It's All About Family... "Coco"

Coco (2017)

Rated PG

Starring Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach

Directed by Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina

The Story:

Miguel (Gonzalez) was born with music in his heart, but unfortunately it is a passion not shared, in fact it's forbidden, by his family, and has been for generations. When he finds himself spirited away to the Land of the Dead during the Day of the Dead festival. Hoping to meet his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Bratt). If he can return to the land of the living with an ancestral blessing, perhaps he can finally play his music?

Okay, before we get to yet another gushing of adulation for this film, let's all pause for a moment and reflect on 20th Century Fox's The Book of Life which hit theaters in 2014 and took us to the Land of the Dead already.

It's a great, visually stunning movie that was overlooked, likely because it doesn't have the same Disney/Pixar connection with audiences.

It had a great voice cast, gorgeous animation and a love story at the heart of their adventure.

You can argue which of these is better, and you're not wrong. Same yet different, both worthy of your time and attention.

Coco offers much the same, but their story goes down the family avenue instead.

The secondary, and perhaps more important story in the film is that of Hector (Bernal) who is trying desperately to cross back over one more time so that he will not be forgotten. He's hoping to use Miguel to get back and ensure his picture could be placed on the family mantle so that he will be remembered by future generations.

In other words:

bring tissues

This is Pixar firing on all cylinders again, and it's good to have them back at their A-game.

And for that, I reward them.

Final Grade:  A

"The Infiltrator" Has A Very Dangerous Job

The Infiltrator (2016)

Rated R

Starring Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Juliet Aubrey, Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt,

Directed by Brad Furman

The Story:

Robert Mazur (Cranston) is a Customs agent who goes deep undercover to find the bigger fish that are bringing drugs into America. The more he meets with Roberto Alcaino (Bratt) the closer they become as friends. Is Mazur going to be able to make the arrests when the time comes, or is he going to go too deep undercover?

There's a lot of story to cram into a 2 hour drama, but for the most part, the entire cast and crew manage to pull it off without too many loose end/plot holes that make you forget you're watching a movie.

Cranston continues to be the best part of any movie that he's in.

Maybe one of these years I'll get around to watching Breaking Bad, but for now I'll just keep enjoying his roles in films.

The movie does a nice job of trying to show how Mazur had to balance his work life and his home life, and how one small slip of the tongue (I'm engaged...) or taking his real wife out on the town, he would have to think fast to get himself out of these jams.

The rest of the cast matches Cranston's energy in scene for scene, especially Leguizamo as his partner where they both sometimes fear that the other may have gone over to the other side during their investigation.

The biggest complaint I've seen about this movie is that Narcos did it better.

Well, I would hope a continuing series would do a better job of telling a richer story than a 2 hour movie.

Since I haven't had a chance to watch Narcos yet, at least they've set the bar high for it.

I'll try that one in the future, either before or after Breaking Bad.

:)

Final Grade: Solid B

Undercover Brothers..."Ride Along 2"

Ride Along 2 (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt, Olivia Munn, Ken Jeong,

Directed by Tim Story

The Story:

Ben (Hart) is getting married to Angela (Sumpter) soon, but before the wedding, he has to head to Florida with James (Cube) on assignment. There they begin to unravel a plot thanks to AJ (Jeong) that implicates a very wealthy businessman (Bratt) who the local police (Munn) refuse to believe could possibly be dirty.

In other words, if you enjoyed the first Ride Along, you should have just as good of a time, or better, on their latest trip.

I've enjoyed both films. They were good, but I'd like to see better by the time the 3rd one rolls around.

Ice Cube is great, as usual, and works really well with Kevin Hart.

Hart is an actor that has grown on me over the years, and I've enjoyed his performances more and more as I've watched him.

He's like a short Chris Tucker.

:)

Now put those two together in a movie, and let's see what happens.

Anyway, the movie is fun, the cast seems to have some genuine chemistry among them, and I'd happily return for the next ride if they're willing to make it.

That, or have these guys crossover with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: The Ride Along and I'll be there opening night!

Final Grade: B-

They Don't Just Report The News... "Special Correspondents"

Special Correspondents (2016)

Rated TV-MA

Starring Ricky Gervais, Eric Bana, Vera Farmiga, Kelly MacDonald, Kevin Pollak, America Ferrera, Raul Castillo, Benjamin Bratt,

Written and Directed by Ricky Gervais

The Story:

Frank (Bana) is a great radio journalist in New York who pushes the envelope too often. His boss (Pollak) warns him that the next screw up will be his last. Taking technician Ian (Gervais) with him on assignment to Ecuador will be just the assignment he needs to show his boss that he's still got what it takes and keep his job secured. But when a strange turn of events leaves them stranded in New York, the duo hatch a scheme to report what's happening in Ecuador right from the streets of New York. When they begin breaking bigger news stories than anyone else, they find themselves at the very heart of the news they are reporting!

One of the Netflix original movies currently available for streaming, as noted it is written, directed and stars Ricky Gervais.

So unless you can't stand him, you might like this movie.

:)

The movie has a bit of a slow start, but it picks up nicely as the boys do all of their reporting from "Ecuador".

That's where a lot of the fun and humor sets in as they continue to break a story that wasn't a story at all, until they break it.

Eventually, the two become center to the storyline itself, and then it stretches credibility by making the guys break into Ecuador so that they can resolve the storyline honestly.

It would have been much easier to fake their way out of the country, but then you don't get the emotional finale.

It's a wonderful cast, and it's fun to see Bana again, in just about anything now that I think about it, but also looking to be having a little bit of fun with his character.

Final Grade: B-