Christmas Movie Favorites

 I'm often asked, as a Movie Guy, what my favorite movie of all time is, what's my favorite scary movie, what's my favorite Christmas movie.  I never have a definitive answer as I love so many movies for so many different reasons.  However, in the spirit of this Christmas holiday, I've decided to make a list of my favorite Christmas movies . . . as of right now.  This list changes over the years, but this is my top 22 right now.

22. Gremlins 1984 - Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) receives an unusual gift for Christmas, a pet, a Mogwai.  Billy names the pet Gizmo, in honor of his father (Hoyt Axton) an inventor of unique gizmos that someday might be his claim to fame.  There are three simple, but important rules to care for the Mogwai: they don't like bright lights, don't get them wet, and definitely don't ever feed them after midnight.  It isn't long before Billy accidentally breaks the rules resulting in devious imps called Gremlins who wreak havoc on their small town.

21. Bad Santa 2003 - Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) and Marcus (Tony Cox) are conmen who pose as department store Santa and Elf to get the inside edge for robbing the place blind.  Willie unintentionally befriends a boy (Brett Kelly) and falls for a girl (Lauren Graham) and, like the Grinch, somehow finds a bit of true Christmas spirit buried deep inside.  It's rude, crude, crass, irreverent, filthy and funny.  A Christmas movie that is definitely NOT for the whole family.

20. A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 - For the longest time, I've wondered why the theme song to

Charlie Brown and the Peanuts cartoon series should be considered a Christmas song.  I got my answer this year.  The Peanuts cartoon strip, created by Charles M. Schultz, first appeared in print in October of 1950. It gained in popularity and other familiar characters were introduced to the strip and Hallmark started using their likeness in greeting cards in 1960.  A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on NBC in 1965 and was the first time fans got to see their lovable loser brought to life.  This launched a series of many television specials and a handful of movies featuring the Peanuts gang over the decades, but the Christmas special was the first, and also the first time we heard their theme song as written by Jazz musician Vince Guaraldi.  The Christmas special also introduced the world to the popular, barely there Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

19. The Polar Express 2004 - Based on the best-selling 1985 book by Chris Van Allsburg.  It featured state-of-the-art 3D animation turning Tom Hanks into one of the most realistic cartoons to date.  Hanks showed off his vocal acting chops providing the voices of the train Conductor, the hero boy's father, the hobo on the train, the narrator, and Santa Claus himself.  It's the story of a boy teetering with doubt about Santa Claus who is invited aboard a magical train, "The Polar Express", destined for The North Pole to meet the jolly old elf himself.  It's a unique story that has lasted for decades and has brought that wonderful imaginative world to life with the most amazing animation to the film's date.

18. Die Hard 1988 - It is often debated whether Die Hard should even be considered a Christmas movie, though many declare its place definitively and many others have just accepted it.  New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies to Los Angeles where his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) has moved to take a prestigious job at the Nakatomi Towers.  The company is having its annual Christmas party when a group of highly trained and heavily armed terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) take the employees hostage as they attempt a huge Christmas heist.  McClane is the only able to save the day as Die Hard sparked a handful of blockbuster movies featuring the right cop in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Filled with action and humorous one-liners, Die Hard deserves to be somewhere on almost everyone's Christmas movie list.

17. Miracle on 34th Street 1947 - The real Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn) confronts a drunken Santa about to appear in Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.  He is convinced to take over the role and becomes the store's Santa.  He is so popular, the increased business could also be its undoing if anything goes wrong.  Dorris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), the Macy's executive who discovered the man, secretly has him evaluated for sanity that quickly gets out of control with an entire court hearing to determine his sanity.  

16. It's a Wonderful Life 1946 - George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) has given up on his dreams and aspirations to stay in the small town of Bedford Falls, to run the family-owned Savings and Loan, to keep the town alive and to keep the greedy banker Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from taking over everything.  The pressure gets to be too much for him and he wonders if everyone would be better off without him.  An angel Clarence (Henry Travers) is sent from heaven to show him that life in Bedford Falls wouldn't be so wonderful without him around.  It's a true Christmas classic but it falls a little bit each year on my list of favorites as I see more and more what a temper Bailey had.  I know it's more indicative of the time the film was made, but it does tend to distract me from the overall theme of the movie each time I see it.  Right now, it sits as one of my favorites, but down at number 16.

15. Disney's A Christmas Carol 2009 - Direct from the classic Christmas story by Charles Dickens, Disney pulled out all the stops with some of the most realistic cartoon animations ever created with Jim Carrey performing the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge.  We all know the story of the miser being visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as his stone cold heart is warmed by seeing how he has affected those around him, but the Disney  animated version is a visual spectacle that is jaw-droppingly beautiful and terrifying.

14. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 - It might seem that Jim Carrey was made to play animated Christmas characters as he donned the green Grinch suit for the live action version of Dr. Seuss' classic.  "Every Who down in Whoville loved Christmas a lot.  But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville did not." And Carrey plays the role of the Grinch to absolute perfection in this charming movie.

13. Jingle All the Way 1996 - 1996 is also the year the Tickle Me Elmo doll was the must-have gift of the year.  If you didn't get this for your kid,  you were a bad parent.  This led to fights, brawls, anger, tears and a mayhem that has not been seen since.  It wasn't the first time a toy had this effect.  This phenomenon was the basis for Jingle All the Way.  Little Jamie (Jake Lloyd) wants what every boy wants, the Turbo Man action figure for Christmas.  His busy father (Arnold Schwarzenegger) forgot to buy it and scrambles with many others at the last second to try to save his family's Christmas by finding the doll.  Hilarity ensues as he and a mailman (Sinbad) go toe-to-toe tearing up the city looking for the doll.  It's the most popular Christmas movie, but I think it deserves more credit than it gets.

12. The Santa Clause 1994 - Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is an executive at a toy company.  His son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) spends this night on Christmas Eve.  The two inadvertently kill Santa Claus.  To quiet his son, Scott puts on the suit and climbs in the sleigh binding him contractually to become the next Santa.  Scott tried to keep the magic of Christmas and Santa alive for his son, though not necessarily a believer himself.  Now he must keep the crazy secret hidden from his family and co-workers as he transforms permanently into Santa.

11. The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 - Tim Burton's claymation spectacular became an instant classic as Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween, stumbles into the world of Christmas.  He tries to recreate the magical wonder, but ends up destroying the holiday for millions of children in this dark and beautiful movie.  Though the movie is called Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton himself did not direct this.  He was busy on Batman Returns (a Christmas movie that did not make my list).  Instead, he turned his ideas over to his pal at Disney Henry Selick to direct the movie.  It took 3 years to make the movie and they were able to film one minute of the film each week.  The effort was well worth it in this phenomenon.

On to the top 10:

10. Fred Claus 2007 - Like Jingle All the Way, Fred Claus is another one that slipped by many and doesn't get the credit it deserves.  Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) is Santa Claus' (Paul Giamatti) brother.  While Santa is busy all year preparing to take care of the children of the world, Fred is busy skating by trying to find the one big thing that will set him up for life.  He wants to invest in his next idea, and reluctantly turns to his brother for help.  Santa agrees, but only if Fred will come to the North Pole to help with their Christmas preparations for a few days.  Fred agrees and turns their world upside down as both brothers are finally able to see Christmas through each others' eyes.  There's a great scene at the end of the movie that I haven't seen in any other Christmas movie.  Once the presents are all delivered, the elves run to the Globe to watch the delight they were able to bring to all the children of the world on Christmas morning.  I think it's funny and cute and original and it sits at number 10 on my list right now.

9. The Muppet Christmas Carol 1992 - I have no idea how many versions of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol have been made throughout time, but there are three that made my list.  I already talked about Jim Carrey and I'll get to number 8 next. Jim Henson's Muppets have one of the best retellings for me.  Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchit and Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge as narrated by Gonzo.  It's a fun and different but true to the book telling of the classic story with some songs that have to be in every Muppet movie and I loved it.

8. Scrooged 1988 - Xavier Cross (Bill Murray) is a television executive who, like Ebenezer Scrooge, is a cold-hearted, career-driven man who has lost his way.  Also like Scrooge, Cross is visited by three ghosts to show him who he used to be, who he has become, and where he is heading if he doesn't change his ways.  It's a common Christmas story told in a unique and hilariously touching way.

7. The Santa Clause 2 2002 - Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa Claus for nearly 10 years now, but it could all come to an end if another one of the stipulations of being Santa is not met.  Santa has to be married.  As if dealing with his rebellious son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) and preparing for Christmas for the world wasn't enough.  He has to find a wife.  Fortunately, they all work together to find the solution.  Charlie has been acting out because he is burdened with the greatest secret in the world that he can't tell anyone.  His antics force Scott to interact with the school's principal Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell) who has also lost a bit of her Christmas spirit along the way.  There are two things that make me rank this sequel higher than the original on my list: first was the scene at the school's Christmas party that Santa's magic turns into a true party; and second was Santa finding a Mrs. Claus and I'm definitely a sucker for the good guy finding the good girl.

6. Elf 2003 - Buddy (Will Ferrell) snuck into Santa's (Ed Asner) magic sack.  Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) raises him as an elf, but he never fit in.  Eventually the truth is told to Buddy and he embarks on a journey to New York to find his biological father (James Caan).  Buddy struggled to fit in with the elves at the North Pole and finds it just as difficult to find his place in New York with the humans, but his endless joy and Christmas spirit begin to inspire his family, his coworkers and eventually the city of New York.

5. Miracle on 34th Street 1994 - This classic was redone from the 1947 original.  Santa is played by Richard Attenborough and Macy's is now Cole's Department Store and the executive Dorey Walker is played by Elizabeth Perkins.  Instead of Walker having Santa evaluated by a psychiatrist, Cole's competitors at Shopper's Express set him up to be arrested.  It is up to lawyer and neighbor Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott) and Dorey's daughter Susan (Mara Wilson) to prove his innocence in a remake that I feel surpasses the original.

4. Home Alone 1990 - The McAllister family has gone to France to celebrate Christmas abroad, but their left the son Kevin (Macauley Culkin) at home alone.  He believes his wish to not have a family came true, but his dream turns into a nightmare as two hapless criminals (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) try to rob the house.  Kevin defends his home and longs for his family who find a way to reunite through a series of Christmas miracles.

3. A Christmas Story 1983 - All Ralph (Peter Billingsley) wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder B. B. gun.  His mother, his teacher and even Santa all tell him he'll shoot his eye out.  There are so many memorable moments in this film.  The neighbor's dogs, the leg lamp, the pink bunny suit, the queen mother of dirty words, the bullies, the triple dog dare, Santa, the little piggy eating, the Christmas duck dinner, and the B. B. gun for sure.  This one never gets old.

2. White Christmas 1954 - Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) served in the military together and become one of the most successful performing duos.  They end up in Vermont together with another performing duo, sisters Betty Haynes (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy Haynes (Vera Ellen).  The lodge in Vermont is run by their former Major General Thomas Waverly (Dean Jagger) and is bleeding money.  Wallace and Davis use their fame to gather their old troop back together and put on a Christmas show that saves the lodge.  The music, the misunderstandings, the romance, the comedy all come together for one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time.

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 1989 - Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) are hosting their families for Christmas and this movie is jam-packed with some of the funniest and most-quotable Christmas scenes from any holiday film.  The road rage, the cutting of the Christmas tree, his pretentious neighbors, Mary the department store clerk, 25,000 lights on the house, the swimming pool, cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), the RV, Clark's boss (Brian Doyle-Murray), the SWAT team.  It's non-stop fun that still rings hilarious 27 years later.

Star Wars: Rogue One Review

3.5 Stars

 

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . ."  Those iconic words lit up the screen for the eighth major Star Wars film, just a year after Episode VII: The Force Awakens revitalized the franchise with director J.J. Abrams calling the shots.  Star Wars: Rogue One could also be called Episode 3.5 as it takes place approximately 20 years after Episode III ends and leads right into Episode IV: A New Hope.  Rogue One was not directed by Abrams, but rather the English director Gareth Edwards who doesn't have much of a library of directorial credits.  Most notably, he has directed Monsters (an alien invasion sci-fi drama) and Godzilla in 2014.  Both of those films boasted intense special effects which played into his Star Wars debut.

A lot happened at the end of Episode III.  Obi Wan (Ewan McGregor) reluctantly fought and defeated his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) who was burned by lava over most of his body.  Anakin was saved and became the dark sith lord Darth Vader made up mostly of machine to keep him alive.  He was seduced by the dark side for its potential power, namely that of saving his beloved wife Padme (Natalie Portman) from death, something he could not do for his mother.  However, Padme died giving birth to twins Luke and Leia.  To hide both children from Vader, Yoda and Obi Wan (the only remaining Jedi) and Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits)(one of the few Senators not deceived by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid)) determined their fate.  Bail adopted Leia and raised her to be the princess of Alderaan.  Luke was raised by his uncle Owen and aunt Beru Lars on the desert planet of Tatooine with Obi Wan keeping a distant but watchful eye.

The formation of the Galactic Empire was Palpatine's master plan to take over the galaxy and destroy all Jedi.  With one of the strongest Jedi at his side in Darth Vader, the evil Empire has developed  a powerful weapon called the Death Star.  It's the size of a small moon and has the capacity to destroy an entire planet in seconds.  There is a small, but growing faction of fighters opposed to the Empire called the Rebels.  They know the successful completion of the Death Star would almost guarantee the eradication of their Rebellion.  Rogue One is the story of the Rebellion's mission to steal the blue prints to the Death Star to analyze its design and discover a weakness.  Spoiler alert: they get the schematics to Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), they do find a weakness, and Luke (Mark Hamill) uses the Force to help guide his X-Wings' shot with the accuracy he compared to bullseyeing a womp rat in his T-16 on Tatooine.

But this isn't that story.  This is Rogue One and it's the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones).  As a child, she barely escaped a Stormtrooper attack on her planet.  15 years later, she is a criminal who finds herself in the captivity of the Rebellion.  They promise her freedom if she can help find out what the Empire's plans are.  In doing so, she learns her father was coerced into helping design the Death Star.  This prompts Jyn to not only join the Rebels, but lead their mission to steal the plans to the planet-destroying weapon.

The preview for Rogue One looked just as visually stunning as the recently released Episode VII, even though director Edwards would still be considered somewhat of a rookie based on his very small sample size of projects.  Of course, I was excited because it's a Star Wars movie and I was also curious to see who of our favorite classic Star Wars characters would make some sort of cameo appearance. We already knew Darth Vader was in the film.  Unfortunately, two others showed up, but I'll get to that in a second. I had high hopes for Rogue One, though I cautiously gave it a 4 Star Prediction out of 5 stars.  I had hoped that number would go up after seeing it; however, it looks like it's going to go down.

If you don't want any spoilers, you should stop right here.  Otherwise, here we go.  Right from the beginning, a black screen displayed the blue words "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . " and then it jumped right into the movie.  That's right, no scrolling yellow synopsis to let you know what's going to happen.  Then, after the first scene, the title popped onto the screen with no traditional Star Wars theme music that was the score for all seven other movies.  Next, the movie jumps from planet to planet it seemed every 5 minutes for the first half of the film.  Since it jumped around so much, it was hard to keep track, except for the subtitle telling you where you were and what the significance was of its location.  Every other Star Wars movie didn't need that because the dialogue effectively let you know where you were.  Felicity Jones did great as Jyn Erso, however, like the movie itself, she had the unfortunate task of having to follow Daisy Ridley's performance as Rey in Episode VII and it fell a bit short.  She was, however, one of the three bright spots in the movie among a sea of unmemorable characters.  And the final gripe I had with Rogue One was the appearances of Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin.  So how did a 60 year old Carrie Fisher and a Peter Cushing who passed away 22 years ago reprise their roles? Computer animation.  Really good computer animation, but still noticeable and distracting computer animation.  

Okay, enough with the downers.  In addition to an entertaining performance from Felicity Jones, there were two other things that really made this worth watching.  The droid K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk) was a security droid for the Empire before being reprogrammed to serve the Rebel Alliance.  And he was programmed with a snarky personality that has clever one liners in the movie that made him quite endearing.  The other scene that was probably the best scene in the whole movie was Darth Vader showing off what an angry Sith Lord can do with the dark side of the force.  In his own words from Empire Strikes Back, it was "impressive, most impressive."

So, I anticipated 4 Stars, but Rogue One was a bit of a letdown for me.  I'm dropping it to 3.5 Stars as my final rating.  It's worth watching in the theatre, but more of a rental.  I'll definitely be owning it, but that's more because a Star Wars fan has to have all of them in their collection.  If this was a stand alone movie, I doubt I would.  That being said, it made me even more anxious to see Episode VIII next year.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Star Wars: Rogue One Preview

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . ."  Those iconic words will scroll up the screen for the eighth major Star Wars film, just a year after Episode VII: The Force Awakens revitalized the franchise with director J.J. Abrams calling the shots.  Star Wars: Rogue One could also be called Episode 3.5 as it apparently takes place approximately 20 years after Episode III ends and leads right into Episode IV: A New Hope.  Rogue One is not directed by Abrams, but rather the English director Gareth Edwards who doesn't have much of a library of directorial credits.  Most notably, he has directed Monsters (an alien invasion sci-fi drama) and Godzilla in 2014.  Both of those films boasted intense special effects which should play into his Star Wars debut; and, from the preview, it looks like Edwards took more cues from Abrams' work on Episode VII than that of George Lucas from Episodes I - III that earned him harsh criticism.

A lot happened at the end of Episode III.  Obi Wan (Ewan McGregor) reluctantly fought and defeated his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) who was burned by lava over most of his body.  Anakin was saved and became the dark sith lord Darth Vader made up mostly of machine to keep him alive.  He was seduced by the dark side for its potential power, namely that of saving his beloved wife Padme (Natalie Portman) from death, something he could not do for his mother.  However, Padme died giving birth to twins Luke and Leia.  To hide both children from Vader, Yoda and Obi Wan (the only remaining Jedi) and Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits)(one of the few Senators not deceived by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid)) determined their fate.  Bail adopted Leia and raised her to be the princess of Alderaan.  Luke was raised by his uncle Owen and aunt Beru Lars on the desert planet of Tatooine with Obi Wan keeping a distant but watchful eye.

The formation of the Galactic Empire was Palpatine's master plan to take over the galaxy and destroy all Jedi.  With one of the strongest Jedi at his side in Darth Vader, the evil Empire has developed  a powerful weapon called the Death Star.  It's the size of a small moon and has the capacity to destroy an entire planet in seconds.  There is a small, but growing faction of fighters opposed to the Empire called the Rebels.  They know the successful completion of the Death Star would almost guarantee the eradication of their Rebellion.  Rogue One is the story of the Rebellion's mission to steal the blue prints to the Death Star to analyze its design and discover a weakness.  Spoiler alert: they get the schematics to Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), they do find a weakness, and Luke (Mark Hamill) uses the Force to help guide his X-Wings' shot with the accuracy he compared to bullseyeing a womp rat in his T-16 on Tatooine.

But this isn't that story.  This is Rogue One and it's the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones).  As a child, she barely escaped a Stormtrooper attack on her planet.  15 years later, she is a criminal who finds herself in the captivity of the Rebellion.  They promise her freedom if she can help find out what the Empire's plans are.  In doing so, she learns her father was coerced into helping design the Death Star.  This prompts Jyn to not only join the Rebels, but lead their mission to steal the plans to the planet-destroying weapon.

Like most Star Wars fans, I was delighted to hear of J. J. Abrams and Episode VII and gave it a rare perfect 5 Star rating.  I saw it twice in theatres and immediately bought it once it was available.  The preview for Rogue One looks just as visually stunning, even though director Edwards would still be considered somewhat of a rookie based on his very small sample size of projects.  That is my only hesitation.  Of course, I'm excited because it's a Star Wars movie.  I'm also curious to see who of our favorite classic Star Wars characters will make some sort of cameo appearance.  C3PO, R2D2, Lando Calrissian, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Obi Wan, Princess Leia, Boba Fett.  We already know Darth Vader is in the film.  I have high hopes for Rogue One, though I'm going to be cautious and only give a 4 Star Prediction out of 5 stars.  I'm hoping my ranking will go up once I see it.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Miss Sloane Review

 4.0 Stars

 

Miss Sloane is a political thriller about Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a political strategist who is recruited  to tackle the issue of gun control in America.  She is notoriously ruthless, highly successful and will do whatever it takes to win for her side of the campaign, possibly risking her career and those closest to her with a win-at-all-costs mentality.  A new proposed legislation requiring stricter background checks for gun ownership in the United States is gaining traction in Congress and Sloane is tasked with spearheading the campaign against her toughest opponent.

After the recent Presidential election and the ongoing issues of gun violence and gun control in America, this movie couldn't come at a more perfect time.  "Lobbying is about anticipating your opponents' moves and launching countermeasures before they can act.  It's about surprising them and making sure they don't surprise you."  Miss Sloane begins with political strategist Sloane sharing this insight into what it takes to win in politics with her firm's attorney as she is being prepped to take the stand on trial at a Congressional hearing.  While nothing is more important that winning, Sloane gets caught up in the cause of gun control and states that this issue is more important than her career, after being warned about the consequences of her questionable actions.  John Madden directed Miss Sloane and he is a seasoned professional having tackled such films as Shakespeare in Love (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Mrs. Brown.  He has directed 3 Academy nominated actresses in his career.  However, this is writer Jonathan Perera's first writing credit in his career.  After watching Miss Sloane, I don't think this will be the last we hear of him.  He wove together a series of intricate twists and turns like watching an intense chess match leading up to the final ten minutes that had audiences literally cheering as the full scope of Sloane's game plan was finally revealed and we realize the chess game was won before the match even started.

Chastain is joined by a couple heavy-hitters in John Lithgow and Sam Waterston in what was an upsetting, emotionally-charged, fierce look into the working of our political system and what it takes to make or kill legislation in the United States.  While no action drives the movie, this 132 minute drama had the potential to drag at times.  However, every scene had a point and a purpose that was never left unanswered and it didn't feel like it ran over 2 hours.  Chastain could be up for another Oscar nomination for her performance of the ruthless, insomniac, fierce, lonely, brilliant political strategist.  I originally gave Miss Sloane a 3.5 star prediction thinking it looked like it would be worth the money in the theatres, a movie I'd watch again, and give consideration to adding it to my personal collection. I agree with all of that, and the last 10 minutes of "A-ha" moments made me raise it up to a solid 4 Stars for Miss Sloane.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see. 

 

 

Miss Sloane Preview

Miss Sloane is a political thriller about Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a political strategist who is recruited  to tackle the issue of gun control in America.  She is notoriously ruthless, highly successful and will do whatever it takes to win for her side of the campaign, possibly risking her career and those closest to her with a win-at-all-costs mentality.  A new proposed legislation requiring stricter background checks for gun ownership in the United States is gaining traction in Congress and Sloane is tasked with spearheading the campaign against her toughest opponent.

After the recent Presidential election and the ongoing issues of gun violence and gun control in America, this movie couldn't come at a more perfect time.  Lobbying is about anticipating your opponents' moves and launching countermeasures before they can act.  It's about surprising them and making sure they don't surprise you.  The preview for Miss Sloane shows political strategist Sloane giving us this insight into what it takes to win in politics.  While nothing is more important that winning, Sloane gets caught up in the cause of gun control and states that this issue is more important than her career, after being warned about the consequences of her actions.  John Madden directs Miss Sloane and he is a seasoned professional having tackled such films as Shakespeare in Love (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Mrs. Brown.  He has directed 3 Academy nominated actresses in his career.  However, this is writer Jonathan Perera's first writing credit in his career.

Chastain is joined by a couple heavy-hitters in John Lithgow and Sam Waterston in what looks to be an upsetting, emotionally-charged, fierce look into the working of our political system and what it takes to make or kill legislation in the United States.  While not boasting any action, this 132 minute drama does have the potential to drag at times.  Though she has been performing for over 12 years, Chastain really rose to fame with her Oscar-nominated role in Zero Dark Thirty, the search and capture of terrorist Osama Bin Laden.  She followed that up with roles in Interstellar and The Martian that leaves no doubt she will come through once again with a brilliant performance.  So, though this film is the end result of a rookie writing project, the experience of the director and actors who are on board to execute it make it work an anticipatory 3.5 star prediction.  Miss Sloane looks like it will be worth the money in the theatres, a movie I'd watch again, and give consideration to adding it to my personal collection.  So, am I right?  We shall see.

Man Down Review

4.0 Stars  

 

Man Down is the story of U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) who fought for his country in Afghanistan only to return home to an America very different than the one he left, a post-apocalyptic hell that is no better than the war zone he just left.  Accompanied by his best friend, Drummer goes on the hunt for his missing wife Natalie (Kate Mara) and their son.

Man Down marks the return to the mainstream big screen movies for LaBeouf who has been somewhat absent since his last appearance in Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011.  He's done a few independent films and had some questioning his sanity at times.  I've always been a fan of his comedy style in the Transformers movies, but hearing about him playing a post-war vet in a serious drama had me concerned.  And then I saw the preview.

The preview shows a Marine raid on a house in Afghanistan.  Drummer gives the "all clear" meaning there is no threat in the house.  As the other Marines in his unit (including his best friend) walk in, a gun protrudes from a blanket on the floor and shots ring out at the unsuspecting Marines.  Drummer survived.  The preview shows Dummer talking to military counselor Peyton (Gary Oldman).  

Not only does LaBeouf pull off this dramatic role, but he is quite convincing and has been hailed by Variety who said, "Labeouf achieves that authentic, hurts-to-watch approach seldom seen since the days of Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift."  I gave Man Down a preemptive 3.5 star rating,  thinking it would be a gut-wrenching, raw, real and intense film that is well worth the money in theatres.  It was all that and more.   Through much of the movie, we are watching Gabriel Drummer in four different phases: with his wife and child before the Marines; the mission in Afghanistan, his session with counselor Peyton after "the incident", and finally back in the United States that has been destroyed as he desperately searches for his wife and child with his best friend.  All of this leads up to a shocking series of revelations that completely destroys Drummer's world . . . and his reality.  

Much of Man Down reminded me of Bradley Cooper in American Sniper, but LaBeouf goes even further and darker.  American Sniper was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Cooper.  Though I don't foresee Man Down being nominated for Best Picture, it would be a crime if LaBeouf isn't recognized for this role in this tragic, gripping, heart-breaking film that earned a solid 4 stars from me.  I'll definitely be watching this again and it has a good chance of making it into my home collection.  It's a movie that anyone who has served in our military will find extremely difficult to watch, but one that the rest of us need to see.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Man Down Preview

Man Down is the story of U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) fought for his country in Afghanistan only to return home to an America very different than the one he left, a post-apocalyptic hell that is no better than the war zone he just left.  Accompanied by his best friend, Drummer goes on the hunt for his missing wife Natalie (Kate Mara) and their son.

Man Down marks the return to the mainstream big screen movies for LaBeouf who has been somewhat absent since his last appearance in Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011.  He's done a few independent films and had some questioning his sanity at times.  I've always been a fan of his comedy style in the Transformers movies, but hearing about him playing a post-war vet in a serious drama had me concerned.  And then I saw the preview.

The preview shows a Marine raid on a house in Afghanistan.  One of the Marines gives the "all clear" meaning there is no threat in the house.  As the others walk in, a gunman hiding under a blanket is unveiled and takes out many of the Marines.  Drummer survived.  The preview shows Dummer talking to military counselor Peyton (Gary Oldman).  Not only does LaBeouf look like he can pull off this dramatic role, but he looks quite convincing and has been hailed by Variety who said, "Labeouf achieves that authentic, hurts-to-watch approach seldom seen since the days of Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift."  Hearing LaBeouf is in this kind of role would probably make me give a 2 star rating that might be bumped up with Mara and Oldman picking up the slack.  But it doesn't look like there's any slack in this film and I'm giving Man Down a preemptive 3.5 star rating.  I think it will be gut-wrenching, raw, real and intense that is well worth the theatres, I'm just not sure if I'll be running out to buy it when it's available to own.  So, am I right?  We shall see.

Arrival Review

3.5 Stars

The answer to "Are we alone in the galaxy" has been answered in Arrival as a dozen mysterious spacecraft land in various locations across the earth.  The government brings in linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnely (Jeremy Renner) to attempt to communicate with whatever might be inside.  She and her team must find a way to discover the truth of their intentions as the world prepares for the possibility of global war.

The preview showed two different sides completely sure that their interpretation of the situation is correct.  The government and military are convinced that the aliens are here with the intent to destroy while Banks believes they are not our enemy.  Making contact with the aliens inside the pods is not a difficult task as they have made themselves available to the human race through an opening in the pod.  Once inside, they are separated by a protective barrier, presumably due to atmospheric restraints, but they are able to see and hear each other.  The humans rely on pen and paper while the aliens have a sort of squid ink technology coming from one of their appendages that form shapes.  Banks is able to interpret the shapes and starts the slow process of communication that will hopefully reveal their intent.  She is told they are out of time and that action must be taken.  So she does, but it isn't what the military had planned. Those promoting the film promise a surprise ending that will have viewers talking for quite a while after the movie is over.

There have been plenty of alien movies throughout the years.  While some portray them in a peaceful light (E.T. the Extraterrestrial, StarMan, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Cocoon), others show a very violent side to the visitors (Independence Day, Cowboys & Aliens, The War of the Worlds).  Regardless of their intent, it is always a terrifyingly unknown situation and the residents of planet Earth are immediately frightened at the catastrophic possibility rather than optimistic.  While Arrival isn't of the variety of blockbuster explosions that made some of the alien movies into hits, it does deliver a gripping and fascinating drama.  

 

I'm a huge fan of Amy Adams.  She is joined by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker in what I anticipated to be a very well executed alien film on all fronts: special effects, acting, drama, original story, and intensity leaving you breathless at the end. Well, it didn't exactly leave you breathless . . . more like confused, especially if you haven't read the story on which the movie is based.  I gave Arrival a very hopeful and optimistic 4 Star prediction, but I've knocked that down slightly to 3.5 stars.  Much of the movie had confusing flashbacks that led to revelations of communication with the aliens.  But those confusions only made me more excited to see the big wow ending we were all promised.  At the end, I was even more confused as it was no longer clear if the visions Banks had were memories or premonitions.  And instead of saying, "Woah, did that just happen?!" I sat there saying, "Wait, what just happened?!"  I definitely need to watch this again, but I thought Adams and Renner gave wonderful performances, the special effects were perfect, it was original, but I think it missed the ball on driving the whole point home at the end with clarity.  Some I've talked to have commented that the book is much more clear and would help make more sense of the movie.  I'll be watching this at least one more time; and, who knows, the second time around might tip the scales to me wanting to own Arrival in my personal collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Arrival Preview

The answer to "Are we alone in the galaxy" has been answered in Arrival as several mysterious spacecraft land in various locations across the earth.  The government brings in linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in to attempt to communicate with whatever might be inside.  She and her team must find a way to discover the truth of their intentions as the world prepares for the possibility of global war.

The preview shows two different sides completely sure that their interpretation of the situation is correct.  The government and military are convinced that the aliens are here with the intent to destroy while Banks believes they are not our enemy.  She is told they are out of time and that action must be taken. So she does.  Against their orders she does something drastic that will either prove her case or lead to catastrophic results.  We can speculate that she offers herself up to the aliens in order to communicate with them, though it's not completely clear from the preview.  Those promoting the film promise a surprise ending that will have viewers talking for quite a while after the movie is over.

There have been plenty of alien movies throughout the years.  While some portray them in a peaceful light (E.T. the Extraterrestrial, StarMan, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Cocoon), others show a very violent side to the visitors (Independence Day, Cowboys & Aliens, The War of the Worlds).  Regardless of their intent, it is always a terrifyingly unknown situation and the residents of planet Earth are immediately frightened at the catastrophic possibility rather than optimistic.  While Arrival doesn't show the blockbuster explosions that made some of the alien movies into blockbusters, it does look like a gripping and fascinating drama.  And I'm a huge fan of Amy Adams.  She is joined by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker in what I'm anticipating to be a very well executed alien film on all fronts: special effects, acting, drama, original story, and intensity leaving you breathless at the end.  I'm giving Arrival a very hopeful and optimistic 4 Star prediction.  I believe it will be well worth the money in the theatre and one that I'd like to watch again and perhaps even own.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Bleed For This Review

2.5 Stars

 

Born in 1962, professional boxer Vinny Pazienza began his career as a fighter with a bout in 1983.  He won his first title in 1987 when he defeated Greg Haugen to become the world lightweight champion.  Haugen would reclaim the title in their first rematch, but Pazienza would ultimately triumph in 1990.  In 1991, after his fight with Gilbert Dele for the junior middleweight championship, Pazienza was in a near fatal car crash that broke his neck and left doctors doubting if Vinny would ever even walk again. With a screwed in halo brace holding his neck in place, Pazienza was confined to a hospital bed for 3 months.  Against doctors' orders and without them aware, Vinny snuck into his basement at home, halo brace and all, to regain his strength for a fight he knew he'd someday get.  It was just over a year after the accident that Pazienza was back in the ring for the next unbelievable stage of his career that finally ended in 2004 after 50 wins in the ring.

Bleed For This stars Miles Teller as boxer Vinny Pazienza and is not exactly what you would call a who's who cast of all-stars.  Teller has been an up-and-coming rising star that many would argue shone brightest in 2014's Ocscar nominated film Whiplash in which he plays a talented jazz drummer.  While Teller himself was not nominated for his role, many recognized his work calling it a breakthrough performance.  Teller stars in Bleed For This with Christine Evangelista, Ciaran Hinds, Katey Sagal and Aaron Eckhart who plays Pazienza's trainer Kevin Rooney.  However, a movie boasting a slew of Hollywood's A-listers doesn't guarantee a blockbuster, just like the lack thereof doesn't mean anything either.

Vinny is a charismatic, entertaining, playboy, work-hard, party-hard showboating champion boxer in Vinny Pazienza.  Make no mistake, he is extremely gifted at what he does and trains hard to be that way, but his antics, gambling and extracurricular activities are fully reaped as rewards for his efforts.  And then the accident happens.  While his doctor tells him, he may never walk again and his friends and family try to convince him that there's more to life than boxing, Vinny is more determined than ever to get back in the ring and fight again.  Bleed For This is based on the true life of Vinny Pazienza and, like the most recent fact-based films I've reviewed, I've chosen to do no research ahead of time as this is not a documentary, this is a Hollywood film.  And, I'm a sucker for the underdog movies.  Rocky was an underdog in every one of his fights.  Southpaw, Eddie the Eagle, Rudy, Invincible, and John Cusack romantic comedy, I'm always a fan of the underestimated, mocked, counted out, never had a chance underdog rising to the challenge.  So, I gave Bleed For This a 4.0 Star prediction.  After seeing it though, I have to change my mind.

 

Vinny's life story is definitely worth telling, but Bleed For This was not well-executed.  The one word I can describe for most of the film is annoying.  The sound effects, or lack thereof at times, didn't heighten or compliment what was going on, though sounds and silence have been masterfully utilized in other such films.  The mood and pacing of the music selection didn't match the scenes they scored.  There were times that actual footage of the real Vinny were used making it obvious that actor Miles Teller wasn't Vinny.  Some of the dialogue seemed rehearsed and scripted (a la Rocky or Million Dollar Baby or Southpaw) while some seemed poorly improvised (a la The Fighter, though not done nearly as well).  And the inconsistency of shifting between hand-held shaky camera shots and a steady one made no sense and, again, grew annoying.  The saving graces of this movie were the performances of Teller and Eckhart, both of whom I can see being nominated for their roles.  But it wasn't enough to redeem Bleed For This and I'm dropping my rating to 2.5 stars, barely worth paying full price in the theatre, but a decent rental that will not find a permanent home in my collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Bleed For This Preview

Born in 1962, professional boxer Vinny Pazienza began his career as a fighter with a bout in 1983.  He won his first title in 1987 when he defeated Greg Haugen to become the world lightweight champion.  Haugen would reclaim the title in their first rematch, but Pazienza would ultimately triumph in 1990.  In 1991, after his fight with Gilbert Dele for the junior middleweight championship, Pazienza was in a near fatal car crash that broke his neck and left doctors doubting if Vinny would ever even walk again. With a screwed in halo brace holding his neck in place, Pazienza was confined to a hospital bed for 3 months.  Against doctors' orders and without them aware, Vinny snuck back into the gym to begin regaining his strength, halo brace and all.  It was just over a year after the accident that Pazienza was back in the ring for the next unbelievable stage of his career that finally ended in 2004 after 50 wins in the ring.

Bleed For This stars Miles Teller as boxer Vinny Pazienza and is not exactly what you would call a who's who cast of all-stars.  Teller has been an up-and-coming rising star that many would argue shone brightest in 2014's Ocscar nominated film Whiplash in which he plays a talented jazz drummer.  While Teller himself was not nominated for his role, many recognized his work calling it a breakthrough performance.  Teller stars in Bleed For This with Christine Evangelista, Ciaran Hinds, Katey Sagal and Aaron Eckhart who plays Pazienza's trainer Kevin Rooney.  However, a movie boasting a slew of Hollywood's A-listers doesn't guarantee a blockbuster, just like the lack thereof doesn't mean anything either.

From the preview, we see a charismatic, entertaining, playboy, work-hard, party-hard showboating champion boxer in Vinny Pazienza.  Make no mistake, he is extremely gifted at what he does and trains hard to be that way, but his antics, gambling and extracurricular activities are fully reaped as rewards for his efforts.  And then the accident happens.  While doctors tell him, he may never walk again and his friends and family try to convince him that there's more to life than boxing, Vinny is more determined than ever to get back in the ring and fight again.  Bleed For This is based on the true life of Vinny Pazienza and, like the most recent fact-based films I've reviewed, I've chosen to do no research ahead of time as this is not a documentary, this is a Hollywood film.  And, I'm a sucker for the underdog movies.  Rocky was an underdog in every one of his fights.  Southpaw, Eddie the Eagle, Rudy, Invincible, and John Cusack romantic comedy, I'm always a fan of the underestimated, mocked, counted out, never had a chance underdog rising to the challenge.  So, I'm giving Bleed For This a 4.0 Star prediction.  I'll think it worth the money in the theatres, worth watching again, and has a good chance of finding a home in my personal collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Deepwater Horizon Review

4.0 Stars

In April of 2010, an offshore drilling rig named Deepwater Horizon exploded resulting in the worst oil spill in U. S. History.  If you've read my previous reviews about Eddie the Eagle, Steve Jobs, The Big Short and Spotlight, you know that it's easy to get caught up in the details of how much of the story based on actual events really happened and how much was embellished or altered to make a Hollywood movie.  Along the way, I have made a decision to do no research into the facts of the real-life story and just focus solely on the movie itself.  I mean, the movie makes no claims to be a historically accurate documentary, so I shouldn't hold it to those standards.  And this blog isn't about movies being historically accurate when they don't necessarily claim to be.  It's based on two factors: how accurately the movie is portrayed by its preview, and the likelihood of the movie making it to my home collection.  With that in mind, here's my review:

Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams who works on the drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon.  But that's the third thing we learn about Williams from the preview.  He's a husband and a father first.  He says goodbye to his family before being flown by helicopter with his crew to the rig.  All his daughter wants is a dinosaur fossil.  All his wife (Kate Hudson) wants is for him to return safely.  Once aboard the rig, an executive named Vidrine (John Malkovich) and others from British Petroleum are more than anxious to commence with drilling.  They skip a concrete test and excuse a failed system test.  They are already 43 days behind and over budget and will do whatever it takes to not fall further behind despite Mister Jimmy's (Kurt Russell) stern objections.  They should have listened to Mister Jimmy because everyone's worst nightmares explode into reality.

Deepwater Horizon marks the reunion of Director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg who collaborated on Lone Survivor three years ago.  It was nominated for Oscars for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best stunt team performance.  While Wahlberg has been nominated for his roles in The Fighter and The Departed, he's one of those reliable actors who makes smart choices.  If you've liked one thing Wahlberg has done, odds are, you'll like them all.  Most of them won't get nominated for awards, but they will all be entertaining.  Berg is in the same category.  He's directed some really good movies (Lone Survivor, Battleship, Hancock, The Kingdom), but none that would really break into a critic's top 50 list.  Like Wahlberg, if you enjoyed one of Berg's movies, odds are, you'll at least feel you got your money's worth with all of them. 

From the preview, I said that Deepwater Horizon looked action-packed and visually stunning, but that it also looked predictable with pieces of the rig falling apart or blowing up blocking every turn as Williams and the survivors try to find a way to escape.  I anticipated 3 Stars but I'm bumping that up to 4.0 Stars. It was exactly as the preview said it would be and it was absolutely predictable; however, even though you knew what was coming, it was so perfectly executed, it still shocked you.  From the beginning, there was no doubt about the fate of the rig as not-so-subtle clues were dropped along the way from his daughter's school presentation, to the tie of the executive, to the helicopter ride to the rig.  You knew it was going to happen, but when it did, it choked the breath right out of you and didn't give it back until the very end of the movie.  It is worth the money to watch in theatres.  Though I'm not sure I'll be owning Deepwater Horizon, I will be watching it again. So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Deepwater Horizon Preview

In April of 2010, an offshore drilling rig named Deepwater Horizon exploded resulting in the worst oil spill in U. S. History.  If you've read my previous reviews about Eddie the Eagle, Steve Jobs, The Big Short and Spotlight, you know that it's easy to get caught up in the details of how much of the story based on actual events really happened and how much was embellished or altered to make a Hollywood movie.  Along the way, I have made a decision to do no research into the facts of the real-life story and just focus solely on the movie itself.  I mean, the movie makes no claims to be a historically accurate documentary, so I shouldn't hold it to those standards.  And this blog isn't about being historically accurate.  It's based on two factors: how accurately the movie is portrayed by its preview, and the likelihood of the movie making it to my home collection.  With that in mind, let's get right to the preview.

Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams who works on the drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon.  But that's the third thing we learn about Williams from the preview.  He's a husband and a father first.  He says goodbye to his family before being flown by helicopter with his crew to the rig.  All his daughter wants is a dinosaur fossil.  All his wife (Kate Hudson) wants is for him to return safely.  Once aboard the rig, an executive named Vidrine (John Malkovich) explains the very simple job: keep all the parts working properly to maximize profit.  Apparently, someone didn't do their job because the rig is building pressure and leaking oil that causes the entire rig to explode.  As reports broadcast live images of the blazing rig to the world, Williams and the remaining survivors must find a way off the floating inferno.

Deepwater Horizon marks the reunion of Director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg who collaborated on Lone Survivor three years ago.  It was nominated for Oscars for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best stunt team performance.  While Wahlberg has been nominated for his roles in The Fighter and The Departed, he's one of those reliable actors who makes smart choices.  If you've liked one thing Wahlberg has done, odds are, you'll like them all.  Most of them won't get nominated for awards, but they will all be entertaining.  Berg is in the same category.  He's directed some really good movies (Lone Survivor, Battleship, Hancock, The Kingdom), but none that would really break into a critic's top 50 list.  Like Wahlberg, if you enjoyed one of Berg's movies, odds are, you'll at least feel you got your money's worth with all of them.  And, though it might not be a homerun for either of them, to keep in baseball terms, they'll take the pitcher deep and get extra bases out of their effort.

While Deepwater Horizon looks action-packed and visually stunning, it also looks predictable with pieces of the rig falling apart or blowing up blocking every turn as Williams and the survivors try to find a way to escape.  I'm anticipating 3 stars.  It will be worth the money to watch, I'll probably catch it again once it comes to cable, but it won't be one that finds a place in my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

The Jungle Book Review

4.5 Stars

In 1937, Walt Disney released the first ever full-length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  He followed it up with Pinocchio and just kept going with classics like Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan.  He broke the mold again in 1964 when he combined animated characters with live action in Mary Poppins.  In 1967, Disney released their 19th animated feature film, The Jungle Book based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling. 

In 2010, Disney teamed up with director Tim Burton to bring their animated classic Alice in Wonderland to life with Johnny Depp as the classic Mad Hatter.  In 2014, Maleficent was released as the live action version of Sleeping Beauty starring Angelina Jolie.  In 2015, the live action version of Cinderella hit theatres.  This year, we were blessed with two releases in this new tradition: Pete's Dragon and The Jungle Book.  Next year, Beauty and the Beast will be released.  Looking at Disney's page of future releases, this is just the beginning.

The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle.  He is forced to leave his home when threatened by the Tiger Shere Kahn.  He embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of his protector the Panther Bagheera and his new friend the Bear Baloo.  

The preview looked breath-taking.  The animation, the action and the scenery looked all unbelievably believable, and the movie delivered in a big way.  Newcomer Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, but he's surrounded by an all-star cast.  He's in the capable hands of Director Jon Favreau and has Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Idris Elba (Shere Kahn), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), and Christopher Walken (King Louie) to keep him company.  Watching The Jungle Book, I started in awe wondering how much of the set and how many of the animals were real and how much of all of this incredible film was created digitally.  Eventually, I stopped asking and just enjoyed the journey thoroughly.  I watched the 30 minute Blu Ray extra documentary about the making of the film and was surprised to find that very little of the set was real, mostly performed on blue screens, and none of the animals were real.  All of it was flawlessly created by a computer and the geniuses at Disney.  

Coming up, the live action version of Beauty and the Beast will star Emma Watson.  Disney also plans to remake Pinocchio, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid and Dumbo.  Dumbo is always one that tore at my heart and made my eyes well up.  This one is going to be directed by Tim Burton and I cannot wait to see what they can create.

I predicted 4.5 stars for this live action re-imagination of the Disney classic and it did not disappoint in the slightest.  The Jungle Book was nearly perfect and is destined to find a home in my personal collection. So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

The Jungle Book Preview

In 1937, Walt Disney released the first ever full-length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  He followed it up with Pinocchio and just kept going with classics like Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan.  He broke the mold again in 1964 when he combined animated characters with live action in Mary Poppins.  In 1967, Disney released their 19th animated feature film, The Jungle Book based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling. 

In 2010, Disney teamed up with director Tim Burton to bring their animated classic Alice in Wonderland to life with Johnny Depp as the classic Mad Hatter.  In 2014, Maleficent was released as the live action version of Sleeping Beauty starring Angelina Jolie.  In 2015, the live action version of Cinderella hit theatres.  This year, we were blessed with two releases in this new tradition: Pete's Dragon and The Jungle Book.  Next year, Beauty and the Beast will be released.  Looking at Disney's page of future releases, this is just the beginning.

The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle.  He is forced to leave his home when threatened by the Tiger Shere Kahn.  He embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of his protector the Panther Bagheera and his new friend the Bear Baloo.  

The preview looks breath-taking.  The animation, the action and the scenery are all unbelievably believable.  Newcomer Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, but he's surrounded by an all-star cast.  He's in the capable hands of Director Jon Favreau and has Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Idris Elba (Shere Kahn), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), and Christopher Walken (King Louie) to keep him company.  I'm predicting 4.5 stars for this live action re-imagination of the Disney classic.  Nearly perfect and destined to find a home in my personal collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Money Monster Review

3.0 Stars

 

Money Monster stars George Clooney as Lee Gates, an entertaining, over-the-top financial advisor on television, not unlike Jim Cramer on his show Mad Money.  While it looks like the movie and the character drew a lot of inspiration from Cramer's Money show, the Monster movie takes a terrifying twist that Cramer hopes he'll never have to face.  During a live broadcast, amateur investor Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) takes over the set holding Gates hostage with a gun.  Per standard protocol, the feed is cut by Director Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts).  Once Budwell threatens Gates, Fenn restores the broadcast for the world to see.  Budwell lost everything following the advice of Gates, but he believes the conspiracy to rob Americans of their money runs deeper and higher than Gates' TV show.  

Money Monster reunites Clooney and Roberts for their fourth collaboration.  They first appeared together in Oceans Eleven in 2001 and were together immediately in 2002 with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.  Though they were back in Oceans Twelve in 2004, Roberts did not return in 2007 for Oceans Thirteen, so it's been twelve years since the two have been on screen together.  O'Connell joins them for this conspiracy theory financial thriller.  O'Connell recently played the lead in Unbroken in 2014 and was brilliant in his performance, so we don't have to worry about him holding his own with the Clooney Roberts powerhouses.

The preview looked entertaining, thoughtful, provocative and infuriating in a time when we are consistently hearing about the erosion of the middle class while the wealthiest get even wealthier and the middle class that used to be is kicked down closer to poverty level.  Budwell wanted to invest and make a better life for himself and his pregnant girlfriend but loses the $60,000 he got after his mother's death on a single stock and demands to find out why.  One of the questions I asked during the preview was, will anyone be held accountable for falsifying the financial information and making out like bandits because of it?  Well, don't hold your breath.

 

The problem with Money Monster is that there are really no good "innocent" guys.  Gates is the host of a financial advice television show, he's wealthy and successful, but his most meaningful relationships are with money, not people.  Budwell wasn't smart to dump his entire $60,000 inheritance into one stock.  While he was right about something wrong going on, he held a man and crew hostage at gunpoint to uncover the truth.  The CEO of the company that lost $800 million overnight was shady and lied to his coworkers and the public.  So, if you're looking for the good guy to win and the bad guy to get what's coming to him, again, don't hold your breath.  

 

That being said, it was entertaining.  I didn't find it as infuriating as I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it.  I predicted 3 stars and that's exactly what it delivered.  It was worth the money either in the theatre or to rent, and it's one of those that I might watch again on cable, but not go out of my way to see again, nor make it part of my personal collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Money Monster Preview

Money Monster stars George Clooney as Lee Gates, an entertaining, over-the-top financial advisor on television, not unlike Jim Cramer on his show Mad Money.  While it looks like the movie and the character drew a lot of inspiration from Cramer's Money show, the Monster movie takes a terrifying twist that Cramer hopes he'll never have to face.  During a live broadcast, amateur investor Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) takes over the set holding Gates hostage with a gun.  Per standard protocol, the feed is cut by Producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts).  Once Budwell threatens Gates, Fenn restores the broadcast for the world to see.  Budwell lost everything following the advice of Gates, but he believes the conspiracy to rob Americans of their money runs deeper and higher than Gates' TV show.  

Money Monster reunites Clooney and Roberts for their fourth collaboration.  They first appeared together in Oceans Eleven in 2001 and were together immediately in 2002 with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.  Though they were back in Oceans Twelve in 2004, Roberts did not return in 2007 for Oceans Thirteen, so it's been twelve years since the two have been on screen together.  O'Connell joins them for this conspiracy theory financial thriller.  O'Connell recently played the lead in Unbroken in 2014 and was brilliant in his performance, so we don't have to worry about him holding his own with the Clooney Roberts powerhouses.

The preview looks entertaining, thoughtful, provocative and infuriating in a time when we are consistently hearing about the erosion of the middle class while the wealthiest get even wealthier and the middle class that used to be is kicked down closer to poverty level.  But this isn't even about Budwell wanting to be a wealthy man, he just wanted to invest and make a better life for himself and his pregnant girlfriend.  He loses $60,000, his entire life savings, on a single stock and demands to find out why.  Everyone is shocked to see just how far the lies go up the ladder.  One of the questions one asks themselves during the preview is, will anyone be held accountable for falsifying the financial information and making out like bandits because of it?  Knowing how justice for the wealthy usually works here, one would logically conclude that no one will be held accountable.  But, this is a Hollywood film and they aren't bound by how events would actually unfold, so maybe this is a chance for us and Budwell to some long overdue justice.

I'm predicting 3 stars.  While it looks entertaining and I think Money Monster will be worth the money either in the theatre or to rent, it looks like one of those that I might watch again on cable, but not go out of my way to see again, nor make it part of my personal collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

The Crazies Review

2.5 Stars

The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant as small town sheriff David Dutton.  Residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa are starting to act, well, crazy.  Some tainted water has infected them, turning them into violent empty shells of their former selves.  On the surface, they aren't identifiable like zombies or the undead.  But they appear to be uncontrollably prone to extreme violence.  It's up to Sheriff Dutton, his wife, and the uninfected to figure out who has been turned by the water, how to stop them, and how to stop more from turning in this horrific tale.

The preview made me think The Crazies had potential to be a really good scary movie, something not many successfully achieve.  I don't particularly think horror movies are that scary and I'm usually more curious about how certain special effects are done than scared by the end result.  Horror and thriller movies that leave more to the imagination are much more entertaining to me.  1408 with John Cusack, Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, The Skeleton Key with Kate Hudson, The Strangers with Liv Tyler, 10 Cloverfield Lane with John Goodman, those are the kinds of movies that get me going and this looked like it could be one of the good ones.

The Crazies doesn't waste any time getting the action going.  Within the first ten minutes, we witness three occurrences.  In the next ten minutes, we learn why.  Five minutes later, the movie grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go for the next hour with non-stop action, terror and gore.  It's a little difficult to tell the difference who the "crazies" actually are once the government steps in to control what's happening in Ogden Marsh.  The "crazies" are not like zombies, but they are definitely not all there.  And the government agents act with the best interests of the town as their last priority as they contain and cover up what has happened.  Without giving away the ending, you are made aware that another Crazies is coming.

I initially predicted a 3.5 stars but knocked it down to 2.5 stars. The Crazies was entertaining, but it was a one-time deal that I probably won't watch again and won't own.  Olyphant is perfect as the small town sherriff, but unlike the other thriller movies I mentioned above, The Crazies was a little too over-the-top for me with not enough subtlety to truly make it scary.  But, if you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.