Paddington 2

Family Faire:  Paddington 2  (2017)  PG  Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw), who is happily living with the Brown family (Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville), picks up a series of odd jobs around the neighborhood to buy the perfect present for Aunt Lucy’s (voiced by Imelda Staunton) 100th birthday party.  I loved the first Paddington film and found it fun and delightful. I am happy to say that this movie is even better than the first. The CGI special effects are breathtaking, as the film has a number of close-ups of Paddington that show fantastic detail. The film is full of funny scenes, and I love how Paddington is so nice and polite that he even wins over hardened criminals to his way of positively looking at life. Paddington 2 is a film that the whole family can love and enjoy. We all need a little Paddington in our lives. Be sure to stay through the credits as there is a wonderful surprise at the end.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Paddington 2 Website

My View:  The Post  (2017)  PG-13  When a government cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents is uncovered, the country’s first female publisher, Kay Graham (Meryl Streep), must put her reputation and her paper at risk to publish the story at the urging of a hard-headed editor by the name of Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). The Post has one of the best ensemble casts I have ever seen. Streep and Hanks have never worked together before, but you wouldn’t know it as their timing and chemistry is flawless. Streep gives a brilliant performance as a woman who, due to the death of her husband, is asked to do things out of her comfort zone but steps up to the task. The dialogue is smart and makes the film move along at a quick pace. The storyline is strong and compelling, and even though I knew the outcome, the film still has plenty of twists and turns. This is a film you will not want to miss.     My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    The Post Facebook Page

My View:  The Commuter  (2017)  PG-13  Michael (Liam Neeson) is an insurance salesman who is on his way home via the subway. A stranger contacts him and offers Michael $100,000 if he can identify a hidden person on the train before he gets to his stop. Michael soon realizes that the passengers and his family are in danger if he doesn’t solve the puzzle.  You get what you expect with this Liam Neeson vehicle, some close action fights, suspenseful scenes and Liam being Liam. The film does contain a satisfying mystery that I never figured out before it was revealed. The ending is a little far-fetched, though it does contain a rather exciting action sequence. If you like Neeson action movies, you will like this one.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Commuter Website

Forgotten Film:  Burden of Dreams  (1982)  A documentary on the making of the classic Werner Herzog film, Fitzcarraldo (1982). Almost everything that could go wrong does when this film was being made. From losing major cast members halfway through production to getting caught up in a war between Peru and Ecuador, it’s amazing the film was completed, much less turned out as an outstanding classic film. It’s a brilliant documentary that shows just how hard it is to make a film.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again    Burden of Dreams Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Paddington 2:  Special Effects Teeth

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Upside  (2017)  An unusual pairing of an unemployed man (Kevin Hart) and a wealthy paraplegic (Bryan Cranston) that will change both their lives. The film is a remake of the 2016 French film called, The Intouchables.  If it is half as good as that film, it will be outstanding.    The Upside Info

Until Next Time!

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!