2020 Academy Awards

AD ASTRA
DIRECTED BY JAMES GRAY
REVIEWED BY DOUG SOLEM "J.R."

AVENGERS: ENDGAME
DIRECTED BY ANTHONY & JOE RUSSO
REVIEWED BY DOUG SOLEM "J.R."

CAPTAIN MARVEL
DIRECTED BY ANNA BODEN & RYAN FLECK
REVIEWED BY DOUG SOLEM "J.R."
 

There has been a lot of talk that captain marvel would be ruined because of it (Social Justice Warrior) Agenda.  Early reviews made the statement that it was a forced film, throwing itself into the face of the audience.  While it may be rushed in to the marvel cinematic universe, I never got the feeling that the movie was trying to push me in a certain direction.  It did however have a powerful superhero who happened to be female.

Overall it was a fun movie that could have been better.  What I mean is that the movie was entertaining but lacked qualities that make Marvel/Disney movies great.  The story and pacing of this movie is confusing.  From the beginning of the film, I was unaware of character names and backgrounds.  For example, I still do not know the name of Jude Laws character.  It was announced only briefly in the film.  Personally I’m worried about Brie Larson's take on Captain Marvel.   Going forward She Is supposed to be the next leading woman of the Marvel Universe.  Her character had little personality and lacked depth.  From what I've heard, Brie Larson is a wonderful actress, but I’m not sure she has the demeanor for this role.  

On a positive note I thought the acting performances of both Sam Jackson (Nick Fury) and Ben Mendelson (antagonist) were great.  I am once again blown away be the evolution of CGI.  It was unnoticeable on Sam Jackson.  The subtle moment that stole the show was one of Stan Lee’s (Creator of Marvel comics) final cameos. The scene is both heartwarming and validating for audiences members.   

Overall, the movie was enjoyable.  Captain Marvel needs better character development.  It also seemed that when it was all said and done, the stakes were never high.   Nothing truly challenged the main character.  Hopefully going forward we can see an evolution to this franchise.

3.5 out of 5 stars  

GLASS
DIRECTED BY M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN
REVIEWED BY DOUG SOLEM "J.R."
 

M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals—2000’s Unbreakable, from Touchstone, and 2016’s Split, from Universal—in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: Glass. From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James Mcavoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast. Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

   

Going in to this movie I was more excited than anything else.  I knew Shyamalan has a history of great movies (Unbreakable, Split, Signs, Sixth Sense).  On the other hand I also knew he has a history of making absolute duds (The Happening, After Earth, The Last Airbender).  However, his movies are usually self-financed, original and full of twists, which is something I can appreciate.
 
It took almost two decades for this third installment to premiere.  Overall I was very happy with the final film. This movie has a star studded cast which includes, Bruce Willis, James Mcavoy and of Course Samuel. L Jackson.   Willis and Jackson had solid acting performances, not amazing but good.  Mcavoy stole the show.  His ability to go in and out of personalities is stunning and deserves more recognition.  Overall, there are plenty of holes in this movie which may irritate people.  However, I found a lot of the problems I had throughout the movie, were resolved by the end.  My advice is to not set expectations too high, and have an open mind when watching it.  I have to praise Shyamalan on his creative story telling. Things don’t always make sense but it’s always original and something you haven’t seen before.  Flaws, Twists, and shocks, expect the unexpected. 
3 out of 5 stars.

JR'S Featured Movie Review
SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
BOB PERSICHETTI, PETER RAMSEY & RODNEY ROTHMAN

(As provided from Google) Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.   

I absolutely loved this movie, one of my favorites of the year so far.  It was incredibly enjoyable and a refreshing storyline from what we’ve seen in prior versions of the super Hero.  This is no longer another repetitive origin story that we are all too familiar with.  This has depth and is complex, introducing a multi-verse of different versions of the hero. The character development was solid and the change from Peter Parker to Miles Morales is somewhat ground breaking.  With a back ground in graphic design and video, I was blown away by the animation and the sequences in the movie.  It’s the closest thing that we have seen to portraying an actual comic book on the big screen, and it was executed perfectly. Truly an original piece, and a great foundation for future installments.  For what this movie is, you will not be disappointed…..They nailed it, a home run for sure!

Doug Jr.'s Featured Movie Review
Crazy Rich Asians
Directed by Jon M. Chu

Last Friday I decided to try something different.  I went to the theatre at exactly 3pm with no movie in mind.  Whatever was playing is what I would watch.  It turned out to be Crazy Rich Asians.  I have heard mixed reviews from some of my friends, so I figured I would give it a try.

The Story- (as provided by studio) Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She's also surprised to learn that Nick's family is extremely wealthy and he's considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse -- Nick's disapproving mother.

My Take – This is the same story that we have all seen a million times before.  Poor girl falls in love with rich prince, family doesn’t approve….. As far as originality goes, this movie is as cliché as it gets. However the movie can still be enjoyable.  One thing that is unique about this movie is its perspective.  You get to see a modern Cinderella told through Asian culture.   That part of this story is refreshing. The movie itself centers around cultural differences between America and Asia.  The way people are raised and what is expected from their families. The movie is also heavily focused on status quo and materialism. In other words wealth equals power and power equals success. The characters are full of passive aggressive quotes along with strong comedic relief throughout the film.  I think this is a good date night movie, however I wasn’t totally sold on the quality of acting or originality.  Overall I give this movie 2 ½ stars out of 5.

Zala's Featured Review 
Solo - A Star Wars Story
Directed by Ron Howard

If you like back stories which show the early relationships between Star Wars characters we met in early episodes of the saga, you will appreciate this film. We learn how Solo gets his name, meets eventual co-pilot Chewbacca, falls in love with the Millennium Falcon, and interacts with Lando Cairrisian. Director, Ron Howard, pulled together a movie in crises in the summer of 2017 to deliver what two previous directors couldn’t as they were let go after creative differences made it difficult to finish the movie.

The Story - Solo and love interest, Qi’ra are trying to escape their home on the shipbuilding world of Corellia with a dream getting a ship and traveling the universe. As they try to bribe their way off the planet, Qi’ra is captured and Hans escapes to learn to fly at the Imperial Flight Academy from which he is expelled for insubordination. He becomes part of the infantry where he meets criminals pretending to be soldiers. Solo is arrested for desertion where he is going to be fed “The Beast”, a Wookiee named Chewbacca. Solo, Chewbacca, and criminals form a union under the direction of Tobias Beckett to steal a shipment of coaxium. The action continues in a series of interstellar adventures. Failure to steal the coaxium successfully takes the group to the evil syndicate boss Dryden Vos, where Solo runs into Qi’ra who is in Vos’s service. The story continues with plots, failures and successes and series of betrayals. Throughout all of it is the typical banter as characters grow closer to one another.

The Cast - Overall, I enjoyed this cast. It is difficult to replicate some iconic characters we grew up with, but it felt that some consideration was given in hiring actors to play the younger versions of the characters. Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo) is well cast as a younger version of Harrison Ford. You see some of the unfounded confidence, perhaps arrogance we see in Ford’s Solo. Emilia Clarke (Qi’ra) carries the confidence you may recognize as the Mother of Dragon’s in Game of Thrones. Woodie Harrelson (Tobias Beckett) plays a great villain who is playing every side possible in trying to survive in a world of treachery.  Donald Glover (Lando Cairissian) plays a wonderful younger version first performed by Billy Dee Williams.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: B

The film is action packed and carries some of the same play between the characters that you see in first Star Wars episodes. As previously stated, if you like to learn more about the back stories then you may enjoy this film. John Powell does a nice job of composing music which uses original Star Wars themes and music developed for this movie. I saw the movie in 3D. You wouldn’t need to. I also think you could enjoy this film even if you hadn’t see all of the originals.

Zala's Featured Review 
Love Simon “Everyone deserves a great love story”
Directed by Greg Berlanti

Revealing ourselves is something that is the most difficult thing we ever do. The risk of showing who we are to others opens us up to critique, analysis, praise and what we fear most, criticism. Love, Simon is a movie about a high school senior who deals with his being gay and being accepted by his family, friends, and community. Director, Greg Berlanti, shares a story of love, of fear, of being exposed for who you are in a celebration of young man’s ability to “exhale”.

The Story - Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) is a high school senior living the “normal life” with one “big-ass secret”. In the film you learn what it is like to be seen as the person you portray, rather than the person you are. As a young man who is gay, he hides his secret in a world of blogs and social media until it is posted that another guy at school, whose identity isn’t revealed, is gay. He finds a way to communicate with him via email and the two share their secrets about feelings and fears in a world that doesn’t consider them part of the mainstream. Simon communicates with the student via emails on his phone until he doesn’t have coverage at school and uses a computer in the library. He is abruptly interrupted by the assistant principal and minimizes the screen and leaves before sending the email. Another student uses this computer upon his departure and screen shots all of the messages, which he uses as blackmail, threatening to post them on the widely-read student blog.

The Cast - The cast of the film has some recognizable actors whom you soon see as characters instead of actors. Simon’s mother (Jennifer Garner) and father (Josh Duhamel) are the kind of parents you would like to have if you had to reveal your secret. Simon’s friends Leah (Katherine Langford), Abby (Alexandra Shipp), Bram (Keiynan Lonsdale), and Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) have all played in a variety of roles, many in superhero movies. Many of you will recognize Mr. Worth, the assistant principle (Tony Hale) from his latest role in VEEP. Theater director, Ms. Albright (Natasha Rothwell) spent a couple of years on Saturday Night Live. The cast is believable even though the school administrators and teacher seem to try to hip with the students and interact with some comments that aren’t always appropriate. The actors are seasoned and carry the story.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A

The film is excellent. The story flows and the 1 hour and 49 minutes flies by. You can empathize with what Simon goes through hiding being gay and his desire to respond to blackmail so the entire school doesn’t find out. You watch him feel love by this mystery young man and walk through his experience of coming out as he is forced to do so. As they communicate he tries to figure out which classmate this is. He imagines several guys whose eyes he connects. As he interacts with Blue via email, we see the newest possibility sitting at the computer responding to Simon’s messages. One by one he discovers each isn’t the person to whom he is falling in love. You want him to succeed in his desire to have nothing change with his relationships as he comes out. If you can be in a place of accepting gay people, then you will love this movie. It gives a brief insight to the experience they have in first dealing with the feelings themselves and then sharing it with others. Riding the Ferris wheel of life alone isn’t nearly as fun as sharing the seat with someone you love. You will understand when you see this feel good movie of the Spring!

Zala's Featured Review 
A Wrinkle In Time - Directed by Ava DurVernay

A flight of fantasy. Lessons about growing up to face our fears. This 1963 Newberry Award winner in children’s literature appears on the screen under the direction of Ava DuVernay. Many of you may have read or had A Wrinkle in Time read to you in elementary school which may be one of the only reasons you would want to attend this movie

The Story - The story of a young daughter and son growing up with their scientist mother as their father has disappeared to “shake hands with the universe” demonstrates the struggles of growing up with school challenges and self-esteem issues. From the movie, we don’t know how the younger brother makes contact with three magical beings, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. They did hear a message and travel across the universe to help the siblings and a new-found friend find the scientist father, Alex Murry, who disappeared while investigating the couple calculations to travel (tesser) through time and space. The three Mrs. Ws take the children through the Wrinkle to find their father in a fanciful journey which is about personal growth to develop a positive esteem (the light) and to fight the evil inhabitants of the Camazotz “IT” (the dark).

The Cast - The three Mrs. Ws are well-recognized which may not help the movie much. Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Withersppon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) have a difficult time shedding the real actors persona throughout the movie. Their costumes and make up are elaborate, but I still saw each of them as themselves. Father, Chris Pine, does a good job in his acting, but comes across as Captain Kirk as a dad. This is the first starring role for daughter Meg (Storm Reid). At age 14, she does a fine job. She is building a strong repertoire of movie and television roles.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: C

The film is adequate. The story has possibilities on the screen but it seems like more development is needed. The younger brother, Charles Wallace, could be developed more and the time when the IT turns him evil seems to happen without our knowledge. He is suddenly evil. There are many ideas that aren’t fully developed on the Camazotz as the children are searching for the father. At 109 minutes, I was ready for it to end. It seems like this wasn’t created for adults and yet I didn’t feel like it was for younger kids. Younger teens might get some of the messaging here and could learn from it, but many other movies do a much better job with the same themes. The trailer is much more captivating than the movie itself.

Doug's Featured Review 
2018 Academy Awards

Although I was unable to see all of the Oscar contenders, I was able to see the big winner.  The Shape of Water was an odd yet beautiful movie.  The actors all gave first class performances.  Best of all, the movie was visually stunning.  No need for high tech special effects, just a director that knew how to weave a wonderful, romantic fairy tale.  Here's a list of all the winners.

Best Picture:

“The Shape of Water” (WINNER)
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Director:

“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro (WINNER)
“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson

Actress:

Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Actor:

Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Supporting Actress:

Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (WINNER)
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Supporting Actor:

Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (WINNER)
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”

Original Screenplay:

“Get Out,” Jordan Peele (WINNER)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh
“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

Animated Feature:

“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson (WINNER)
“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Original Song:

“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez (WINNER)
“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Original Score:

“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat (WINNER)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins (WINNER)
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory (WINNER)
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Live Action Short Film:

“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton (WINNER)
“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Documentary Short Subject:

“Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel (WINNER)
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Film Editing:

“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer (WINNER)
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant (WINNER)
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile) (WINNER)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Production Design:

“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

Sound Mixing:

“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Sound Editing:

“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King (WINNER)
“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Documentary Feature:

“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan (WINNER)
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Costume Design:

“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges (WINNER)
“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Makeup and Hairstyling:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick (WINNER)
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten
 

Zala's Featured Review 
The Greatest Showman
Directed by Stephen Chbosky

The crisp opening will grab your attention and it sets the tone that you will be on a musical journey with high energy, excellent choreography and camera angles and effects that blend beautifully with music. Michael Gracey (Director) has delivered a movie that can contend with sparkly holiday season filled with inspiring music by composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

The Story - This film is the story of P. T. Barnum, the inventor of the Greatest Show on Earth. That sounds biographical, which this movie is not. The story uses themes of class struggle, acceptance of differences, conflict with those who have or desire privilege, getting rid of the ghosts of growing up, and discrimination toward those who are different. All of this is set to music. You have to get past the fact that the singing is studio recorded as you can’t perform as they do and properly sing. What I appreciated was a weaving of the songs into the dialogue and story line blending text to tunes. Barnum forms a troop of “oddities”, characters society has shunned because they don’t fit into the mainstream. He meets a theatrical producer Phillip Carlyle and convinces him to become a partner to gain some influence with upper society. Carlyle gets Barnum’s Circus an audience with Queen Victoria in England where they meet Swedish singer Jenny Lind. Barnum pursues Lind to conduct a US performance so that NY society will see him as a legitimate producer. All of this leads to his Circus troop to feel he has abandoned them to take Lind on a US tour.

The Cast - You will enjoy Hugh Jackman (P.T. Barnum) as he struggles with growing up as a poor tailor’s son desiring to become something great. Zac Efron (Phillip Carlyle) a N.Y. socialite and producer becomes Barnum’s partner. His acting is believable, definitely a couple of steps higher than Baywatch. Both of these guys can carry a tune, but the real vocal talent is delivered by Keala Settle (The Bearded Lady) and Rebecca Ferguson (Swedish singer Jenny Lind). Barnum’s wife (Michelle Williams – Brokeback Mountain) and daughters (Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely) are delightful and provide much needed grounded for the Showman.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A

It is difficult to sit in your seat without tapping your foot. The precision of the dancing and the Cirque du Soleil show performance effects are highly entertaining. It left me wanting to attend an actual performance. The story ends in a quiet scene that may bring a tear, or at least an “aww”. This is a movie that makes you want to run away and join the circus!

Zala's Featured Review 
Darkest Hour
Directed by Joe Wright

“We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans . . . We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”

The black and white opening scenes of the German war machine are chilling and immediately set the tone for the urgency of action required as Hitler was conquering the European continent. Joe Wright directs a powerful telling of the story of Churchill’s selection as Prime Minister and his leadership to rescue of over 300,000 troops at Dunkirk as France and Belgium fall.

The Story - For those of you who recently saw Dunkirk, this film will fill in the pre-story to the valiant rescue of British and French troops on the beaches facing certain death by a superior German army and air force. The failed policy of Neville Chamberlain in his “peach in our time” agreement with Hitler has resulted in the need for Parliament to choose a new prime minister. As Churchill rises to the top, we witness his unpopularity within the government and with the King. Churchill must pick up the pieces with his army and navy in danger, a difficult political climate, a country not ready for war, allies that have been conquered and the United States not willing to get involved. The stress that Churchill faces during this story allows us to see inside of the man and how he deals with the challenges. He is left to rely on his wife and his assistant who, in the movie, he grows to trust as both assistant and confidant.

The Cast - You will not recognize many members of the cast. The gruff Churchill is played by Gary Oldman who has usually played evil characters in most of his film roles. His assistant Elizabeth Layton is beautifully played by Lily James who many of you may recognize as Rose, from Downton Abby. Stephen Dillane is Churchill’s nemesis Viscount Halifax who is also in contention for the prime minister position and sides with Chamberlain to negotiate for peace terms with Hitler. Ronald Pickup, who you may recognize from the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, is a convincing Neville Chamberlain look alike. Kristin Scott Thomas is solid as a confident Clementine Churchill. Thomas made her film debut in Prince’s Under the Cherry Moon. 

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A

This film is stirring. At the end of the 2 hours, I didn’t want it to end as I wanted to know what happens next. It kept me engaged. I will admit that I do have a strong interest in history. I enjoyed the way Wright gave us insight to Churchill’s viewpoints. He made the gruff man, soften as he worked to get to know the people he trusted, while keeping a strong exterior to his political colleagues. We see both his colorful and vulnerable sides. The connection he makes with his assistant is touching. We realize how difficult his life was as he had to move in tunnels between his home, 10 Downing Street, the War Rooms, and Parliament. The story is compelling, the acting excellent, and use of some cinematography effects (slow motion and camera angles) to show great insight draws the audience into the emotional side of this man.

Zala's Featured Review 
Wonder
Directed by Stephen Chbosky

If you are looking for a movie that embraces all of the meanings of the Christmas season and isn’t a Christmas movie, Wonder is the movie you need to see. Family, friendship, the interaction of relationships and the lessons we learn about and from each other are the major themes.

The Story - Wonder is the story of a boy (Auggie) who is born with a disability and has lived an isolated life centered within his family. Being home schooled all of his life, his parents agree that it is time that he begins to attend middle school as a fifth grader. It is the classic story of all children reaching out to build friendships. Where you might expect that a child with facial deformities could struggle, this movie shows us how all children struggle and learn to try new things as they grow up. Director Stephen Chbosky delivers a winner based on this New York Times bestseller. This film not only centers on the story of Auggie, but has focus vignettes showing the point of view from his sister and friends. This is an interesting technique to broaden character development. The story walks us through Auggie’s year of school.

The Cast - The star of this film is August (Auggie) Pullman played by Jason Tremblay. As the son of Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson), Jason portrays a character demonstrating a breadth of acting beyond an 11-year old. The ensemble cast portrays the humanness of growing up in a school and home setting blending school and family activities. Mandy Patinkin plays the wise school headmaster. The acting by the children in this movie outshine the adults as they probably should. Julia, Owen, and Mandy play solid roles that you have seen in other films. Hopefully you will see more of Noah Jupe who plays Auggie’s best friend, Jack Will. I thought more should have been done with the role of Mr. Browne (Daveed Diggs) who is Auggie’s homeroom teacher who seeks to inspire the children by teaching them life lessons through his monthly precepts.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A

This is a feel-good movie demonstrating life’s growing up themes. It focuses on the way people should treat each other and shows the results of how people need to learn more about one another before casting judgments about differences. The movie makes you laugh and shed some tears. Yes, bring some tissues! The story is what is key here. See this movie!

Zala's Featured Review 
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Directed by Bharat Nalluri

On a recent trip to London, I kept hearing about “The Man Who Invented Christmas”. Upon my return, I knew I needed to see it. Director Bharat Nalluri takes you on a magical journey of Dickens’ writing in mid-19^th Century England. This is a holiday movie that you easily substitute for a performance of “A Christmas Carol” if you can’t get to see it.

The Story - After a series of flops and a failed American tour, author Charles Dickens is running low on funds to support his fame and lifestyle. He pursues ways to gain funding from his publisher and through a set of life experiences he uses to get ideas, he decides he needs to publish a story about Christmas in a few short weeks. He works with a colleague to line up the illustrator and the movie walks us through him developing characters and plot based on events in his life. As an author, he interacts with his characters and blends his family and people on the street into a clever way of bringing this story to life!

The Cast - You may not recognize many members of the cast but as an ensemble they blend well. The story revolves around Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens from Downton Abby fame), Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), and father John Dickens (Jonathan Pryce from Game of Thrones and Taboo). Dan Stevens commands your attention in this film and his acting is stretched far beyond in what you may have seen in his other movies.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A-

The movie is entertaining I have it an A- due to it sharing a plausible back story to the creation of this Christmas classic which goes far above the holiday theme to portray a way to live a meaningful life. Woven into the plot, are moments for audience to make connections between Dickens and Scrooge and how Dickens’ life played into the creation of A Christmas Carol. You learn a little more about the real Charles Dickens to appreciate his humble beginnings to becoming a world revered author. A sequel may be hinted toward the end, when Dickens runs into Constable Copperfield as he speeds his way to meeting the deadline to print the book by Christmas. For those of you A Christmas Carol fans, you will enjoy how the quotes from the book are gathered from the people Dickens comes across in his life.

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Murder on the Orient Express
Directed by Kenneth Branagh

There are many versions of Agatha Christie’s story about an eclectic group of passengers on one of the world’s most famous trains. Director Kenneth Branagh, has created arguably the finest version.

The Story - In the opening, we are introduced to world renowned inspector Hercule Poirot who solves a case in front of a tri-religious audience at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Needing to return to London, Hercule catches a last-minute ride on the Orient Express. What he thought would be a restful journey of reading, turns into being another mystery to solve. Poirot realizes that he must try to solve the case if for no other reason but for his own safety. One by one, he interviews the passengers. The audience spends most of the movie trying to figure out this classic who-done-it.

The Cast - I have to admit that the cast was the main reason I wanted to see this movie. The main characters are so strong and so different from one another that they keep you glued to see them in their next scene. However, what makes this movie strong, is the use of talented supporting characters which easily compliment the “stars”. Passengers and suspects on the train include: Kenneth Branagh plays a confident and clever Hercule Poirot, the inspector with a most interesting mustache. Daisy Ridley is a bright and intellectual nanny. Leslie Odom, Jr. is Dr. Arbuthnot whose medical skills are needed on the journey. Manual Garcia-Fulfo as Biniamino Marquez, an auto dealer. Penelope Cruz is religious nurse, Pilar Estravados. Josh Gad play stumbling assistant Hector McQueen. Johnny Depp is antiques dealer, Edward Ratchett. Sergei Polunin plays former ballet star Count Rudolph Andrenyi and Lucy Boynton is his drug-addicted wife, the Countess Elena Andrenyi. Michelle Pfeiffer plays American husband hunter Caroline Hubbard. Judi Dench is Princess Dragomiroff and her assistant Hildegarde Schmidt is played by Oliva Colman. This group of perfect strangers is neither perfect or necessarily strangers.

The cinematography is strong. Beveled glass adds a dimension to personalities being interviewed to show that they may have more than one side to who they are. The motion of the train, the use of camera shots outside the windows looking into the interior gives you a broader picture of the scene. The acting is solid, and mystery is revealed like the peeling of an onion skin. The music is dramatic as needed and the scenery of dangerously icy mountain passes gives a constant edge to murder. The engine is derailed during an avalanche and the train’s cars sit vicariously on a wooden trestle as the case is solved. The movie blends all of these elements so that even if you have seen or read the story before and know the solution, you can enjoy the way the story is told with these actors.

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Blade Runner 2049
Directed by Denis Villeneuve

For those of you have been awaiting the sequel since the original Blade Runner movie in 1982 which takes place in November of 2019, you won’t be disappointed in Blade Runner 2049. This plays out over 2 hours and 43 minutes so be prepared! Officer K maneuvers throughout a plot that twists and turns to find former Blade Runner Rick Deckard. Director Denis Villeneuve delivers a glim vision of the future generations of Blade Runners 30 years later.

The Story - The opening narrative describes the Blade Runner history since the original. We are taken to 2049 Los Angeles which has a mix of inclement weather and whose skyline has changed dramatically. LAPD Officer K is on a mission to obey his command to eliminate former replicants, android cleansing. This process reveals a secret which is explored to keep what bit of civilization exists from failing completely. The discovery leads him on a quest to discover the truth and himself while searching for Rick Deckard to get the answers. By watching the movie, you learn about Officer K’s childhood, the implanted memories of his childhood that may or may not be true. You will discover the answers at the end of the movie. There is an enlightening Vegas scenario that plays out when he finds Deckard.

The Cast - Ryan Gosling (K) is strong in this film teetering on edge of human and robot. I lost the vision of him in La La Land after a few minutes. He struggles within to find himself while living a futuristic Spartan lifestyle with a Pinocchio scenario. Reviewing actors playing robots is more challenging. The movie cast improves when Harrison Ford (Rick Deckard) enters the plot. This is time where the pieces of the story go from development to answering questions. Somalian born, Minneapolis resident Barkhad Abdi appears in the film as a trader helping K to find the origin and origin of a childhood artifact. The rest of the cast is less recognizable but are strong performers.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: B+
If you enjoy methodical movies that play a bit long this movie is for you. During the movie, I decided to give it the artsy acclaim so I would be more patient watching some of the scenes I might have forwarded with my remote at home. You need to be more patient in the theater – perhaps the big bag of popcorn and some other provisions to make it all the way through. There are some slow places to take an “intermission” if you need to. There are some nice cinematic effects used in the film and the twists and turns engage you with trying to figure the story ending. There is nudity and violence. The movie is rated “R”. One thing I don’t understand about the future is why it is always bleak and why are there are always naked women robots in them? I can understand why futurists warn us about a post nuclear or dirty bomb scenario, but I can’t understand why there are only women sexbots. It is a bit one-sided and/or unnecessary. One of the biggest questions from the original Blade Runner is whether Deckard is human or a replicant. You will have to wait until the next movie to learn that answer.

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Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Directed by Matthew Vaughn

In The Golden Circle, the Kingman organization is forced to go global when their headquarters and operatives are taken out and the world is blackmailed for an antidote for poisoned recreational drugs. We discover that a cousin organization exists in the United States, who’s resources are needed to fight the villains. Matthew Vaughn, who directed the first movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service, delivers a proper sequel. 

The Story - The opening scenes are typically packed with the introduction of a disqualified and disgruntled Kingsman member who plays for dark team now. For those of you who didn’t see the first movie, the Kingsman organization is a bit James “Bondish” fighting evil in Great Britain. The story reveals the Statesman organization in America. The evil is in the form of a recreational drug seller (Poppy) who has a global network and is frustrated that she needs to hide in the jungles of Cambodia where nobody knows what a great business person she is. She launches drugs with a poison in it and demands payment by the world for the antidote. At team of Kingsman and Statesman need to capture the antidote to save the world, when the President of the United States doesn’t want to save the world citizens who do drugs – winning the War on Drugs. 

The Cast - For a simple movie, the cast of characters is quite deep.  Main operative Taron Egerton (Eggsy) carries the brunt of the movie in his world-saving endeavor. Spoiler alert: Collin Firth returns as Harry Hart from the first film as does staffer Merlin (Mark Strong) takes on a stronger role in this film with his inventive tools to help save the mission. Julianne More (Poppy) plays the ruthless drug lord in her Cambodian hideout which resembles an American 1950s town deep in the jungle. She has taken Elton John as a prisoner to entertain her. Jeff Bridges (Champ/Champagne) leads the Statesman team consisting of Channing Tatum (Tequila) and Halle Berry (Ginger Ale).

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: B+

The movie is entertaining.  Does it get over the top at times? Of course. The use of some great music (Prince, John Denver, Elton John) during the action scenes is well done. The story follows a typical 007 formula with a bit more corn, and the 2 hours and 21 minutes moves quickly. Big screen is fine, but you could wait for this to hit the movie channels.

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Dunkirk
Directed by Christopher Nolan

“We shall fight on the beaches….” Churchill

British and French soldiers surrounded on three sides by German forces with their backs to the English Channel are a mere 26 miles from England. Dunkirk is the historical portrayal of the WWII battle where German troops are preparing to wipe out 400,000 English troops which would be devastating to the security of England and the outcome of the Second World War.

The Story - Director and Writer, Christopher Nolan tells the story of this epic WWII battle which changed the direction of the war. By interactively weaving the story through the perspectives of soldiers, pilots, sailors and civilians. The overlapping scenes are repeated from the viewpoints of each of the groups affected in a way that puts the movie together like a jigsaw puzzle letting you see the interaction as it unfolded for each of the groups adding a deeper dimension to the film.

The Cast - The story unveils through sets of characters who are bound to destiny by the rescue mission. A set of pilots who need to protect a fleet of naval ships and civilian yachts by air, a group of soldiers who attempt to get off the beach by a variety of means, and civilians who launch yachts when called upon by the British government to save the soldiers. The experience of actor, Kenneth Branagh, as Naval Commander Bolton, solidifies this set of actors lesser known to American audiences. The group of soldiers, (Fionn Whitehead, Harry Styles, and Aneurin Barnard) and pilots (Jack Lowden and Tom Hardy) deliver strong performances as their characters unfold throughout the movie. The interaction between father (Mark Rylance) and son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) is deliverance-of-duty and coming-of-age relationship. Peter’s friend, George hops on the yacht at the last moment to have the adventure of his life to hopefully impress the townsfolk who see him as a teenager who hasn’t accomplished much in school or the community.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A-

For those of you who love history won’t see this as the typical history movie. The interweaving of the story between the perspectives in the film and interaction between the characters draws you into the suspense of this rescue. The music pulls you into the drama of human survival. The film focuses less on the battle and destruction and more on the relationships and dilemma taking place to save over 300,000.  Churchill had hoped for 30,000 to continue to the war effort so the rally by the civilian fleet is a feel-good story. The ending is warming versus damning. The story moves fluently through the hour and 46 minutes. The film will appeal to both history lovers and those who like a good story. 

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Spider-Man - Homecoming
Directed by Jon Watts

When I heard of yet ANOTHER Spider-Man movie coming out this summer, I was reluctant to see it. This version of Spider-Man, I will have to admit is my favorite. The story goes deeper as it ties into the last Avengers movie and shows the struggle of high school senior Peter Parker balancing school, a Tony Stark “Internship” and his desire to be a member to be a superhero!

The Story - Director, Jon Watts, portrays this Avenger in Training as a high school student who spends more time with his friends, being the typical student growing into his role as a super hero.  He balances friendships and dates with school activities, while trying to keep order in the streets. His frustration is that he waits for a call from Tony Stark for his chance to do something “big” instead of menial tasks. His secret is accidentally revealed as he sneaks back into his room as his best friend is sitting on his bed waiting for him. Throughout the movie, more people exposed to his secret identity. There is a bit of humor carefully woven into this story to make the characters warmer. 

The Cast - If you have seen the Spider-Man movies, you will recognize the usual suspects:  Tony (Robert Downey Jr.), Happy, (Jon Favreaux), Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). Tom Holland (Peter Parker) provides a broader acting ability than previous “Spider Men”. Marisa Tomei does a nice job in portraying Aunt May. Michael Keaton is an excellent villain in the story. We understand why he feels driven to be the anti-hero playing both villain and family man. High school sidekick to Peter Parker, Jacob Balaton (Ned), is a surprise. He learns about Peter’s secret and has a difficult time keeping the news quiet. He dreams of being the “guy in the chair” – the guy who is the tech geek who guides Spider-Man to succeed. This is one of a couple of supporting characters you want to see again in the future. Another is Michelle (Zendaya) who plays a high school loner who quietly observes others and sketch their struggles. The obligatory cameo of Stan Lee takes place early in the movie.

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: B+

This is a superhero movie. The story is what it is, but with some character development it has some warmer hues. The characters are real and except for special abilities, they feel real. The special effects are well done with some cinematography effects that capture your attention throughout the movie. Moments of humor help to engage the audience and the 2 hours and 13 minutes moves well. If you like stories and dislike superhero movies, you may like this one. If you like the Avengers, you can’t miss it. Remember to stay until after the credits to get the full experience!

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Wonder Woman
Directed by Patty Jenkins

The Story - Director, Patty Jenkins, takes us to scenes of an Amazon Island created to be protected from the fall out of the Greek gods. We meet a young Diana (Gal Gadot) and watch her grow up as she begins to learn of her ancestry and become a warrior. When a German WWI plane crashes into the sea off the island we meet Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) working for British Intelligence. Diana rescues him from drowning.  The spy is being chased by a German ship whose sailors come on to the beach and a battle of Amazons and humans ensues. Diana leaves the island to join the war effort to stop the suffering of humans who she thinks is being caused by Ares, the god of War. Much is discovered about Diana’s background. This story is more about the mythology of the gods than previous versions of Wonder Woman. There are a variety of twists within the movie and there is a more athletic portrayal of Wonder Woman and her powers as a super hero.

The Cast - Most of the members of this diverse cast aren’t as recognizable to most movie viewers. This adds to the enjoyment of the movie. Chris Pine may be the only actor you recognize, but the cast is strong. Gal Gadot delivers a passionate performance as Diana. Her action scenes are solid, while she reaches deep to deliver compassion for humans as she discovers more about herself that was veiled by her queen mother and warrior aunt.  Chris Pine is good in his role of spy and Diana’s first “man” experience. At times, he seems a bit stiff, but is able to loosen up throughout the movie. Lucy Davis plays a strong British secretary to Steve Trevor. She is a character actor whom I would have enjoyed seeing more in the movie. The variety of characters provides an acting buffet that should satisfy your tastes.

I will admit that I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this movie based on the previous versions of Wonder Woman.  I am glad I did. Of all the comic book, super hero character movies I have seen, I had to admit that this is one of the best, if not THE best! The action is strong. There are moments of compassion and comedy. The story is what brings this movie together. Of course, there are fantastic special effects. I saw this on an IMAX screen in 3D and at times even the seats vibrated, all adding to the experience. You don’t need IMAX, but this is a movie that plays well on a big screen and the 3D does make the movie a treat. It is worth the extra cost.

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Pirates of the Caribbean
Directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg  

ARGGG!  Dead Men Tell No Tales….

In what may be the final movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series many of the plots from past stories come full circle in Dead Men Tell No Tales. Directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg pull out the stops to bring this story to the screen. The sets have that “Disney” look, the action holds your attention and there is a bit of magic that brings it all together.

 The Story - The story opens with a young boy searching the sea for his father who is held in the spell with the undead crew of the Flying Dutchman. The boy learns he must find the trident of Poseidon to release the spell. The boy grows up, enlists in the British navy and after running into some trouble with superiors due to his quest, he searches for Captain Jack Sparrow whom he runs into in the brig on St. Martin. Captain Jack has diminished from his previous legend by lacking a real ship (the Pearl is still trapped in a bottle), a crew who walks out on him, and even the bounty on his head has dropped to 1 pound. In this adventure, we learn about how Jack Sparrow got his name and became a captain. With the help of an astronomer, accused of being a witch, who has an old journal with drawings of the stars which lead the way to the trident, the search begins. If you like a bit of absurdity, slapstick, and pirate tomfoolery, you will not need this movie to make total sense. The ending is reminiscent of Moses dividing the Red Sea and a “lives happily ever” after conclusion prevails as Captain Jack Sparrow sails off to new adventures. The music sets the mood during the dark and ominous portions as well as the recognizable melody during the adventure scenes.

The Cast - Most of your pirate favorites appear in this movie. Obviously, the story centers on Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow). Javier Bardem (Captain Salazar – Flying Dutchman) and Geoffrey Rush (Captain Hector Barbossa) are both strong characters in the film. Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) and Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann) return in this film to double the happily ever after ending. There is also a special appearance by Sir Paul McCartney as Uncle Jack.

If you have seen the previous movies you need to see this.  If the previous movies haven’t interested you, then you can skip this one as well. The movie is action packed and moves along well.  You can’t take any of this seriously. It isn’t outlandish, but you can see outlandish on the horizon. The movie is entertaining and a fun way to spend a couple of hours during the summer. 

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Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Directed by James Dunn

I am Groot! - As for space adventures, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, is another humorous look at these cosmic vagabonds.  The action starts immediately with scenes in which you instantly fall in love with Baby Groot who is oblivious to the dangers of the battle as he rocks to Fleetwood Mac.  This MARVELous film begins shortly after the timeline of the first movie, which you don’t have to see to enjoy this one. Director, James Dunn, takes us on a journey where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) learns more about the romance of his mother and father (Kurt Russell). 

The Story - The music for this film is set to Awesome Mixtape #2. We travel through the romance of Peter’s parents and old foes and family who bond to form new alliances. Peter’s father finds him and invites him to live in an utopian world he created. The team learns while on this planet that not all is as it seems and there is greater evil to follow. Throughout the film the Sovereign’s try to rid the galaxy of evil. They continue to show up as they are still upset because Rocket stole some batteries while the team was contracted by them. The story unfolds song-by-song until the all-out battle of supremacy.  

The Cast - There is a star-studded on camera and voice over set of actors in this film. The Guardians include Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax) Vin Diesel (Baby Groot-voice), and Bradley Cooper (Rocket-voice). Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord) plays an antihero thug and Stan Lee (creator of many of the Marvel characters) appears briefly in many Marvel Comics movies. 

Should You See This Movie?  Grade: A

The action is exciting, the music makes you want to sing along, the dialogue will make you laugh, and the ending is touching. You will want to see this on the big screen AND in 3D!  The 2 hours and 16 minutes “fly” by. And do not leave when the credits roll. There are 5 more scenes during the credits (typical for Marvel movies). The scenes provide a few more laughs and as always, will forecast the next movie!

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Going In Style - Directed by Zach Braff

A humorous look at life as seniors…This is a classic movie showing the challenges that seniors who aren’t ready for “the home” face daily. Add a loss of pension and the tables are turned to a point of desperation.  Zach Braff directs a cast of experienced actors including Alan Arkin, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Matt Dillon, Christopher Lloyd and Ann-Margret. 

The Story - Reaching retirement age, I can realize what the three pensioners are going through in the story.  Steel manufacturing closing American offices decides to use the pension funds to cover the company debt.  Three septuagenarians are forced to find funds to survive beyond social security.  Each has unique challenges with family, health, and relationships.  When the reach their deepest struggles, they feel compelled to rob a bank replacing the money their pensions would provide. The hilarity ensues. What we see in this film are the themes of the importance of family relationships, friendship, love, and the challenges seniors face.  

The Cast - For those of you have enjoyed the work the of Freeman, Caine, and Arkin you realize that age humor will come into play much like the movies of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.  None of the actors are winning academy awards for their performances which at times feel a bit subdued, but they do play some feisty senior citizens who aren’t about to give up on life.  The love interest of Ann-Margret offers the memory of her role in Grumpy Old Men. If you enjoyed those movies, you ought to enjoy this one. The character that felt fresh is Joey King, Caine’s granddaughter in the movie.  Her bio includes a lot of television and movies of the week type of performances. She acts with a strong confidence and we should be seeing a lot more of her in movies to come.

Should You See This Movie?  B-

You will laugh – not rolling on the floor laughter, but there are some funny scenes and will feel good after watching this film. Not needing to view this movie on the big screen, you can easily wait to see this as a rental or on cable/dish.  I would give this movie a B minus because I enjoy these actors.  The story isn’t anything new, but it is plausible and humorous.  

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Disney's Beauty and The Beast
Directed by Bill Condon

A tale as old as time…. Worth Seeing Again

The 2017 version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a great way to spend a couple of hours on any day.  Directed by Bill Condon, the film makes the 1991 animated version more of a contemporary family movie and less of children’s story. Perhaps this was done for so that the children of the 90s will return to watch it with their families.

The Story -Beauty and the Beast begins with a formal ball in a lavish castle decorated as only Disney can envision. As the Prince of the castle is cursed and the scene turns winter, a darkness overtakes the land. We travel to a nearby small French Village as Belle sings about her life growing up in a provincial village. You will get the feeling that you are watching other Disney animated films with human characters as they interact in the street market. The interactions are well choreographed and flow well as we get introduced to the villagers.

A Classic Fairy Tale - This fairy tale follows the formula for great storytelling. There is the story of a girl who is raised by her aging father. Belle is searching for more in life than what her village can provide for her life. The scenes from venturing in the woods are full of danger with packs of wolves hungry for humans, falling trees which opens new pathways and the feeling of mystery and evil in the dark of night. The castle is devoid of life, with the exception, of the fresh blooms in the rose garden surviving the winter.  The magic in this fairy tale comes from the characters of the castle who, we meet in the opening scene, surviving the curse as inanimate objects – teapot, candelabra, mantel clock, chipped cup, harpsichord, wardrobe. The most classic part of the fairy tale is the girl falling in love with the Prince who was turned into the Beast. The two grow close to each other by understanding one another with the help of the characters. The spell can be broken when love conquers all.

Why You Should Go - The version I saw was a sing-along.  The words to the songs appeared on the screen with the old “bouncing ball” to allow the audience to engage even more. There is also a 3D version. In the past, these movies seemed massed produced but now, headline actors appear.  Emma Watson, Dan Stevens (Legion), Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Josh Gad and Stanley Tucci star to make this a quality movie.  The use of CGI makes exciting chase and fight scenes and fun-filled entertaining characters.  I hadn’t seen the entire 1991 animated version so I can’t compare. Many of you are in a better place to do so. I know a lot of families wore out their video tape copy as children watched it over and over. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this movie, but I was highly entertained watching this film. 

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Lion - Directed by Garth Davis

Imagine being 5 years old and needing to help your family eat and survive near Calcutta, India.  With his older brother Guddu, young Saroo scavenges for anything he can from trains to barter for goods to take home to his mother and sister.  From a one-room shack in a small town, Saroo convinces Guddu that he is strong enough to go out during the night to the train station to see what they can find.  Saroo, however gets tired and Guddu has him stay on a train station bench to sleep while he ventures out alone.  As Saroo wakes up in the night, he calls out for Guddu, makes a mental image of his surroundings noticing the water tower in the train yard, and goes into one of the train cars to sleep.  He awakes to find himself on a train with no passengers traveling thousands of kilometers from his village.  As a lost boy, he does what he can to survive and experiences a new language, other lost children, and a world of questionable adults who require him to rely on his intuition and inner strength.  Eventually, he lands in an orphanage and is adopted by an Australian family.

Saroo grows up “Australian”.  As an adult, he decides to educate himself in the hospitality industry where others are interested in background begin to ask him questions about where he grew up.  This causes him to start thinking about his family and a new journey begins.  His efforts turn to finding his roots with only a handful of clues from his memories as a 5-year old.  With the help of Google Earth, he tries to piece together his train journey focusing on the water tower and village landmarks he remembers as a child.  We witness the mental journey as he struggles to find home and himself.

The movie is based on a true story, adapted from the book “A Long Way Home”.  Director Garth Davis captures the happiness of youth who grow up in a loving family while scraping together an existence. These memories are strong enough to bring Saroo back home to find his birth family while remaining connected to his adopted family.  Saroo as an adult, is played by Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman plays Saroo’s adopted mother.  The cast is strong.  Perhaps the strongest performance comes from young Saroo, Sunny Pawar.  The ability of this young actor pulls you deep into the story from the start.  The relationship between him and his brother Guddu, Abhisheck Bharate, is an amazing story of brothers who love one another.  The cinematography is gripping.  The use of lighting, the motion of the cameras, and the angle of the shots all add to scenes of intensity and calm. 

Saroo, does make it back to find his family and the movie ends with the reunion followed by actual footage of Saroo and his adoptive parents meeting his family and villagers.  The movie is intense as it plays with your emotions of happiness, fear, and sadness.  Lion is justifiably nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture as well as five others.  I wouldn’t miss seeing it and I suggest you bring some tissues, even if they are to give to the people seeing it with you!

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Hidden Figures
Directed by Theodore Melfi

For those of you who didn’t grow up in the Sputnik Generation, Hidden Figures, entertains you with a “based on true events” version of the early NASA space program during the space race which impacted American society in the early 1960s. The part of history we learn about is that this wasn’t all about white males who were astronauts, engineers, and administrative figures at NASA. Hidden Figures focuses on the contributions by Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to turn a dismal set of rocket failures into successful launches and recoveries and concludes with the successful orbiting of the Earth by John Glenn. 

The story is about these women who each contribute greatly as human “computers” and how they use their mathematical skills to the advance the space program. They were needed to check the calculations of engineers, join the ranks of the engineers and find ways not to become obsolete as IBM delivered a mainframe computer to NASA. These real women may or may not have interacted with one another in the way the movie portrays, but it makes for heartwarming story as they try to serve their country. The main characters need to hurdle two barriers – the prevailing attitude of what women could do in the work place and being given opportunities as African Americans. 

The themes in this movie include the value of women in the work place, single-working parents, race relations, and the ability for women of color to advance in both educational institutions and job promotions. The film depicts the struggle of women of color with the attitudes of the day and how they are challenged in dealing with law enforcement, segregation in society and at work, the ability to take courses to advance in white schools. Historically, this story takes place on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement. A group of “colored” women work in part-time positions and the ability to advance is made difficult even in a federally funded agency. Slowly during the movie, their talents convert the attitudes so they are recognized for their contribution.  You experience the discrimination throughout the movie and rejoice in the growth that is achieved.

This film combines the talents of actors you haven’t seen in the same cast including Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, and Kirsten Dunst. They don’t overshadow the other characters who deliver well to make this ensemble cast more about this story and characters than the individuals who portray them. Much of the musical score was written and performed by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams (Happy). Perhaps the most entertaining part of the score is used effectively when Katherine is forced to leave her work space to run a half mile to get to the Colored Women’s rest room in another building. One of the most dramatic moments is when Katherine is asked why she isn’t always at her desk where her boss (Kevin Costner) can find her. This leads to making bathrooms available to whites and “coloreds”

Director Theodore Melfi, who co-wrote the screenplay based on the book written by Margot Lee Shetterly, captures the warmth of universal themes of families and heroes and the portrayal of the struggles for African Americans living in a society of prejudice. In some ways, we see how far we have come as it points to our own attitudes and in others, it shows how far we need to grow. Perhaps the title itself, Hidden Figures, provides a paradox. Are the hidden figures the math equations that were needed to developed a successful space program, or are the hidden figures the people behind the scenes who don’t receive the credit for their contributions? Answer that for yourself as you see this incredible story!  

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Fences - Directed by Dezel Washington

Fences is the story of the challenges a black family faces in Pittsburgh during the 1950s. The film’s screenplay by August Wilson is adapted from his Broadway Pulitzer Prize-winning play 29 years ago. Denzel Washington both directs and stars in the lead role, Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker who dreamed of playing major league baseball. Viola Davis equals Denzel’s performance as his wife, Rose Maxson. Troy’s life revolves around baseball and his frustration of being too old by the time baseball admitted black players on the teams. It is the classic struggle of raising a family who all want to realize their dreams and have find themselves settling for what life gives them. 

The story of the Maxson family could be the story of many families of the time-period and today. Sons growing up to combat their aging father, a wife serving the family first and their dreams last, the reality of growing up and growing old and how the relationships change over time provides an interesting twist as each character wants more in their lives and is trying to find the way to get what they need. It is the story of dreams being tempered by the reality of life. This is what makes the movie riveting.

The experience was more of watching a play more than a movie. I felt like I was watching this dynamic story on a stage rather than the screen. The audience was fully engaged as we watched this drama wrap around us.

The dialogue resembles Shakespeare at times, as the conversation is woven masterfully between characters in a fast-paced exchange.  At the beginning of the movie, Troy speaks the most as friends and family listen to his stories of past greatness.  He is the person with the most knowledge and experience. He dreams of more for his life and challenges the status quo. We learn of his struggles to succeed again the odds of age and color. But as he ages during the movie, other voices start to speak up and be heard, challenging him at times with differing viewpoints.  Those of you who grew up in the 50s and 60s may recognize this from your own family’s relationships.  We learn about his fears and flaws as his decisions impact the family greatly. His sense of duty and responsibility overpowers good judgment at times.  No matter how much the family is in conflict with Troy, they all grow to realize that he is a part of them. This was most evident in the singing of the song “Old Blue” between the youngest son and daughter at the end of the movie.  The daughter makes the Marine sing the song with her and he realizes that it was much more than a song about dog and more about his relationship with his father.

This is a “don’t miss” movie.  You will see this movie nominated for awards this spring as Washington and Davis are both already nominated for Golden Globes.  The 2 hours and 19 minutes will pass quickly as you watch this family grow and change before you. You witness love, respect, betrayal, and emotional moments that are ready to tear the family apart.  The characters will stick with you long after you leave the theater. The story is easily recognized without being trite, the characters are complex and the actors deliver an experience you that will enrich your life.

Zala's Featured Review
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Directed by David Yates

This new venture by J.K. Rowling, takes Harry Potter fans to a grown-up story with more magic and outstanding visual effects.  Taking place in New York City, 1926, the new world wizards are worried that they will be detected by the “No-Maj”, the American version of Muggles.  The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) works to keep the magic hidden.  The Second Salemers, a group driven to hunt wizards and witches, is led by an abusive woman who has adopted children to hand out pamphlets and watch for suspicious behavior.  Her son is working with the Director of Magical Security for MACUSA (Colin Farrell) in hopes of being accepted by the wizards.

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist, once expelled from Hogwarts despite support from then Professor Dumbledore, brings a collection of magical creatures to educate wizards and witches in North America to build a case to preserve these unique creatures. 

In the opening of the movie, Jacob Kowalski (a No-Maj) goes to a large bank to get a loan for a bakery he wants to open to change his life.  He and Newt intersect in what makes for an entertaining exchange of suitcases – one filled with baked goods for the banker to sample and the other with fanciful creatures.  Jacob is on for the adventure of his life.  

There is a similarity between Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts as David Yates directed the last four Harry Potter movies.  There are themes of good and evil, paired with a possible love story or two, and of course, fantasy. This story centers more on the interaction between real-world New York and the beasts which cause havoc.  There are times where you feel you are watching Night at the Museum – creatures roaming the streets of New York and many other action films in which evils destroys the city. 

Where this film sets itself apart is the setting of a worn suitcase in need of repair.  A broken latch releases to foreshadow the creatures’ possible escape into the city requires immediate attention by the characters throughout the story.  The suitcase itself provides a whimsical world where the creature collection lives in life-sized magical spaces and serves as a place to hide and escape into the world of the creatures.

The film is highly engaging.  If you enjoy the jazz from the 1920s you will appreciate how it is used throughout the movie.  The effects are spectacular and create a realistic viewing experience.  There are brief moments of tension, keeping the audience wondering what will appear next through cracking walls.  You will see “Potteresque” effects that are done even better with today’s technology.

The movie introduces us to the Hogwarts equivalent in North America, the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  At the end of the movie, we discover that Scamander will write the Hogwarts’ textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” which Harry studies in his first year a few decades later.  There are also a couple of story lines that are left unanswered for a possible sequel.  

Rated PG-13, this film is not as child centered as the Harry Potter series.  This is more of an adult story which Rawlings may have written for those children who have now grown and the for rest of us who read the Harry Potter books.  You will be entertained for the full 2 hours and 13 minutes.  

Doug's Featured Review 
A Stray - Written and Directed by Musa Syeed 
By Guest Reviewer, Jeff Gigler

Honest Disclaimer - I went to see this movie just because I had been used as an extra in the filming - I played an old white guy in the waiting room of a non-profit housing assistance agency.  Two years ago.  I had almost forgotten all about it, until a friend who went to go see the movie at St. Anthony Main Theaters sent me an e-mail saying she saw my face up on the "big screen" and in the credits.  I've played a lot of zombies in my career, bunker border guards, enthusiastic fight fans, even generals who want to use nukes on giant mutant mosquitoes.  But not someone in a "real" movie.

I went to the movie not even knowing what the full story was.   Basically, it's a story about a young Minnesotan originally from Somalia who tries to fit in to a new culture, a new place, and make new friends.   The best friend he reluctantly makes.....is one that he almost accidentally kills.   He becomes responsible for a stray dog he names Laila, at a time in his life when he can barely take care of himself and find a safe place to sleep.   Add to the mix the fact that he is Muslim and dogs are "unclean" to him, makes his journey even more fascinating.

There's a lot of humor in this movie.   The clash of cultures almost insures it, and people struggling between the new and old almost require humor to stay alive.  There's a lot of tenderness in this movie, not always between the dog and his boy, or even between the boy and his mother.   And there is a LOT of tension in the movie, inserted because of terrorism....but not from the direction you would expect.

I found the movie fascinating from the standpoint of seeing people trying to live their life in a new world and keep true to their faith.   This was longest window I have ever had into the life of someone following Islam, and it really opened my eyes.  Not to the "threat", but to the struggle.    We have "communion shooters" and other changes to our Christian religion that accommodate modern life;  the people in this movie don't have many options  if they want to be a "good person" in the eyes of others.

This movie also makes Minneapolis look good.   Even if you are homeless and wet.   

Some parts of the movie take place in heavily accented English;  others are related in subtitles.  As with any foray into a foreign culture, it's worth the effort to do your best to listen carefully and watch closely.   I highly recommend this movie if you came here from another country - as your great grandfathers probably did.

Playing for a limited time (until Nov 3rd) at the St. Anthony Main Theaters.

Doug's Featured Review 
Sully - Directed by Clint Eastwood
By Guest Reviewer, Jeff Gigler

Spoiler Alert:  everyone lives!    Biggest surprise - everyone is changed.  Including the audience.

When I first heard they were making a movie about Flight 1549 and the heroic efforts of Captain Chelsley "Sully" Sullenberger to land his airliner in the Hudson river....I found it hard to believe it would be interesting, or exciting - after all, the whole flight was only 208 seconds long...and no one died.  

What the movie really succeeds in doing is putting you in the cockpit with Sully, and even into his head.  It also puts you into the passenger seats of an airplane without power, at very low altitude, over the most densely populated part of the United States.  When you are sitting in THOSE seats, in THAT cockpit, inside Sully's head....things look very different and at times, terrifying.  Actor Tom Hanks does an outstanding job portraying the pilot, and you really never start thinking, "Oh, there's Tom Hanks giving that 'Sleepless In Seattle' smile or that 'You Have Mail' laugh.  Hanks really portrays the professional pilot so well, in both appearance and mannerisms, that it's very believable from the start.

And from the start, we learn that Sully the Hero is also Sully the Human, and there's no escaping from a plane crash, even one where everyone survives, without it affecting you deeply.  We get a you-are-there viewpoint of Sully's nightmares, when he makes a different decision and things go horribly wrong.  And these nightmares don't only come out at night time, or when he is asleep.   Anything can trigger them, and the audience starts to wonder when he passes something ordinary or looks at something if we are going to once again see his worst fears come to life.  Being this is New York City, there are a lot of ways airliners can be turned into nightmares.

The "enemy" in this movie turns out to be facts - facts in the hands of people trying to show human failure instead of human triumph.   Since this movie is directed by Clint Eastwood, the enemy is rather ham-handedly shown to be the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has all the facts of the flight in front of them, plus even more facts from aeronautical engineers, radar tracks, and engine management data.  Captain Sully is basically accused of making the wrong decision to land in the Hudson River when two airports were, according to the facts and data, reachable from the point of impact with the flight of geese that destroyed both engines on a two-engine jet airliner.   Clint takes his anger for Big Government out on the investigators of the NTSB, which I thought was unfair - and makes them look like a kangaroo court.

Not many of us will ever sit in a cockpit of a jetliner, much less operate the controls.  But the movie does a very good job of putting us in the passenger seats, where many of us HAVE been, and can easily empathize with the passengers on the flight.  So many normal, everyday tasks - the push to stow luggage, fussing with the seat and the tray table, the safety brief of the flight attendants.  It all helps, believe it or not, to build up the tension to nearly unbearable levels - we KNOW the monster is in the basement, don't open the door and go down there!   We can see ourselves in many of the passengers...even though we don't really get to know any of them in any detail.  This is Sully's story (for the most part).

The special effects in this movie are excellent - from the scenes where we see the flock of geese hit the airliner engines and they burst in to flames and flying parts, to the vivid enactment of Sully's sleeping and waking nightmares come true, to the water landing and rescue - which was actually filmed on the Hudson using a full-sized airplane for the passengers to exit.    Seeing the airliner barely clear bridges and be watched at eye-level with the workers in the office buildings next to the river gives you an idea how terrifying that must have been for New Yorkers, after September 11, 2001.

In the end, it's Sully's belief in his own skills and experience, that help him win over the "enemy".   All he needed to do was to find a way to get all of these investigators to be there with him in the cockpit, and they would understand what an amazing thing he was able to do - glide an airliner at just above stall speed to a safe "landing" on a smooth river.  Make no mistake - he Sully been able to set it down on another cleared piece of land (there were none), the speed of impact would have broken up the airliner and there would have been deaths and injuries.   After all the doubts raised at the start of the movie, both generated by Sully himself and by "experts", we get to keep and better understand our "hero".

And the movie emphasizes an important point - Sully was not the only hero that day.  Yes, his piloting skills were excellent -   but he was aided in the cockpit by a cool-thinking co-pilot; experienced flight attendants who were able to herd the passengers to exits; by ferryboat captains that reacted immediately to get to the ditching site and take on passengers from a rapidly sinking airplane; "Scuba cops" that rescued passengers in the freezing water; and hundreds of first responders who met the survivors on the pier to make sure no one suffered from hypothermia.  

There were times in the movie when I cringed and shrunk back because it was too intense to watch.  There were times when I teared up and stifled sobs, especially when families were connected again in person or by phone right after the crash, but had feared the worst because they were missing (some survivors were taken to the New York side, some to the New Jersey side).  Those actors did such a great job at showing joy and relief their loved ones were still alive, it became infectious - again, something else that we, as passengers, could imagine going through.

I am a self-confessed aviation anorak (fanboy), and I loved so many of the little details.  I also love a good story, which is one that I THOUGHT I knew all about, and learned so many new details from many different points of view that it was almost a new story.  I'm also a cinema buff, enjoying a well-made, well-written movie.  This one was excellent.    Make sure to stay through all the credits - there's no sequel (God, I hope not, not for Sully, at least), no outtakes - but there is a little story worth waiting for.

Bring anyone you want to this movie.  Except people who are terrified of flying. This will NOT help them.  :)

Doug's Featured Review
Star Trek Beyond
Directed by Justin Lin
Guest Reviewer: Doug Solem Jr.

I would just like to say I have always been a huge fan of Anton Yelchin, the Star Trek actor who was killed in a freak car accident a few months ago.  Starring in movies such as Charlie Bartlett, Alpha Dog and Fright Night, Anton was clearly a rare talent who died to soon.  If you’re not aware of who he was, do yourself a favor and check out one of his movies.

 Long Story Short: (as provided) A surprise attack in outer space forces the Enterprise to crash-land on a mysterious world. The assault came from Krall (Idris Elba), a lizard-like dictator who derives his energy by sucking the life out of his victims. Krall needs an ancient and valuable artifact that's aboard the badly damaged starship. Left stranded in a rugged wilderness, Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew must now battle a deadly alien race while trying to find a way off their hostile planet.

My Take: So far I have absolutely loved the rebooted star Trek franchise.  The movies are always action packed and leave us with heroics that are second to none.  Once again the newest installment “Star Trek Beyond” does not disappoint.  In my opinion this is the most entertaining of the three.  Justin Lin who is the director of the fast and the furious franchise leaves his mark with some incredible fighting sequences and special effects. Chris Pine kills as Captain James T. Kirk.  He’s a true badass who does things his way. The entire cast overall have great chemistry, and there is more than enough humor in the movie. I also need to mention that the climax (accompanied by a beastie boys soundtrack) is one of the best I’ve seen in a really long time.  I literally got an adrenaline rush from watching it. If you’re a nostalgic person, you will also enjoy the homage paid towards Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin.  They celebrated these actors’ lives in a very classy way.  However as memorable as this movie was, it has some flaws.  I thought the plot seemed weak compared to its predecessors.  The main villain had a pretty weak motive for wanting to destroy an entire civilization.  It basically had to do with him being accidentally abandoned by Starfleet (fictional space organization). There were also some scenes that just didn’t make sense and could have been cut from the final edit.  In the end, who really cares this movie was downright awesome.

 Final verdict, go see this movie.

Jeff's Featured Review 
The Secret Life of Pets
Directed by Chris Renaud & Yarrow Cheney

I believe "The Secret Life Of Pets" is a must see for any animal lover.  Not just cat and dog owners;  there are parakeets, hamsters, hawks, snakes, and alligators in this movie and they all have an important and usually funny role to play.  The movie follows the adventures of a small terrier named Max and a large shaggy dog named Duke as they chase and escape there way across New York City.   Luckily for us all, the movie has a very happy ending.

Like all "buddy" movies, Max and Duke do not get along at the start, and it's their own war between each other that ends up putting both of them in great danger.   Caught by Animal Control, on their way back to the Pound (which Duke had recently been rescued from and is terrified of going back), they wind up in the hands of "The Flushed Pets".   They trick the leader, Snowball, and escape through the sewers again.   These scenes are probably too scary for most very young kids (I would say no younger than 8), since they involve snakes, alligators, spiders, and very mean looking dogs....as well as near-drowning.

What I really liked about the movie is that the humor is really geared down to kids.  This isn't just a animated movie with adult humor that winks at the grown-ups.   This is belly-laugh funny in jokes, slapstick humor, and surprise actions.  While this reviewer saw it in 2D, I would probably recommend seeing it in 3D because many of the chase and escape scenes are elaborate and very exciting.    The animals never break the fourth wall and talk directly with humans;   people only hear barking, hissing, and screeching when they interact with animals - and sometimes that lack of communication is funny.

Everyone is stereotyped - little dogs are smart and fast, big dogs are dimwitted and slow, cats are sneaky and aloof....but they all have big hearts and are brave when they need to be.   Only the big fluffy poodle is not what he appears to be.   There's even a love story in the movie, at about the 2nd grader-level.  More chaste even than "The Lady and the Tramp".      The quality of animation is excellent, and very realistic.....so much so that kids might get anxious during the sewer scenes or the truck-dangling-over-the-edge-of-the-bridge scenes. 

Everyone gets a happy ending by the end of the movie;  you get to watch the joy on the faces of the pets and their owners as they come home at the end of the day (the whole movie takes place in almost real time).   There is no real villain that needs to be vanquished and given his just deserts;  the worst character of them all gets cuddled by a little girl at the end.

This would make a great date movie, a great take-the-grandkids movie, a great family movie, a great movie for a solitary cat lady to go see.   All you have to do is like animals.   Oh, and make sure to come a little early;  most theaters are showing three upcoming animated family movies that also look funny and good.   And stay past the first few credits.   :)

Doug's Featured Review 
Swiss Army Man
Directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
by Guest Reviewer:  Doug Solem, Jr.

I’m excited to be back for a second movie review.  I had a great 4th of July, spending time with family and friends.  This year we got to experience the fireworks from the lake for the first time.  It was a great time and the show was spectacular.  I even found time to catch a movie with the old man.

Long Story Short: Being stranded on a deserted island leaves young Hank (Paul Dano) bored, lonely and without hope. As a rope hangs around his neck, Hank prepares to end it all, until he suddenly spots a man (Daniel Radcliffe) laying by the shore. Unfortunately, he is dead and quite flatulent. Using the gassy body to his advantage, Hank miraculously makes it back to the mainland. However, he now finds himself lost in the wilderness, and dragging the talking corpse named Manny along for the adventure.

I really was not sure what to expect from this movie.  After watching the trailers, it looked bizarre, gross, and confusing.  Turns out that’s exactly what it was.  However it was also beautiful and mind provoking.  I find myself sitting here wondering how that is possible, but it is.   Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe I thought we’re great together.  Their journey together was full of highs and lows.  The movie was true to its title; Dano used Radcliffes body in a number of ways to get back to salvation. The oddest was using his body as a jet boat fueled by his gas. This movie shows us that everyone is a little weird in some way or another, and that’s all right. There were a lot of laughs along the way, and the ending is worth the wait. I don’t think this movie is for everyone, but is definitely something to see if you’re in the mood for something original.

Doug's Featured Review 
The Nice Guys - Directed by Shane Black

Believe it or not, I am still not done unpacking boxes at our new home on Brigg’s Lake.  It has been the most labor intensive thing I have ever done next to trying to find the golf balls I lose every week in the woods.  It is with mixed emotions that I also report that we sold our little cabin on Elk Lake.  For almost 20 years, it served as our weekend summer getaway for fishing, golfing, grilling and family fun.  What makes it even tougher, our good friends, Jim and Linda, live right next door to our old place…so every time we go to see them, we are reminded that someone else has taken over.  With that said, we are looking forward to all the great times ahead at our new place.

My son and I heard some good things about the new flick The Nice Guys starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.  We went to the early show at the incredible St. Michael Cinema…grabbed a large popcorn and pop…and settled in for what I thought would be a sure thing.

Long Story Short:  (As provided)  The Nice Guys takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

My Take:  As much as I wanted to like this movie…I just couldn’t get behind it.  All the other reviews I read were giving it the big thumbs up.  So, I had high expectations that this would be a real winner.  I like Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling but I honestly thought they were just going through the motions.  I thought their performance was stale and almost like they were just there to collect a pay check.  In all fairness, my son and I were the only ones in the theater.  I think sometimes, laughter is contagious and maybe we just needed a few more people to help us feel the vibe.  The little gal that played Gosling’s daughter (Rice) was cute and was a breath of fresh air compared to her sleepwalking costars.  The other problem I had was the plot was so weak and boring that it didn’t really give the guys much to sink their teeth into.  They were hog tied from the start because, although it is suppose to be a farce, it was just stupid and not stupid good like Dumb and Dumber….at least to me.  I must admit though that Cinematographer (Rousselot) and Production designer (Bridgland) did a great job of capturing that 70’s feel.  As another critic pointed out, the use of a filter that made everything snap with beige and orange tint worked perfectly for that period.  Along with the crazy attire, that somehow we thought looked cool back in the day, and a good mix of all the muscle cars that were so popular back then…the movie was still great fun to watch.  

Doug's Featured Review 
The Jungle Book
Directed by Jon Favreau
As Viewed at the St. Michael Cinema

As many of you are aware, I recently moved to my new digs in Clear Lake.  I was looking around for another movie theater that was near by, to visit when it was time to do a movie review.  I saw that the St. Michael Cinema wasn’t too far away…so my son and I decided to go see The Jungle Book.  Normally, I would stop here and have you get right into the movie review below but I think the whole world needs to know that the St. Michael Cinema is amazing.    As soon as you walk in, you can tell that some major dollars were invested in this theater. It is seriously a jaw-dropping venue for a guaranteed great night out.  The complex offers great seating and screens for watching the latest movies.  They have a full bar upstairs and an entertainment room.  The night we went they were running a Texas Hold’em tournament.  They even hold live concerts in a special wing of this sprawling entertainment center.  Whether you live in the neighborhood or are looking for a “must see” destination…you have to check out the St. Michael Cinema located at 4300 O’Day Avenue NE, St. Michael, Mn  763-400-8006.

Long Story Short: (provided by studio)  Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray).

My Take:  Best picture of the year, so far.  Neel Sethi was a great choice to play Mowgli.  The kid is awesome.  He will charm the socks right off you.  Sethi had never been on the big screen before.  Director Jon Favreau noted Sethi was chosen after thousands of auditions.  He added “Casting is the most important element of any film and finding the right kid to play Mowgli was imperative.  Neel has tremendous talent and charisma. There is a lot riding on his little shoulders and I’m confident he can handle it.”  Obviously Favreau has some great instincts of his own because I can’t imagine a better choice for such a major role. 

Just when you think there is no way they can get any better with CGI or what I like to refer to as “movie magic”…along comes this movie.  Favreau has made the best movie to date that seamlessly blends live action with this CGI movie magic.  Whether Mowgli is walking with a bear, riding an elephant or running from a tiger…you would absolutely believe this is the real deal.  Add in the star power voices of people like Bill Murray and Christopher Walken and you have a cinematic masterpiece.

Jeff's Featured Review 
10 Cloverfield Lane
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

This is a psychological horror film.  Without blood and guts;  the story and filming and even the soundtrack claw and tear at your mind, like a caged animal just out of reach.   The suspenseful ending comes like a relief, and you are glad to get back to a world where the monsters are easily seen and understood and can be fought directly.  

The previews of this movie make it seem like it’s some kind of apocalyptic Fort Apache;  desperate survivors trying to stay alive against the monsters attacking from outside.   But with some very slight and subtle plot twists and reveals, you soon realize that the worst monsters are inside RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.  It’s very much a parable for today’s world, where we can get so afraid of the Unknown that are beyond our sight and contact…..and miss out on the evil just up the street and the overblown fear that betrayal and “they seemed so nice” can create.

The story revolves around Michelle, who is leaving town via a dark and lonely rural road.    The car radio starts to report some strange and interesting things – then disaster strikes.  She wakes up in Howard’s underground survivalist bunker, and everything starts out creepy.  And stays creepy for two hours.  Normally, I’m not a fan of big-name actors in roles – it always seems like “Oh, that’s Leo DiCaprio playing the role – but in this case, John Goodman’s previous role as the nice guy helps to build the severe creepiness of it all.    A third occupant, Emmett, who Howard hired to help build the bunker, doesn’t really help to alieve the tension and suspense.

At first you don’t believe anything Howard says, and share Michelle’s fear and doubt.  Then Michelle has an encounter with someone from the outside that makes everything Howard said to be true, and they are a happy family again.  Then another dive into suspense (I haven’t closed my eyes in a “crawl through the airducts” scene before, but this time I did), and suddenly everything Howard says is false again.  Maybe.    There’s a big internal fight where being a hero did nothing to help…..and our heroine Michelle is free from the fear and the horror in the bunker…..to find herself under attack from even MORE monsters and fear.    But these are obvious.  These will always be monsters, and you don’t have to guess.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, this movie really isn’t a sequel to the previous sci-fi horror movie “Cloverfield”.   But it still tells a story filled with suspense and mystery, reminding us that even if we think we are safe behind walls and doors…..there is always evil lurking right next to us, in the same room.

Jeff's Featured Review 
The Finest Hours
Directed by Craig Gillespie

My first piece of advice is – do NOT read anything about this movie or the TRUE STORY that it is based upon!   Aside from seeing the previews in the movie theater, I did not know the story of this Coast Guard rescue effort back in 1952…and it made the movie a real “cliffhanger”!   The heroes of the story…both the sailors trying to save them and the sailors hoping to be saved…have to overcome gigantic obstacles thrown in the way.  Some of the obstacles are created by Nature – thundering, pounding waves bigger than the ships that try to sail through them;  hurricane force winds – and some problems are created by the man standing next to you.   It’s hard to say which is more dangerous, in this movie.

I’m glad we live in the era of computer generated special effects – I would hate to think how many great actors we would lose if we really had to film 60ft waves crashing into ships, tearing them in half.   The fierce storm looks frighteningly real, as you see the sailors on the tanker Pendleton trying simply to stay alive to make port.    The engine room on the tanker is where some of the best dramatic parts of the movie take place, and there is enough sound and fury to make it seem like a war movie battlefield.  Steel explodes, men are thrown through the air, other men grimly hold their “ground” trying to keep on station, fighting against the sea.

The Coast Guard sailors are portrayed as just normal guys….but normal guys (boys, most of them) who joined for a sense of adventure and to save people.   Discipline has brought them so far;  to go out in conditions where all of the local fishermen and even some of the senior enlisted Coast Guard sailors tell them NOT to go to sea and attempt a rescue requires a personal strength and heroism that is not “normal”.   As Chris Pine says (playing the rescue boat captain), “The Coast Guard says you have to go out…it doesn’t say you have to come back.”

Not everyone survives.  That’s evident when the tanker crew learns how much trouble they are in, and one-half of their ship is gone in an instant, taking members of the crew with it.   After an initial panic and hopelessness (the dynamics of leadership are very real in this story), they rally around the man who has expertise, calmness, and a plan.  The tanker crew get to work trying to save themselves, and what they do and how they do it is fascinating.  And, speaking as a former Navy officer, completely realistic and true.  For the movie, Disney built an engine room and other real ship sets taken from a T2 tanker about to be cut apart for salvage.  There’s no foam rubber in this movie magic.

Just when you think the boat sent out to rescue the crew is completely inadequate for the extreme weather it is sent out in…..the weather proceeds to worsen the odds even more by damaging nearly every important component on the boat.  The audience is pleading with the rescue boat captain to turn around and save themselves…just like the crew.

And the end of the movie?  It makes you feel good, and warm, even though icicles are forming on the sailors.   Making a movie about a TRUE story that has a happy ending is one of the best formulas for a great movie – but it doesn’t guarantee the story will be easy to endure.  The storm will make you flinch, the waves will make you gasp for air, the failing pumps will make you beat on the cinema seat arms in frustration.   Go see this movie to be immersed in drama, tension, and suspense.

 Jeff's Featured Review
The 5th Wave
Directed by J Blakeson

The quickest way to explain to you why you should not waste time going to see this movie is to tell you:  all of the best parts were in the movie trailer.  Since most movie trailers are 2 minutes long, another hour and 58 minutes is a long time to be either bored or not amused by bad acting and bad writing.

The movie is based on the book “The 5^th Wave” by Rick Yancey, a ‘young adult’ novel written about an alien invasion that progresses through five ‘waves’ of events, killing off the human population of Earth.   First it starts with an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP), which fries all electronics and communications (and causes 747 airliners to fall out of the sky, a dramatic scene in the trailer).  Next come massive earthquakes, even in formerly stable locations, which also cause massive flooding on the coasts and inland waterways (the next impressive special effects display).   Then widespread disease, which explains why many of these teenagers no longer have parents to help them survive.    The aliens land on Earth, but we never see the aliens themselves, only the flying bicycle helmets their drones seem to resemble.

The only explanation given for the waves of attacks is that the aliens want to preserve as much of the planet as they can, for their own use.   EMP is a good start, so that we can’t fight back too well.   But earthquakes and floods?  Wouldn’t aliens who could cause events like that have more than enough power to crush any resistance?  And wouldn’t aliens who could create a flu strain that can wipe out all but 1% of the human race…..come up with airborne Ebola and take out the rest with little effort?  I mean…are there, like, only 15 aliens up in their spaceship?

There are so many holes in the plot that it almost hides the bad acting.  The main character, a teenaged girl, has only two expressions –shocked, and scared.  Even before the attack, when she was attending high school.  Even angry would have been nice to see.   The most convincing part for this actress was greasy hair, after days on the run through the woods from aliens in human bodies.   Perhaps the series “Walking Dead” has spoiled the apocalypse for me;  everything in that alternate reality of a collapsed society is dirty, dusty, damaged, and broken.  In The 5^th Wave, it’s mostly a lot of trash left lying around, as if we had come in the morning after a big rock concert.

This movie obviously wants to be another “Hunger Games” series of movies.  It falls far short of that, because the plot and story are so unbelievable.   Which should say a lot, since the Hunger Games takes place in a dystopian future where greedy leaders want to oppress the masses to exploit them – which is not too unbelievable.   Incompetent aliens who have to rely on brainwashed teenagers to do the final clean-up in aisle Earth are not.

Don’t see this movie.  Don’t encourage them to make another one.

 Jeff's Featured Review 
13 HOURS: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Directed by Michael Bay

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is an action-adventure-war movie right from the first three minutes - that's probably due to the direction of Michael Bay.  However,  the story is so well crafted and manages to make you care about the characters (or loathe them) so quickly that it doesn't need to rely on Bay's signature EXPLOSIONS to move the story along.

 Minutes into the movie you quickly understand that Libya is a very dangerous place, and only the realization that you have another two hours of film to go make you believe the characters we first meet will survive past the first ten minutes.   The Americans manage to bluff their way it of a very bad situation, which is prescient of the fact the Americans there in Benghazi are on their own and without help for the entire incident.

 It really helps that the actors in the movie are not well known, and there no distraction in seeing a favorite actor or actress "playing" the role of a special operator security contractor.  These actors are very believable as hard and tough men.  The excellent screenplay comes into play again, telling their stories and creating their characters in a very minimal amount of screen time. 

Another completely believable aspect of the movie is how reluctant the CIA station chief in Benghazi and US military officers outside of Libya were to be courageous and do the Right Thing.   Other people have said that the CIA station chief who refused to give permission for a timely rescue has been treated harshly;  the truth is many times government officials are reluctant to jeopardize their careers without higher orders.   It happened in Benghazi, it happened again during the Mayaguez rescue operation, again during the attack on the USS Liberty.....and it will happen again in the future, when mistakes are made and no one wants to take responsibility or do the Right Thing.

 The combat scenes are very intense and bloody - not appropriate for pre-teens or sensitive people.   We get to see in very close detail how tactical  military decisions are made to fight off overwhelming odds and save the rest of the people in the CIA annex.   The tension builds and builds, and doesn't let up until either the good guys or the bad guys are dead.   We never really learn anything a out the bad guys, either who they are or why they attacked,  only they died in great numbers.  That's okay, because the story is really about the heroism of the GRS contractors who fought against hordes of Libyans.

 The location looks extremely authentic – it was filmed on the island of Malta, just off the coast of Libya itself.  The narrow streets, the stone buildings, all lend to the atmosphere of people being trapped with no escape.  

 The movie should be used as a teaching tool in the years to come.  From the very beginning of the movie, we are forced to wonder why these Americans are here.  It's not even a real country, just angry mobs with guns.  A nation is needed before you can start nation-building.   Before we send more Americans into harms way,  we should ask a question that is raised halfway through the movie - why are we in a place we didn't need to be, in a battle we don't understand.

Doug's Featured Review 
The Revenant
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

I have been off the grid for the last month or two.  My wife and I got it in our heads that we should move.  So…in about a two month span, we sold our home in Coon Rapids, packed everything up and moved to a log home in Clear Lake Minnesota.  It’s on the Brigg’s chain of lakes and is just 45 minutes from my office here in the Northern Suburbs.  We have all of our possessions boxed up in the garage as we work on some rehabbing projects that need to be completed before we settle in for good.  We have been breathing drywall dust and listening to the sounds of hammers pounding day and night…but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  With that said…Jr. and I decided it was time to take a break and go see The Revenant.

Long Story Short: (As provided by studio) While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.

 My Take:  I will jump right in by saying, and I might be in the minority here, that I felt that DiCaprio was miscast.  He just didn’t seem right for the part of mountain man.  Sure he had a beard and talked with a growl…but just not buying it.  That’s not to say, I haven’t enjoyed his acting in tons of other stuff…just not so much here.  On the other hand, Tom Hardy was incredible as his nemesis and was totally believable.  An earlier scalping by Native Americans and a face so leathered it looked like it was taken off an old catcher’s glove left nothing to remind you that this guy is normally a Hollywood pretty boy.   In my opinion, it was also the best acting performance I have seen to date for him.  He, not DiCaprio, deserves award consideration.  The movie also felt extremely long.  I can think of several scenes that just seemed to go on forever!  If a guy is crawling through the snow to try and survive…do we really need to watch him crawling for 20 minutes to get the point?  On the other hand, the cinematography was stunning.  The fantastic framing of the landscape was jaw dropping.  The epic scenery shots were filmed in Canada, Montana and parts of Argentina and were worth the price of admission.

 I enjoyed the movie…just wish a few things had been done a little different…but what do I know?

Jeffs's Featured Review 
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Directed by Francis Lawrence

Refresh your memories and hold onto your hats, because Hunger Games:  Mockingjay 2 starts off fast and right where it left off...a year ago.   Make sure you know who is who and what just happened because things start to happen fast and not everything is to the character's liking.   The first conflict is very close and personal,  and psychologically hurtful.    It throws Katniss into such a deep despair that even death seems a better choice to her.

The books may have been written for youth, but early in the movie the characters are forced to make some real grown up decisions about war and morals.   Trying to win against superior odds forces the Alliance to choose actions which differ little from Snow in the Capitol.   Art imitates life as surrendering refugees are given commands to "Get down on the ground!  Show your hands!" with such force and fear that tension builds,  and the viewer almost expects someone to be unjustly shot dead.

This movie is less about adventurous combat and more about the effects of war on people.  It's also how the justification for doing evil in the name of good seems reasonable and expedient....until the perpetrators are finally held accountable.    Including holding yourself accountable.   

There is enough combat and action in the movie to make fans happy.   The level of violence and gore is manageable, even for pre-teens.   However, the battle in the flooded tunnels is so intense that it might be prudent to watch it through a screen of fingers before the eyes.    I doesn't help that a beloved character and hero dies a gruesome death.

Katniss is not motivated by strategic goals, or support for the revolution....early on the movie, she is driven by pure revenge and hate.   And nearly everyone around her suffers.   At the climax of the movie,  she reclaims her pure, good intentions.....and causes Snow to die a far more horrible death than she had hoped to inflict on him by her own hand.

The end of the movie treats us to a beautiful sunset and idyllic countryside.   Katniss' final words could easily be said by any veteran that survived a protracted, painful conflict.   We should listen to all of what they tell us.

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