A Tale Of "Wonder"

Wonder (2017)

Rated PG

Starring Jacob Tremblay, Izabela Vidovic, Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts, Mandy Patinkin

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

The Story:

Auggie (Tremblay) is a little kid who is about to embark upon his greatest adventure: he's going to public school for the first time in his life. The facial deformities that he was born with have been fairly well fixed and hidden over the first part of his life thanks to his parents who were there for him and homeschooled him. But now it's time for Auggie to branch out and see if the real world will accept him or reject him.

So if you saw the trailers, you hopefully got the misty eye or the lump in your throat as it hit all the cliche notes that a movie like this is going for.

The movie will not disappoint you.

Cliche after cliche, note after note, this film ticks off every block that you're expecting to see in a coming of age dramedy about a little boy who fits in nowhere but at home, and yet has a profound impact on everyone around him.

The greatest strength of this movie is they realized that telling Auggie's story might get a bit redundant after 90 minutes of over and over, cliche after cliche of what Auggie is dealing with.

So in the wisest move ever, the movie shifts off of Auggie and instead tells side stories that run parallel (and have flashbacks) to life with Auggie in in. Friends. Family. Those that have known him forever and those that are just getting to know him.

Again, you know the road they are going down from the moment the movie starts, but it's still an enjoyable road nonetheless.

Final Grade:  B+

The Man Who Fell To Earth..."The Space Between Us"

The Space Between Us (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Asa Butterfield, Gary Oldman, Carla Gugino, Britt Robertson,

Directed by Peter Chelsom

The Story:

Gardner (Butterfield) was the first human born on Mars. His mom died during childbirth, and there was no clue who his father was. Inquisitive, the astronauts that have been at the Mars facility have helped raise him, and he is very smart and inquisitive, but a tad socially awkward. Thanks to technology, he has been in contact with one girl, Tulsa (Robertson) on Earth. What Gardner wants more than anything is to come home to Earth and find his dad, meet Tulsa, and feel what it's like to be human. Unfortunately, since he was born in space, his body and organs are not used to Earth's gravity, and the trip very well may kill him.

Not your typical coming of age storyline, but one that I found enjoyable to watch, cliches and all.

Gardner has pretty much learned anything and everything in life from NASA engineers and technology at his disposal, but he has to still learn what it's like to be human.

He has found a kindred spirit in Tulsa, who longs for a life that is anything but the life she currently lives.

Of course how can a boy who cannot live on Earth come home, find his father, find true love and survive all in the span of 2 hours?

While not perfect, for the most part the movie works just fine from start to finish.

The cast does a fine job, and it's always a pleasure to see Oldman and Gugino in just about any movie.

The ending really works for the film and ties up the narrative nicely

Final Grade: B-

Just Can't Get Enough..."Sing Street"

Sing Street (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aiden Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Mark McKenna, Ben Carolan, Ian Kenny,

Directed by John Carney

The Story:

Growing up in Dublin, Conor (Walsh-Peelo) is watching his family break apart as his parents (GIllen & Kennedy) are inching ever closer to divorce and he is pulled from his expensive prep school and sent to a Catholic school instead. Receiving the usual new kid welcome, Conor will have to deal with the school bully (Kenny) and is simply hating life. But when a new friend (Carolan) points out the mysterious girl across the way (Boynton), Conor figures out what he needs to do to impress the girl and make his life better: he's going to start a band.

This is everything that I hoped Pretty in Pink would be.

: )

Buoyed by an impressive soundtrack (it was the 80s after all), this coming of age comedy drama is also a musical.

But not that kind of musical.

No, the music is interspersed within the story as the kids perform covers and eventually sing their own songs.

The beauty of it all, the songs sound like they came straight from the 80s.

The new songs for the film fit in seamlessly with the works of Duran Duran and The Cure and other bands that influence these teens (and pepper the soundtrack) as they come to terms with who they are as a band.

The girl in question, Raphina is dying to leave Dublin and head to London to be a model.

This of course causes friction between her and Conor as she is his muse, and she sees him as just a sweet kid.

At least at first.

I would be remiss not to mention Conor's brother, Brendan (Raynor). He is the catalyst for a lot of what goes on in the movie, even though he doesn't have nearly as much screen time as he should.

The interaction between brothers gives the film the extra layer of heart it needs for an emotional finale that is so befitting this very charming tale.

The movie is streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade:  B+ 

Some Time Capsules Should Remain Buried..."Everybody Wants Some!!"

Everybody Wants Some!!

Rated R

Starring Blake Jenner, Juston Street, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Glen Powell, Temple Baker, J. Quinton Johnson, Will Brittain

Written and Directed by Richard Linklater

The Story:

Jake (Jenner) arrives at college and heads to the house where his baseball team (Everyone else) lives. It's the weekend before the semester starts, what hijinks will ensue?

I'd love to write more, but this is a difficult movie to review, because that's basically it.

It's a bunch of college guys enjoying their last weekend before school starts, so while things happen...

That's not much of a plot to work with.

From the guy that brought you Dazed and Confused in the early 90s, a film I still haven't seen, apparently he strikes again with an homage to 1980.

So unknown (mostly? relatively?) cast and a great soundtrack.

If lightning strikes again, he'll have found the next Matthew McCounaghy for us.
Alright, alright, alright.

But seriously, other than that...

I've got nothing.

This movie didn't leave much of an impression on me.

I even have to rack my brain to remember... did I actually watch the whole thing? Did I fast forward hoping something interesting happened?

And, I've got nothing.

Now, that said, the cast of actors did a great job with what they were given.

And yes, I hope to see them again in something else.

With a plot.

: )

Final Grade: C

"Cop Car" Is A Dull Ride

Cop Car (2015)

Rated R

Starring Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Camryn Manheim,

Directed by Jon Watts

The Story:

A pair of ten year old boys (Freedson-Jackson & Wellford) are running away from home. Then the find a police car with the keys in it, so they decide, why run when you can drive?

However, when the sheriff (Bacon) realizes he's been carjacked, he's going to go to any means necessary to get his car back, because, well, he's not exactly the nicest cop on the planet...

Cue ominous music!

I can't think of one thing that I enjoyed about this movie.

I'm actually surprised that I watched the whole thing and just didn't give up after 20 minutes.

Like I said, even Kevin Bacon couldn't save this Coming of Age/Dirty Cop hybrid thriller that was long on boredom, short on thrills.

If your goal is to watch every film Kevin Bacon has ever been in, then by all means, you must see this one.

The guy can play a dirty cop without blinking an eye.

Everyone else?

I'd fight the urge, and go watch just about any other film, with or without Bacon, instead.

Mmm...

Bacon.

Final Grade: D

Who's A Good Dog? "Max"

Max (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Lauren Graham, Mia Xitlali, Luke Kleintank, Dejon LaQuake, Robbie Amell,

Written and Directed by Boaz Yakin

The Story:

When Marine Dog Handler Kyle Wincott (Amell) is killed in action, his dog Max comes to the funeral. Max is very loyal and misses Kyle, so much so that the Marines really can't use him anymore. Somehow, Max bonds with Kyle's brother, Justin (Wiggins). Justin doesn't care for the dog, but as time passes, the two begin to bond. However, when one of Kyle's friends (Kleintank) comes back to town, Max begins to act strange, and Justin begins to learn things that put his life in danger.

Based on a true story needs to be said upfront, though I'm sure it's more the dog at the funeral than the conspiracy over how the Marine was killed.

Boaz Yakin crafts another fine tale as both writer and director, but he's been doing that for some time now.

The movie balances fairly nicely between a coming of age / boy and his dog / murder mystery subplots that get equal time without really shortchanging or sabotaging anything.

It's possible that the murder mystery could have easily been dropped and the movie would still have been enjoyable, but it's a nice treat that what is essentially a family movie can also delve into some darker areas.

A great cast, but it's easy to see how this was overlooked in theaters and dismissed as a Made for TV movie.

That's a shame because it is indeed worth a look.

Final Grade: B-

If You've Seen Variations Before, Is It Still "The First Time" ?

The First Time (2012)

Rated PG-13 for language and situations

Starring Britt Robertson, Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Justice, James Frecheville

Written and Directed by Jon Kasdan

The Story:

 Dave (O'Brien) has been pining away for Jane (Justice) but she thinks of him as just a great friend. One night at a party, he meets Aubrey (Robertson) a girl from another school and the two begin chatting away and getting along famously.  It turns out that Aubrey is planning on having her first time with her boyfriend Ronny (Frecheville).  However, Dave and Aubrey have such magical chemistry, maybe, just maybe, some relationships are about to change.

What a great little comedy.

Part romantic comedy, part coming of age film, part high school film...

You get the idea.

However, it's all the good parts.

Excellent storyline and dialogue in this film thanks to Kasdan who follows very well into his father's footsteps.

The dialogue is believable and not too kiddish...not too adultish.  Believable, and fun(ny).

The relationship between Dave and Aubrey is believable and not too rushed.

You root for them as the story progresses, even as Dave gets some less than ideal advice which adds the dramatic tension in the relationship that keeps everything from going smoothly.

Amazingly, with the PG-13 rating, Kasdan also avoids making a film about coming of age/first romance that really shouldn't be seen by the target audience.

And no, technically I'm not the target audience, but I have kids that are, and this one can join the list of those 80s movies that showed how relationships work (or don't) in high school that are enjoyable to watch, and fun to revisit.

Final Grade: Going with a B+... this was a nice surprise.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd have no problem buying it or watching it again in the future when it goes streaming/comes to cable.

Definitely For The Birds... "A Birder's Guide To Everything"

A Birder's Guide To Everything (2013)

Rated PG-13 for language and brief nudity

Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Kingsley, Alex Wolff, James Le Gros, Michael Chen, Katie Chang

Directed by Rob Meyer

The Story:

David (McPhee) is a 15 year old member of the high school birding club.  He catches a picture of what may be a Labrador Duck.  The problem with that?  That animal is extinct!  Working with his two best friends and fellow birders (Wolff and Chen) and the audiovisual girl (Chang), the boys are about to go on a road trip to prove the duck is alive!  The real problem: it's the same weekend David's dad (Le Gros) is getting remarried.  Will the duck cost David his relationship with his dad?

I've reviewed movies like this before.

Not bird-watching movies, per se...

But movies that want to tell multiple stories in the course of the running time, and ultimately are unable to get any real momentum into any main story and at the end of the film you simply shrug your shoulders and say...

Meh.

What's on tap here?

A coming of age story.
First romance.
Rebellious teen.
Underdog "sports" team (if you consider birding a sport)

So again, you start swirling these little stories together, and get no real traction with the big story.

Stuff. Simply. Happens.

Add to the chaos, a birding expert (Kingsley) who is basically a throw-away part for the most recognizable name in the movie.

Again, it's okay, but nothing great.

Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd have to pass on replay value.

I Guess It's Better Than Being An Ice Queen? "Ice Princess"

Ice Princess (2005)
Rated G

Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Kim Cattrall, Trevor Blumas

Directed by Tim Fywell

The Story:

Casey (Trachtenberg) is a great student who loves math and science.  She puts these skills together to do a study on figure skaters in the hopes of getting a scholarship to college.  Her passion comes through in the project, and she yearns to skate.  Offering her analysis of how to skate better, she trades for some ice time under demanding coach Tina Harwood (Cattrall).  Casey gets really good, really fast, which poses a threat to Gen Harwood's (Panettiere) chances of fame and fortune.

Sounds like trouble!

The funny thing is though, the trouble doesn't happen between the teen girls.  Nope, it's the coach who feels most threatened.

Then add in a romance with the Coach's son (Blumas) and Casey having arguments with her mom (Cusack) about even wanting to be an ice skater, and you have a nearly perfect coming of age film for teenage girls.

Revisited almost a decade after watching it the first time, it's still a pretty good film.

Not too sugary, not too sappy.

The characters come off multidimensional and not just wooden stereotypes, and that is always a plus.

It's a Disney film, so you pretty much know what you're getting into, but they still do a good job of not telegraphing every moment of the film.

So if you've got teen or tween daughters, here's a movie you can watch along with them, and there's not a sparkling vampire to be found.

:)

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I meant to buy it years ago but never did.  We'll see if I pick it up before or after my next teen/tweens outgrow it. ;)

Someone's Been Very, Very Naughty..."The To Do List"

What's a girl to do?

Oh my!

The Story:

Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) is the uptight valedictorian of her class (of '93).  However, as she prepares for a summer of work and college in the fall, she feels pressured by her friends and older sister to...
Well, stop being a virgin.

Soooo....

Brandy makes a list of things she thinks she needs to accomplish before the fall, and then sets out to accomplish her naughty "to do" list, with anyone she can "to do it" with!

Well, that was unexpected!

I'm still not sure how to approach this rated R (with good reason) coming of age comedy.

It's like a female version of American Pie, but less virgins trying to end their suffering.

Instead, it's all Brandy trying to learn all the ways of being a woman, even many ways that her sluttier friends and sister haven't tried yet.

With her job at the local pool working for Willy (Bill Hader), Brandy is the subject of hazing as the noob, but she's got her eye on the last item on her list: Rusty Waters (Scott Porter).  She'll use her friend Cameron (Johnny Simmons) and anyone else to gain the experience she thinks she's lacking.

However, along the way she's going to realize that sex without feelings isn't as great as everyone made it out to be.

Used briefly, but effectively, Clark Gregg as Brandy's dad.  He's hilarious in what he doesn't want to see happen to his daughters.  He literally squirms with discomfort in nearly every scene.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Probably not, at least for a few years.  It's funny enough though.