouldn't marathon this one like Emperor's New Groove and the like, I could let it play again from time to time.

Now For The Rest Of The Story... "300: Rise Of An Empire"

300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

Rated R

Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro

Directed by Noam Murro

The Story:

Admiral Themistocles (Stapleton) is going to lead the forces of Athens against the multitude of Persian warships of the invading Xerxes (Santoro).  Artemesia (Green) is a bloodthirsty Greek vowing revenge for the death of her people and leading Xerxes navy.  Themistocles begs Sparta to send their ships to aid him in keeping Greece free, but the Spartan Queen Gorgo (Headey) has already lost too much.  The 300 Spartans have already fallen, is the rest of Greece doomed to follow?

I don't remember much about 2006's 300.  There was a lot of bloodshed.  There was "This is Sparta!"  And lots of bloodshed. ;)

Cleverly, this movie unfolds in flashbacks and same-time to keep the audience up to speed so that this movie plays as a direct companion to 300 and not strictly a sequel.

Rather clever, and nice of them since it's been almost a decade since the first installment.

Zack Snyder has moved on from the director's chair, but did work on the screenplay so he's still got a hand in the guiding of the movie.

Not that familiar with Stapleton, though he reminds me an awful lot of Luke Goss.  Which, that's cool, because it brings an air of familiarity to him, and he does really well with leading the forces of Greece against Persia.

A skilled Admiral, he is able to hold his own against the bigger Navy, to the point where Artemesia demands a meeting with him to see if he will surrender and join her.

Naturally, in the middle of war, they decide what better way to hold a peace treaty than to have sex?

:: sigh ::

There was already a ton of bloodshed, your R rating was secured.

This seemed amusingly out of place, and done for the sole purpose of locking down the rating.

That, and the dropping of the F-bomb?

Come on people...

That word didn't come into use until literally over thousands of years later.

Take away those two key  moments, this movie would've rated higher.

However, I've got to dock you for sloppiness.

Otherwise, pretty engaging stuff, and the sea battles were phenomenal. 

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch this one again in the future.  Hmm...now I have to check and see if I own 300.

A Disaster Of Biblical Proportions..."Noah"

Noah (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth,

Written and Directed by Darren Aronofsky

The Story:

Noah (Crowe) is having some visions that the world is coming to an end.  His visions tell him to make an ark, and that all of the innocent animals will be saved, and humanity must be extinguished to pay for our sins.

How cheery!

How do you take a tale from the Old Testament that is both a warning and a sign of promise from God and turn it upside down and make it a miserable experience?

Give it to Darren Aronofsky.

He manages to suck any semblance of hope and awe from this tale and present a shambles of a mess that is both baffling as it is overproduced.

Basically, even Michael Bay wouldn't produce a disaster flick this bad.

I only invoke Bay because in the middle of this movie, you will see Transformers.

No, I'm not kidding.

In fact, as I chatted with my oldest while watching this movie, it became more fun to explain what the movie was like if we used the higher profile roles that these actors played before:


Jor-El (Crowe) senses that Kyrpton is doomed.  He seeks the advice of his All-Father, Odin (Hopkins) on what to do.  Odin advises him to take his wife, Betty Brant (Connelly) and with the help of the aforementioned Transformers, create a great ark to house all of the animals of the world.  Along for the ride are their children, Shem (Booth) who married Hermione (Watson) and using powerful magic hope to keep the human race alive.  Their middle son, Percy Jackson (Lerman) and a third son who is totally inconsequential to anything.

See?

Already, you WANT to see THAT movie!

I'm not even going to bash this movie from a Christian point of view, which I could, but what would be the point?

I'm sticking strictly as a movie fan.

Regardless of faith, this movie should bore you to tears, while simultaneously making you laugh at the sheer ludicrousness of the situation. 

How does the bad guy get on the ark? 

Ugh... so many implausible questions arise from this one.

I've only seen one other movie by Aronofsky, The Wrestler.  I was unimpressed by that film also.

I don't think I'll be back for a 3rd chance of disappointment.

Final Grade: D

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I offered to pay each and every one of my children 5 dollars per kid to watch it again.  I had no takers. :)

My Money Is On Marky Mark Being The "Lone Survivor"

Lone Survivor (2013)

Rated R

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylore Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana,

Written and Directed by Peter Berg

The Story:

Marcus Luttrell (Wahlberg) and the rest of his SEAL team head into Afghanistan on a secret mission to capture a Taliban leader.  When they are discovered by some goat herders, they are faced with the dilemma: spare them or kill/capture them?  Following their explicit rules of engagement, they let them go.

Naturally, the team is hunted down and killed until only Luttrell is left.

This is their sad story.

Not only do they lose most of their team, even a rescue attempt goes awry costing more men their lives.

That Luttrell finds safety and salvation in the village is both ironic and heartwarming.  The villagers live by the code to protect people from their enemies.

That includes standing up to the Taliban to give Luttrell a chance to survive and mend.

The end credits are a brief and touching tribute to the lives that were lost during this mission, and only begin to scrape the surface of how many have perished during this conflict.

I hate to give movies like this a low grade.  They mean well, showing people how horrible war can be, and how great those that serve in the military really are.

But somehow, I just didn't connect with this film or the characters enough to make me care more for their fates.


Or perhaps knowing that everyone aside from Wahlberg is going to bite the dust going in to the movie, all of the suspense is already sucked from the viewer, and so then it's just an exercise in paint-by-numbers.

And that's too bad.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Much like Zero Dark Thirty, many of these movies are now a one and done.  Well done, but too much for repeated viewings.

Some Weird Things Happen In "Small Apartments"

Small Apartments (2012)

Rated R for language

Starring Matt Lucas, James Caan, Juno Temple, Johnny Knoxville, Dolph Lundgren, James Marsden, Peter Stormare, Billy Crystal

Directed by Jonas Akerlund

The Story:

Franklin (Lucas) is in a bit of a spot.  His brother (Marsden) is in an institution. The landlord (Stormare) is dead on the floor.  And the neighbors (Caan and Knoxville) are wondering what is going on next door.  Lives are about to converge and change forever in the course of a few days in some run-down apartment complex.

Well, that was something.

A dark comedy, to be sure, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this film.

After watching it, I'm still not sure!

:)

All of the names/faces are secondary/tertiary characters in the film.  It's Matt Lucas' film and you get sucked into his life.

A very weird life with a grown man running around in underwear and the occasional coat.

Seriously.

It's a movie I pondered whether I wanted to continue on past the 20 minute mark, but again, it was so strange, at that point I had to see what the heck was going to happen.

Naturally, all of the story lines converge in a finale that was both tragic and satisfying, depending on which character(s) you were watching.

I will give props for the staged suicide scene, it was pretty funny.

If you want to try something strangely different, here you go...


Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah.  It was a weird one. I've seen it, and time to move on.

Not Nearly As Funny As I Hoped ... "Puddle Cruiser"

Puddle Cruiser (1996)

Rated R

Starring Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske,

Written and Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar

The Story:

Felix (Lemme) is in love. Grogan and Matt (Heffernan and Soter) are facing charges for breaking into the college cafeteria and eating food.  The rest of Broken Lizard will revolve around the storyline offering gags and humor as possible.

Club Dread was a pretty good horror-comedy.

Super Troopers is a cult classic.

Puddle Cruiser is their first movie.

Yeah, that's really all the praise I can give this one.

The pieces are there, and there are a few gags that are more amusing than others, but otherwise...

If you want to see Broken Lizard at their best, check out any of their films after this one.

Sorry.


If you want a funny comedy about college, check out Animal House for starters.


Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: The pieces were being put into place, but this one wasn't that great.

R.I.P. Robin Williams ~ 1951-2014

Wow.

I hate writing these.

It's bad enough when our favorite celebrities pass due to old age or accidents.
When they decide to take matters into their own hands, it makes me angry and depressed.

So time to take a trip down memory lane and remember the good times that Robin Williams brought to audiences for the last three decades.

For me, I first met Robin Williams in a guest spot on Happy Days, playing an alien.

Sound familiar?

Yep, Mork from Ork, and Williams was soon going to be on television weekly in Mork and Mindy (1978).

Genius casting was made when they brought Jonathan Winters on the show in the final season.  Perhaps the two fastest improvisational wits to ever perform in comedy, together they made audiences laugh until it was time for Robin to move on to the big screen.

In 1982, Williams began his career with The World According to Garp.

However, it was 1987 with Good Morning Vietnam where he began to earn his accolades by taking his trademark humor down a notch and applying layers of drama to his performances.

This was even more apparent with 1989s Dead Poets Society where nearly all of his trademark humor was locked away for a dramatic performance for the ages.

Had Robin Williams turned a page on his manic persona that made millions laugh as a stand-up?

Nope.

He was about to unleash possibly his best performance, ever.

1992, Robin Williams channeled the energy of a genie in Disney's masterpiece, Aladdin.  Part of Disney's animation renaissance, this one often gets overlooked against The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

But, the animation is just as stellar, the music and songs just as memorable and the vocal casting top-notch.

Finally, in 1997, he did the unthinkable, and won an Oscar for his Best Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting.

The evolution of the manic stand-up comedian was complete.

He would continue to entertain audiences up until his untimely passing.  He still has a few movies in post-production still to be seen.

I would also be remiss if I failed to mention and thank him for all the trips he went on with the USO to entertain the troops throughout the Theater of Operations during Iraqi/Enduring Freedom.  He was a huge supporter of the military, and he will be missed.


 RIP Robin Williams.  Thanks for the laughter.

Pretty Funny Guy..."Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy"

Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy (2007)

TV 14

Starring Gabriel Iglesias

Directed by Manny Rodriguez

The Story:

Gabriel Iglesias' first stand-up comedy act as shown on Comedy Central.

A little bit of language, uncensored, but not too adult that older kids can't hear this one and have a good time.

Iglesias' best ability is the voices that will rapid-fire out of his mouth as he is talking.

You see this big guy, and some of the voices he is able to pull off are nothing short of incredible.

He touches briefly on the disqualification from the Last Comic Standing reality show, but as he points out, he's having the last laugh as he is the only comic from that season to go on and have a comedy special.

Pretty funny stuff, and a good hour of stand-up.

Available to stream on Netflix or Amazon Prime as of this writing.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Wouldn't need to own it, and with all stand-up, you need to space out the viewings to keep the jokes fresh.

Well, It Was At Least Average..."The Ultimate Life"

The Ultimate Life (2013)

PG

Starring Jason Stevens, Ali Hillis, Austin James, Drew Waters, James Garner

Directed by Michael Landon Jr.

The Story:

Jason Stevens (Bartholomew) is at a crossroads in his life.  Being sued by the family for control of the fortune left to him by his grandfather, Red Stevens (Garner).  With the woman he loves (Hillis) set to leave to put her doctor skills to good use in an impoverished nation, will he discover what is truly important by once again turning to his grandfather's journals?

While that is the story, it barely registers as maybe 15 minutes of the running time.  This is what opens and closes the movie.

Instead, the heart of the movie flashes back to young Red Stevens (James) as a teenager who has no desire to be in school, and once war breaks out, joins to save the world.

Then a fast forward to an older Red (Waters) who is struggling to make it as an oilman in Texas.

Red's drive makes him rich, but he realizes toward the end of his life that there are more important things to life than money.

It's a lesson that his grandson figured out, but not the rest of the family.

Of course, Jason will realize that the woman he loves is more important than any fortune, and the movie ties up mostly as you would expect.


Though it does have the odd cliffhanger of whether or not the litigation gets settled in the family.

Ah well.

Final Grade: C/C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd have to let this one go.

Totally Shell-Shocked: Still More Guest Reviews for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"!!!

 I am both pleased and saddened that the guest reviews provided by my daughters are the most popular reviews ever posted.

Apparently my daughters are geniuses (no argument) or people really love the Turtles (no argument).

Or my reviews are lousy.

:* (

Let's go with Turtle Power!

:)

So, 2 daughters made the reviews for yesterday.  I found a 3rd review in my Yahoo Spam folder.  I'm not sure what THAT was all about.

So you would think that a movie like TMNT, and the varying opinions of my kids would find at least one naysayer in the group.

Nope, read on for more glowing reviews:

The youngest reviewer (11):

I thought the movie was really really good.  I would give it a B+ and I hope that I get it for Christmas.

Please Dad?


Short, to the point, and a clever request for a gift all in one sentence.  Nice!

And the final reviewer, (18):

April O'Neil is a persistent reporter for New York's Channel 6 News. Unfortunately she's only given feeble stories to work with which prevent people from taking her seriously. Determined to prove her talent, April decides to investigate The Foot Clan; a mysterious group that have been terrorizing New York. With very little info on them, she's determined to shed some light to the ongoing case, accidentally meeting 4 mutant turtles that are highly skilled in martial arts (and are connected to her past), along with uncovering an even bigger threat to New York City in the process.

---

When I first heard of the movie, I was excited. Upon seeing the trailer, I lost interest. But I was still willing to give it a chance.
I'm glad that I did.

The movie was amusing and fun, but at the same time it was intriguing and filled with great action sequences. It was fast-paced and I never lost interest.

However, I will admit that while the film was good, it felt a little weak to me.

There were a couple of questionable points in the plot (but easy to overlook), and I felt like we didn't get as much character depth from the turtles as we could have.

I think the biggest difference from this TMNT movie to most of the TMNT franchise is the fact that April was the main focus this time. Usually she's secondary, leaving us plenty of time to get to know the turtles better.

But honestly, that's what I love most about TMNT. Every series is different. They hold similar elements and characters, but each incarnation is told differently, and uniquely.

There isn't a single series that's identical to the other. You may have your chosen favorite (which may differ from someone else), but in the end, it's still consists the same characters that you love and enjoy.
That's how I felt walking out of the theater. I was pleased and satisfied with their take on the Turtles.

Overall, I'd say that this was not the most incredible film I've ever seen, but it was highly enjoyable.

If you haven't seen it already, give it a shot! It might surprise you.

...

Or not. ;P

Final Grade: B+/A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: There's no rush, but sure. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.


So there you have it.

My Teenage Mutant Ninja Girls give TMNT 8 thumbs up!!

Special Guest Reviews: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

If you can't judge a book by its cover, then can you judge a movie by its trailer?

Well, I did, and the Turtle reboot looks just terrible.

However, I've got a house full of TMNT fans.

They love the 2012 animated series on Nick. They've seen the 80s version I grew up watching.

And pretty much every version that has happened in between.

So who better than that to offer an opinion on the new movie, than people with a vested interest in making sure the franchise doesn't suck?

First up: (The 14 year old)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Is about a woman named April O'Neil (Megan Fox). April wants more to her job/life than silly reports that nobody would care for.  When she discovers Four Mutant Ninja Turtles she tries to tell everybody in the studio about it, Nobody believes her. So what dos she do?

She goes off to find proof and get's herself in a dangerous adventure! 

Plot:

April becomes friends with the turtles, but also leads the bad guys to their lair. Now Donatello, Leonardo and Michelangelo are kidnapped by the foot clan,The foot clan want/need the turtles DNA. It is now up to April her friend Vernon (Will Arnett) and Raphael to rescue them. So that's pretty much the plot.

Things I liked/disliked:

I liked the fact that they kept the movie kid friendly

I didn't like the villain that much, But you're not normally supposed to like the villain. so Great job I guess....

I really liked April's friend Vernon he was a funny guy. :3

I disliked the turtles and everyone in it a lot! But I let go of the fact that these are not the '80s turtles, they are NOT the 2012 turtles. So once I let go of that, They were pretty lovable, Ish...

Favorite Character: Leonardo. Why? He was a really great character, He was the most responsible and actually quite funny, I loved his personality, and to me he was the least awkward out of all of them. :)

Favorite Part:

My favorite part was when they first approached April O'Neil. That scene was funnier than it should've been.

Sooo...Over all It was a Fun, Action packed movie!

I would give it 4 stars or a B+

Yes, I was as surprised to hear this as you are reading it. :)

Next up, our oldest test subject, (20):

Surprisingly entertaining, the newest incarnation of the turtles is fast-paced, action-packed and filled with humor. Hopefully this is enough to divert your attention away from the plot, which is a bit convoluted and weak.

Starting with the visuals, which were highly impressive, the turtles looked great on-screen. Distinct from each other, each of brothers had a unique design, and in terms of animation, everything felt believable. The Animators and Visual Effects artists at Industrial Light & Magic did their jobs well. 

The story is nothing spectacular and it has its share of plot holes, but it’s no worse off than either the 1990 or 2007 film, neither of which are known for their depth. A lot of scenes were cut before making it to the final and I am more than curious to see what got left out. Regardless, all of the characters got a chance to shine, and the new interpretations were still familiar.

Raphael had the most screen time out of the brothers, but not by a lot. With a voice similar to Nolan North’s, Alan Ritchson’s Raph was quite reminiscent to the 2007 version. Always the angry one, his issues with Leo were again brought to focus in this film. His rage never lingered however, and we got to see Raph on all sides of the emotional spectrum with some truly heartfelt and hilarious scenes.

Leader of the team, Leonardo was the man with a plan, keeping everyone on task when they would listen. While I’m still disappointed Pete Ploszek was only the motion capture performer, Johnny Knoxville did a fine job with the voice-over work. Leo’s personality contrasts Raph's wonderfully, this being most evident when they first confront April. Cool and collected, this Leo still exhibits a fun, youthful side and isn’t afraid to beatbox with his younger siblings.

Donatello was absolutely brilliant and probably my favourite of the film. His dweeb-ish demeanor was endearing, Jeremy Howard was perfectly cast. The cracking of his voice that betrayed him while trying to sound commanding, the giggle-snorts and high pitched screams, everything worked and fit for this character. Saving his brothers multiple times with his brains, Donnie also got the chance to steal the “badass” title from Raph momentarily. 

Youngest of the group, Mikey is a bit of a flirt with no filter. Wonderfully embodied by Noel Fisher, Michelangelo was indeed the funny guy, but without him being dumbed down immensely. 

Even the human characters were, for the most part, enjoyable. Megan Fox played her role well. With disdain for her position at channel 6, April O’neil didn’t always make the smartest decisions. But she was filled with courage and determination, facing and fighting the Shredder more than once. 

Vern, when not ogling April’s rear end or attempting to flirt, had some good lines. Most of which consisted of stating the obvious absurdity of the situation or complaining. Still, he was entertaining enough and serves the group as their glorified chauffeur. 

The rest of the characters were either minor or mildly displeasing. April’s roommate was a nice touch, and I enjoyed Whoopi Goldberg as April’s boss. Karai was fantastic, wish we could have seen more of her. Something about Splinter left me feeling detached to his character so much so that I didn’t really care if he lived or died. Eric Sacks seems to be an American alternative to the name Oroku Saki, he came off as a watered-down, boring villain with poor motive and execution. The Shredder, whose real name remains unknown and unspoken, was absolutely terrifying in his first scene, leaving even steely Karai fearful. But after that, he simply becomes Eric’s go-to henchman/bodyguard. 

The backstory for the Turtles is not really my favourite and comes off as problematic in many ways. Similar at first, to the recent IDW comics with them all being test animals in a lab, they tried too hard to make everything connect and the origin story unfolded into something flimsy and weak.

While the movie had several things to harp on, the overall feel was fun and enjoyable. The problematic parts are easy to point out, as they’re not the most spoiler-ific, but there’s a lot of good in this movie that balances everything out and leaves me grinning like an idiot. I’m very happy that Jonathan Liebesman turned what was going to be a dark movie about aliens into humourous little romp that genuinely feels like a turtle film.

So, similar to the recent G.I. Joe adaptions, your adoration for the franchise will either mask over the problematic parts as you enjoy a fun film, or leave you extra nit-picky on what could have been.

Final grade: B+

Final Thoughts: I loved it a lot. I want to see more. Sequel please, extended cut, directors edition, blooper reel, I don’t care. While aptly paced, this movie still left me wanting more. 

Bonus: Surprise pass on the Bechdel test. Thanks to April’s roommate, Taylor, and her boss, Bernadette Thompson. Crossing my fingers for an Irma Langinstein next film..? 

My other 2 did not get their reviews to me in time for publication this morning.  However, the assessments were quite similar.

Bottom line:

No, these aren't your turtles. They aren't your kids turtles.

These are movie turtles.  Different timeline. Alternate dimension.

Whatever you need to make it work in your head.

Check your hatred at the door, and you might have a better time than you think.

Thanks ladies for the review.

I await the DVD release this fall.

:) 

It's Not All Fun And Games In "The Single Moms Club"

The Single Moms Club (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Amy Smart, Zulay Henao, Cocoa Brown, Tyler Perry, Terry Crews

Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

The Story:

5 single mothers (Long/Covey/Smart/Henao/Brown) are forced to work together when their children all misbehave at school.  Initially resistant due to their conflicting personalities and social statuses, as time goes on, they begin realizing that they could help each other out.  They form a Single Moms Club to allow for babysitting and some time out away from the kids.

Well, I actually preferred this one to the last Tyler Perry offering.

Getting away from heavy drama (though there is a bit of drama in this one) and going for more humourous, but not over-the-top Madea comedy, Perry instead gives us a slice of life dramedy.

The ladies all have their issues with their exes, each other, their jobs and the men that are trying to be in their life.

Some characters are more sympathetic than others.

I will give Perry credit for a bit of dialogue that is lost in the middle of the movie.

When Lytia (Brown) is late picking up her kid from her sister (sister!) and is berated for trying to make a better life for her and her son by having a job when she could make so much more on welfare...

Yeah, let that logic sink in for a moment, and realize that a great deal of the population probably thinks that way.

Adding in some love interests for most of the ladies that are a significant step-up over their previous paramours is a smart move.

Hiring Terry Crews as one of those is genius.

:)

While not as crazy as he normally gets to play in movies, he does have some fun in the film and is always fun to watch.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No need to own it, but I could have it playing again in the future. Mostly harmless and a few pretty funny spots.

You Already Eat It. You Really Need To Watch "GMO OMG"

GMO OMG (2013)

Documentary

Directed by and Starring Jeremy Seifert

The Story:

Jeremy Seifert is concerned about what GMOs are doing to his three young children.  He sets off on a journey to see just how safe GMOs are.

What he discovers should shock nobody that's done any research.

The more shocking thing, is the majority of America is too oblivious to what is going on in the world with their food.

It's scary and sad.

Here's what you need to know:

Over 85% of all corn is genetically modified.

A 30 year study has shown that organic farming produces the same, or more, yield than a GMO farm.

Sustained feeding on GMO corn causes cancer in rats.

Most of the world, including Europe, Russia and China demands labeling of GMO.

Except America.

Manufacturers selling to those areas must use real sugar as the sweetener, not high fructose corn syrup.

Guess what Americans get?

Wake up America, it's not too late, but we need to get the Roundup out of our food.

Now.


Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: As with all these depressing documentaries, good for a viewing and you don't want to come back to it.  You want things to change!

There's Gold In Them There Hills! "City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold"

City Slickers 2 (1994)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Paul Weiland

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is paranoid.  He keeps seeing Curly (Palance) ever since he discovered a map hidden in the old cowboy's hat.  Teaming with Phil (Stern) and saddled with his older brother, Glen (Lovitz), the trio head out west to discover the treasure that Curly's ancestors buried.  However, some things buried in the desert are meant to stay buried!

A few years after the now-classic City Slickers was released, the inevitable sequel followed.

While not nearly as beloved as the first, I for one, am a big fan.

The dynamic changed a bit. 

Gone, with no explanation is Ed (Bruno Kirby), but Phil and Mitch are still there.

Now we are introduced to Glen, Mitch's deadbeat brother and played to the hilt by Lovitz.

I have often found movies improved by the Lovitz Factor, and this one is no exception.

Bringing back Jack Palance was a stroke of genius, and he actually gets a bit more screen time this go round.

Again, it's a different feel than the first one, but that's totally fine because it stands on its own merits as a good movie, not just a sequel to a great movie.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  While not quite as great as City Slickers, it's pretty darn close. :)

How The West Was Fun... "City Slickers"

City Slickers (1991)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Ron Underwood

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is turning 40.  His best friends Ed (Kirby) and Phil (Stern) have plans to take him on a cattle drive to celebrate the big occasion.  Fearing that her husband could face a mid-life crisis, his wife (Wettig) urges him to go.  So they head off to drive a herd of cattle across country and along the way the boys are going to learn a thing or two under the tutelage of trail boss Curly (Palance).

Closing in on the 25th anniversary of this film, and aside from a joke about VCRs, it's really aged well.

This captured the era when Billy Crystal was on fire at the box office as the improbable leading man who could do it all.

The jokes are fast and funny throughout, relying on dialogue and situational comedy to make the audience connect with the characters and howl with laughter.

Naturally, this movie is most remembered for Palance's Academy Award winning turn as Curly, the cow hand with a heart of steel who was actually much nicer than he appeared.

Okay, no he wasn't.

That he didn't kill Mitch was probably due to the fact that he simply ran out of time before he could.

:)

Give it a spin, especially if you've never seen it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If it's been nearly 25 years since you last saw it, dust it off and give it a whirl.

I think you'll find it still holds up really well.

And maybe you'll finally figure out what that "One Thing" that Curly is talking about, really is.

Final Grade: Solid A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I can watch this one anytime.  Absolutely love it.

Smarter Than You Give It Credit For... "Legally Blonde"

Legally Blonde (2001)

Rated PG-13

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Ali Larter

Directed by Robert Luketic

The Story:

Elle (Witherspoon) has been dumped by her boyfriend (Davis) as the two plan on their college future.  He needs to get into Harvard and become a lawyer, and he just can't be with her anymore.  Elle doesn't take rejection lightly, so she pulls out all the stops and applies to Harvard...

And is accepted!

In over her head, Elle is ready to quit, but when the chance to intern under Professor Callahan (Garber) to defend fitness guru Brooke Windham (Larter) from murder charges, she discovers that she's kind of a natural at the whole lawyer thing.

:)

Legally Blonde is one of those movies that is a perfect storm of a great cast, some inspired writing, and just plain fun that you're not certain what you were expecting going into it, but will walk out glad that you saw it.

At least, that's how I see it.

Take your choice of genre:

Fish out of water.
Romantic Comedy.
New Kid in Town.
Legal Comedy.
Boy meets girl meets boy.

Shake lightly, and out comes Legally Blonde.

It's easy to think that Elle is just going to be beaten down by the system at the beginning of the movie.  She's out-matched, and everyone (faculty/other students) are against her.

But Witherspoon simply wins you over with her performance. 

If you had to circle a movie to explain why Witherspoon is a great actress, or why people like her, I would pick this one.

Luke Wilson is also given the chance to shine as the potential suitor for Elle's charms.  Not sure why he never did more romantic comedies, they all seem to fall to his brother, but Luke is always a great choice and does a nice job here at both challenging and supporting Elle to do her best.

Good stuff.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I hadn't seen this one in a few years and had forgotten how fun(ny) it really is.  I'll try and get it back into rotation every few years now.

Everything Really Is Awesome... "The Lego Movie"

The Lego Movie (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson

Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

The Story:

Emmet Brickowski (Pratt) is an everyday, ordinary Lego builder.  He goes about his business, never realizing that he is... "The Special".  Yes, prophesied to stop the superweapon, the Kragle from being used by Lord Business (Ferrell) destroying the many Lego realms.  Teaming to help Emmet on his quest are Wyldestyle (Banks) and Batman (Arnett).

Want a fun movie that is great for all ages?

Look no further.

Naturally, for those of us that were kids at one point, Legos are no stranger to our lives.  The bricks can create almost anything you can imagine.

As the years have passed, the sets have gotten cooler, and now there are Legos to reflect pretty much any pop culture obsession.

Way cool for kids.

Possibly even cooler for parents.

Which becomes the crux of the conflict of The Lego Movie.

It seems that Lord Business is more familiar of an enemy than you realize as the movie unfolds, but I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen the film yet.

The voice cast in the film is amazing.  Pratt is overshadowed by the more famous Legos and/or voices, but that's to be expected for his character. However he brings the heart and soul to the movie along with some pretty good comedy gags.

Batman could easily be seen as the star of this film, and it's easily the best Batman film from DC...

Ever.

:)

This beautiful 3D film is above and beyond all of the previous Lego movies that they've released.

That said, those movies were all pretty darn fun on their own merits.

Combine these films with the stellar Lego videogames, and you begin to realize that a simple building block has reimagined itself for the 21st Century.

They aren't going anywhere, and the future looks very bright for this franchise.

The movie is so good, you can almost forgive all those times you step on a Lego barefoot at 2 AM in the house.

Almost.

:)

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Add this to the other great Lego offerings.  I imagine this will find its way into our house by Christmas.

A Star-Lord Is Born... "Guardians Of The Galaxy"

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace

Written and Directed by James Gunn

The Story:

Marvel Studios heads into space with a tale of a band of ne'er do-wells led by Star-Lord (Pratt) who teams with Gamora (Saldana) Drax (Bautista) Groot (Diesel) and Rocket (Cooper) in an attempt to save the very universe that considers them to be outlaws.  But heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and these Guardians of the Galaxy are about to prove to be every bit as worthy as The Avengers.

Mostly.

What to say about this film without completely echoing every other critic out there, and without revealing any spoilers?

Let's try...

This is THE Star Wars experience for the 7-12 year olds that we got to experience back in the 70s.
Not those terrible prequels that came a generation later... ick.
:)

Chris Pratt cements his claim to leading man/action hero/everyman action guy.  In other words, if he so chooses, he could be the next big thing.  His Star-Lord is equal parts Indiana Jones and John McClane, and everyman hero who can take a beating but keeps coming back for more.

Vin Diesel steals the movie out from under his co-stars with but three words...and one of the most expressive facial and body language you'll ever enjoy in a film.

You think he nailed it in Iron Giant?  Wait until you catch his Groot!

Cooper instills Rocket with equal parts cockiness, snarky, charm, agression with a hint of heart.  You want the mascot duo?  Look no further.

These guys are the C-3P0/R2D2 combo, except, they're a lot more relevant.

:)

Dave Bautista is given some great dialogue which he delivers perfectly.  He got the role of a lifetime, and I'm very happy to see him up on the screen.

Zoe Saldana proves that she's not a one-trick pony, put her in any franchise and she will deliver.

Lee Pace almost unrecognizable from Ned in Pushing Daisies, and he played Ronan the Accuser without mercy, a total change from what I was used to.  Well done.

James Gunn, he wrote it, he directed it, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all the better for it.

I rolled my eyes and wondered what Marvel was thinking when this movie was announced.

I humbly apologize.

This is what they were thinking, and I cannot wait to see how they follow it up in 2017, or perhaps a cameo elsewhere before then.

Bravo everyone.

I'm not sure if I will give this the edge over Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

But so far, it's Marvel running 1-2 for movie of the year.

That's impressive, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I've got until December to make that decision.


A word of warning from some of my kids:  You might want to bring a tissue along, just in case.


There's some moments in the film that will touch you beyond what you're expecting from a comic book movie.


That's James Gunn and his cast bringing an awful lot of heart to a film that is going to make you feel like a kid again before the credits roll.


They put the tagline "You're Welcome" on the poster months ago.

It wasn't cocky, it was a response to everyone who is now saying "Thank You" for making such a great movie.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'll be buying it, I hope it's out just in time for the holidays.  Loved it.