Guardianship Matters..."Gifted"

Gifted (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer,

Directed by Marc Webb

The Story:

Frank (Evans) has been taking care of his niece Mary (Grace) for the last seven years after his sister died. However Mary is now old enough to go to school. The only real problem, Mary is a math genius, and the public school curriculum is a bit... redundant for her. That's when the grandma (Duncan) shows up and demands custody of little Mary, so she can put that brain to use and become famous.  Sounds like this one is heading to court.

Ah, contesting guardianship...

That's a fun subject for a film! : /

That's the underlying theme for this film though as the grandmother who has never been there shows up demanding what she deems best for the child.

On the other side, the uncle who has been by her side the entire time, trying to make sure that she isn't just some "weird kid" because he already knew what that was like growing up, and he wants Mary to be as close to normal as possible.

Would this even be necessary if Mary were any less than a mathematical genius?

I think you'll figure out that answer long before the credits roll.

It's a sweet, caring film that is carried by Grace and the subdued performance of Evans. Proving that he's more than just a guy with a shield, Evans carries a weighty burden on his shoulders as he constantly doubts whether what he's doing is right or not, but always erring on the side of what he believes to be the best interests of Mary, and honoring what he believes his sister would have wanted.

It's quite likely you missed this in theaters during the winter.

Now's the time to make up for it.

Final Grade: B+

I Should Have Let It Stay A Secret..."The Secret Life Of Pets"

The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey,

Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney

The Story:

Max (Louis C.K.) is a terrier who lives a happy life with Katie (Kemper). Until one day she brings home a stray named Duke (Stonestreet) and the two just don't get along. Naturally, one day Max's attempt to get rid of Duke wind up with them both on the lam from the law, and when Snowball (Hart) shows them the seedy underside of abandoned pets in New York City, they both just want to get home as soon as possible.

Sound familiar?

Yep, it's the plot to Toy Story, only this time substitute pets for toys, and you're guaranteed a smash hit for the whole family.

Except for all the charm and heart, this movie forgot to add most of that in.

The framework for the story was already done for them by Pixar, Illumination Entertainment forgot to add in all the fun, excitement and warmth that made Toy Story an instant classic.

Instead, they relied on a host of funny comedians and hoped that they would be enough to make this one fun on its own.

Ooops.

Doesn't really work that way.

I think the two most enjoyable characters in the film were voiced by Albert Brooks and Dana Carvey, and they were minor characters that show up in the 2nd half of the film.

At the end of the day, it's not unwatchable.

I've just seen too many animated films by all the studios continually push that bar ever higher, and it's not enough, for me anyway, to just be an animated film to entice families to watch together.

Final Grade: C

It's A Jungle Out There..."Zootopia"

Zootopia (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, J.K. Simmons, Shakira,

Written and Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

The Story:

Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is determined to be the first bunny rabbit to ever join the police force. It's never been done before, and society at large says it shouldn't be allowed, but she manages to join the force in time to land the biggest missing animal case the city has ever seen. To save her job, she joins forces with Nick (Bateman),  a streetwise fox to try and unravel the whereabouts of the citizenry of Zootopia.

Leave it to Disney to strike a chord with the masses with a kind-hearted message movie about racial and/or gender equality that is appealing to the masses.

In this case, you've got the predators and the prey living side by side, but with some nefarious plotting afoot, how long will the fragile peace in the land last?

Then by switching the focus from Nick to Judy, you've also added the layer that girls can do anything boys can do, if that is what they want to do.

So yes, heavy social topics, but not delivered with a heavy hand to take away the enjoyment of the movie.

As usual with Disney, they've combined wonderful character designs with a stellar voice cast to create a beautiful movie.

I'm doubtful it needs one, but since it's Disney, I'm sure we  haven't seen the last of these characters. Let's hope the inevitable sequel has a story worthy of the original.

For those that have missed it in theaters or on DVD, starting tomorrow, you should be able to begin streaming it on Netflix as one of the first movies to arrive as part of the exclusive Disney/Netflix deal.

Don't worry, those of you without kids, you can watch it too.

: )

Final Grade:  A-