They Call Him Fli... Whoops, Wrong Show... "Dolphin Tale 2"

Dolphin Tale 2 (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff,

Written & Directed by Charles Martin Smith

The Story:

Remember Winter from the first movie? Well, her surrogate mother has passed away, and now Winter isn't doing so great. If she doesn't recover, or if they Marina cannot find another dolphin to pair her with, according to the Feds, Winter will have to be sent to another Marina to live.

Oh no!

Yes, it's another round of "Based on a True Story".

The cast returns as young Sawyer (Gamble) has grown and faces a semester at sea. Of course he'd love to go, but his heart belongs with Winter and ensuring she gets the care at the Marina that she deserves.

Luckily she's under the care of Dr. Haskett (Connick) and his daughter (Zuehlsdorff) who is obviously enamored with Sawyer.

I guess that will be the story behind Dolphin Tale 2! (?)

As fate would have it, another dolphin in need is going to come into the Marina's life.

The trick is, will baby Hope and Winter be able to bond before the USDA comes to take Winter away forever?

Don't worry, you probably already know the answer, but it's still a mostly heartwarming tale to get you there.

Final Grade: C+

"Double Jeopardy"... Legal Thriller Or TV Game Show?

Double Jeopardy (1999)

Rated R

Starring Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Greenwood

Directed by Bruce Beresford

The Story:

Libby (Judd) is sentenced to prison for the murder of her husband, Nick (Greenwood). She swears she's innocent and has been framed. As she rots away in prison, she discovers that not only was she framed, that Nick is actually alive. Once she is paroled, she escapes from her parole officer (Jones) and begins a mad dash across country to find her husband and retrieve her son. Staying one step ahead of the law and getting her son back is Libby's frantic mission.

What if "The Fugitive" was a girl?

That would be an easy way to sum up this film, especially when you include Tommy Lee Jones in the cast.

The difference is the spin of adding the child into the mix.

If it weren't for Libby wanting to see her son, she would have served her time and went along with her life after prison.

However, her son kept her drive and passionate because she missed him, and knew something was wrong.

Add in one seemingly innocent phone call when she hears him say, "Daddy", the film turns into her mission of revenge.

Great job by all three of the lead actors who elevate the story above just a regular thriller.

Worth a look if it's been ages, or never.


Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I do own this one. It's been over a decade since I had last seen it, but still holds up.

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.