"Sully" Can Be My Pilot Anytime

Sully (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey, Mike O'Malley, Katie Couric

Directed by Clint Eastwood

The Story:

In 2009, a plane carrying 155 passengers and crew was hit by a massive bird strike after take off, disabling both engines. The captain (Hanks) made a decision to force a water landing on the Hudson River as he felt there was not enough time and power in the plane to make it to any of the neighboring airports. Everyone survived the "Miracle on the Hudson". However, as with all crashes, an investigation was underway, and the panel was determined to prove that Sully acted recklessly and could have indeed landed at an airport.

File this one under miraculous true story.

The movie starts with a bang, and never truly lets up.

Yet it is also paced just slow enough to not feel rushed.

Eastwood has settled in so comfortably behind the camera, and his films are usually quiet, yet emotionally impacting, and this one is no different.

The movie uses creative choices for flashbacks to fill you in on the narrative of Sully's life, so it doesn't unfold like a biography.

It helps to build towards the finale when all of the pieces of Sully's life and upbringing come into play when he makes the decision for a water landing, eschewing the normal protocol of turning back or heading to the other neighboring airports.

It will all come down to the mock flight tests that are performed to decide whether Sully gets to continue his aviation career, or if he is grounded, even though he saved everyone on board.

Final Grade: A-

The Last New Review of 2013..."Monsters University"

Every story has a beginning...

Sometimes we just don't see it until later.

The Story:

Mike (Billy Crystal) wants nothing more than to grow up and be a Scarer!  He follows his lifelong goal and enrolls in Monsters University.  It is there that he meets Sully (John Goodman) and to say that the two don't hit it off would be an understatement.  When the boys wind up on the bad side of the Dean (Helen Mirren), they will have to put aside their differences and team with some...underwhelming Scarers if they have any hope of getting back into the Scare Program.

I have gone on record as saying that Monsters Inc. is probably my favorite of all of the Pixar movies.

Billy Crystal is one of my favorite comedians of all time, and the relationship between Boo and Sully brings a tear to my eye every time I watch the movie. 

Yes, still.

So going in to the prequel, I tried to set the bar low. 

Real low.

There's no way that they could achieve that level of greatness in my eyes.

And they didn't.

It's good.

Better than the Cars franchise, and way, way better than Brave.

But not nearly as good as the first Monsters Inc.

That said, I'm okay with that.

It was still pretty funny and as beautiful as Pixar can make it.

The closing montage was a nice bridge between the movies too, and I kicked myself for doubting that John Ratzenberger was finally going to NOT be in a Pixar movie!

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Yes to both.

Beginning tomorrow, it's a walk down memory lane and a look back at some of 2013's higher points.