Aladdin

My View:  Aladdin  (2019)  PG  A street urchin named Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and an evil, power-hungry Gran Vizier (Marwan Kenzari) vie for an all-powerful genie (Will Smith) who resides inside a magic lamp. Both men are also vying for the hand of Jasmine (Naomi Scott). I had hope that this film would be good but it’s just ok. I had a big problem with the dance sequences as director Guy Ritchie decided to do some unnecessary camera tricks as he speeds up the action and then freezes it, which made the dancing almost unwatchable. I did not like Will Smith’s performance as the Genie which seems so generic. I wanted more from Smith’s Genie but his performance felt restrained and use autotune as much as you can, Smith just can’t sing. The movie felt longer than the 2 hours plus and it begs to ask the question, why does Disney think we want remakes of classic films in their library?   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Aladdin Website

Indiefest:  The Biggest Little Farm (2018)  PG   A Documentary cameraman and his food blogger wife, decide to leave the city and become farmers of a failed 200-acre farm. This is one of the best documentaries that I have seen in the past ten years. A funny and moving film about the struggles of a husband and wife who try to rebuild a farm. While the overall tone of the film is upbeat, the Chester’s do go through some struggles, some of which threaten their farm. The film takes place over seven years and the transformation of the farm is remarkable. If you want to be inspired by a film, then this one is for you.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    The Biggest Little Farm Website

Indiefest:  Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache  (2018)  The story of modern filmmaker Pamela B. Green’s attempt to find out about the life and films of a pioneer French filmmaker, Alice Guy-Blache, who made over 1,000 films in twenty years but it forgotten today. A marvelous film about an incredible woman whose pioneer work in cinema we have forgotten until this film. Part detective film as Green travels the world to uncover the life and work of Alice. This is the perfect film for a cinema lover in you.   My Rating:  Full Price   Be Natural Website

My View: Brightburn (2019)  R  Like a certain superhero, what if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth but instead of becoming a hero, he evolves something more sinister? A family snuggles with the fact that slowly, but surely it is very evident that their boy is very different than the rest of the population. This more of a horror story than an organ story. The violence is bloody and gruesome, at times the gore overpowers the storyline. The storyline takes forever to get going, and when it does, it is incredibly predictable. We just don’t care about any of these characters, especially the boy who becomes the anti-hero. The film ends with a place for a sequel, but I can’t imagine this doing any sort of box office to warrant that.    My Rating: Cable   Brightburn Website

My View: Booksmart  (2019)  R  Two high school overachievers (Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein) have always placed academics over anything else. They decide they have missed the fun of being a high-school student and decide to cram four years of fun into one night. Dever and Feldstein have incredible chemistry on the screen and their timing, finishing each other’s sentences. The dialogue reminded me a little of the Gilmore Girls, where the two leads just keep it up with non-stop dialogue. The film is sidesplitting funny and what I really like, it’s an original storyline, unique in this day and age of the remake. If you want a fun time at the cinema with some winning characters, go see this film.   My Rating:  Full Price    Booksmart Website

Forgotten Film:  The Out of Towners  (1970)  G  George and Gwen Kellerman (Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis)  travel to New York so that George can interview for his dream job. Unfortunately just about anything that can go wrong, does. This is such a fun film to watch as we see George and Gwen get their butt kicked by NYC. Nothing goes right for the couple from Ohio but they keep going, with George determined to make it to his interview on time.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee    The Out of Towners Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Aladdin:  Splinter Unit Director

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Rocketman  (2019)  R  Described as a musical fantasy, this is the story of Elton John’s (Taron Egerton) breakthrough years as one of the greats of pop music. I can’t wait to see this film.     Rocketman Website

Until Next Time!

Missing Link

Family Faire:  Missing Link  PG  Mr. Link (voiced by Zack Galifianakis) is a Bigfoot who dreams of finding more like him. He convinces explorer Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman) to take Mr. Link to the fabled lost valley of Shangri-La, where it is rumored that it is inhabited by Yetis. With the help of a former flame of Sr. Lionel, Adelina Fortnight (voiced by Zoe Saldana), the three go on a trip halfway across the world. The animation studio, Laika Entertainment, who did Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Coraline (2009), do some brilliant stop-motion animation and this film looks amazing. The stop motion is so smooth it looks drawn. The story is warm and funny and Mr. Link, who later decides his first name is Susan, is just plain fun. It’s a silly movie but there is nothing wrong with that. Take the kids, they will have a blast and you just might end up having fun too.  My Rating: Full Price   Missing Link Webste

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Vice  (2018) R   The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) who rose from poverty to become a Washington insider, ultimately become the Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell). Bale gives an incredible performance, becoming Cheney right before your eyes. This is from Adam McKay, who gave us the Oscar-winning The Big Short, and like that film, there is quite a bit of humor, including a running gag throughout the film that will have you rolling on the floor. I enjoyed this film, but the big problem with the film is that the main character holds everything very close to his vest, so it’s hard to know what this character is thinking. I found Sam Rockwell portrayal of George W. Bush was just a little too cartoony for my taste. The actor, besides Bale, that stands out is Steve Carell, who is brilliant as the fiery Donald Rumsfeld. Amy Adams doesn’t have a lot to do as the wife of Cheney, Lynne.    My Rating: Full Price    Vice Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Aladdin  (2019)  PG   A street urchin and a Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has a genie in it that will give its owner incredible power. The Disney animated was good but is terribly dated. The trailer for this film looks horrible and Will Smith as the genie looks uncomfortable, the rest of the cast is 2nd rate.    Aladdin Website

Forgotten Film:  The Transformers: The Movie  (1986)  PG  Considered by most Transformer fans the best Transformers film (including the Michael Bay films), this animated film has the Autobots fighting on two fronts: against a colossal planet consuming robot and of course, the Decepticons. The film has a very strong voice cast, including Orson Welles in one of the last acting jobs he did before he died. This film is really dark and well made. I just wish the Michael Bay films had this kind of writing.  My Rating:  Full Price    The Transformers Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Missing Link:  Hair and Fur Fabricator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Avengers: Endgame  (2019) PG-13 The question is not who will be resurrected but who will die?  After this movie, the Marvel Universe will never be the same.     Avengers: Endgame Website

Until Next Time!