The Lego Movie

Family Faire:  The Lego Movie (2014)  PG  For Emmet (Chris Pratt), every day is awesome. He enjoys his life working in construction until he meets a girl named, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). She is convinced that he is the “Special,” the greatest Master Builder who can save the Lego universe from the evil President Business (Will Ferrell). Now with the help of Batman(Will Arnett), Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), Metalbeard (Nick Offerman) and Uni-Kitty (Alison Brie), Emmett must find the courage to fight President Business from using his secret weapon.  My biggest complaint about animated movies is three years are spent making the film but, then they seem to have scripts that took a weekend to write.  This is not the case with this film as it is one of the best animated scripts in the past ten years and encompasses highly imaginative, extremely creative filmmaking.  In the screening I attended, parents were laughing at times more than the kids because the film packs on the sight gags  and funny lines.  I liked Chris Pratt as the everyman Emmet, but it’s Will Arnett who steals the show as the voice of Batman.  He has the Batman voice down pat, as sort of a cross between Bale and Keaton.  Near the end of the film, the action slows down, but the rest of the film is such a fun, wild ride, you can overlook that part. By the way, there is a theme song in the movie called, “Everything is Awesome,” that shows up in various forms in the film. I predict that you will be singing the song with a smile on your face as you leave the theatre.  My Rating:  Full Price   The Lego Movie Website

My View:  The Monuments Men (2014)  PG-13  An unlikely group of World War II soldiers is put together to create a platoon whose job it is to rescue stolen art masterpieces from the Nazis before they destroy them. The strength of this film is its cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin all making up the squadron that is in charge of trying to rescue the art.  The film does have some very nice moments between some of the characters in the film, especially the relationship of Damon’s character, an art historian who tries to get a key French woman, played by Blanchett, to cooperate in the finding where the Nazis took the art work.  There's a nice chemistry between Blanchett and Damon in the scenes where they are trying to figure out each other’s motives.  There is also a great “bromance” between Murray’s very laid back character and the very stuck up character that Bob Balaban that is probably the best and funniest relationship of the whole film.  The cast is let down by the script as it can never find the right tone for the film, and the film, at times light and funny, never seems to find the right mix to put in the hardships of war.  The film tries too hard to touch on the heartstrings and almost begs us to care before we are given good reason to.  This is not a bad film, in fact, at times, it is very enjoyable, but it’s not the Oscar contender that the studio thought it had.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Monuments Men Website  

Indiefest:  Gloria (2013)  R  Gloria (Paulina Garcia) is a 58 year old divorcee' who is determined not to spend her nights alone. She hits the single scene, but it seems as though she can’t find love. That is until she met Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez), an ex-naval officer who sweeps her off her feet. The question is, will this new romance last?  When people complain that movies aren't made for adults anymore, we should point them to this film. Garcia is a force on the screen as she plays a character who, while is comfortable being single, is still looking for love.  Her character has a love of romantic songs and dancing, which shows us that she is hopeful that she will find love again.  This is an interesting, and at times, delightful film, with a performance from Garcia that makes you want to see her find love again.   My Rating:  Full Price  Gloria Website

Forgotten Film:  The Limey (1999)  Wilson (Terence Stamp) is a recently released ex-con who flies overseas to L.A. to investigate the recent death of his daughter.  Once in L.A. he soon gets involved with the sleazy underworld of L.A. life, including his daughter’s boyfriend, Terry (Peter Fonda), who is a record producer with ties to drug trafficking.  Steven Soderbergh directed this taut crime drama that is told through flashbacks.  Stamp gives a performance of a lifetime as a man on the road to vengeance.  It’s a film where you'll discover new things with each viewing.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Limey Infor

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Need for Speed (2014)  Looks to me like a rip off of the Fast & Furious franchise starring Aaron Paul.  This one, unlike the Fast franchise, looks like it takes itself way too seriously. I know Aaron Paul was in the TV show “Breaking Bad,” but this film just looks like it’s “Breaking Down.”  Need for Speed Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  Rush  (2013)  R  I like this movie about the 1976  season of Formula One racing.  The film has great racing sequences (the best I have ever seen), and Daniel Bruhl gives a riveting performance as driving legend Niki Lauda., one, which I thought, was worthy of an Academy Award nomination (alas, he didn’t get one to my dismay).  My Rating:  Full Price  Rush Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Lego Movie:  Physical Objects Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Muppets Most Wanted (2014) PG  I don’t really care what the plot is (something about a Kermit look-a-like jewel thief).  All I care about is that it’s a film where the Muppets interact with Tina Fey and Tom Hiddleston!  Muppets Most Wanted Website

Until Next Time!