Kung Fu Panda 3

Family Faire:  Kung Fu Panda 3  (2016)  PG  Po (Jack Black) finds out he has a father (Bryan Cranston) and that there are more of his kind in a far-away land. When Po travels with his father to find this magical land, the world is threatened by a new evil one, Kai (J.K. Simmons), who wants to destroy everything. Now Po must train his new-found family and take on the evil Kai.  I enjoyed this film, and its 3-D animation is some of the best I’ve seen. There are some beautiful scenes up in the mountains, and the final fight sequence is a wonder to watch. It’s a fun and funny film that adults will enjoy just as much as the kids. The plot moves quickly and has some commendable life lessons for anyone watching. Kai is an enjoyable villain, and J.K. Simmons is delightful in the performance. This is one kid’s film that adults won’t mind seeing.  My Rating: Full Price   Kung Fu Panda 3 Website

My View:  The Finest Hours  (2016)  PG-13  An oil tanker off the Cape Cod coast is destroyed by treacherous winter winds and waves, splitting the ship into two pieces.  It’s up to the Coast Guard to try and save the tanker’s crewmen. First, do not see this film in 3-D. It was not shot in 3-D, and the process adds nothing to the viewing of the movie. The action sequences are the best part of this film. Chris Pine is Bernie Webber, the Coast Guard sailor who attempts the rescue in a tiny four-man motorboat. His performance, though, is not given a lot to work with, and he has absolutely no chemistry with his love interest, Holliday Grainger. Grainger plays Miriam, a determined and head-strong woman who works at the telephone company.  The best part of this film is the performance of Casey Affleck, who plays the sinking ship’s engineer. Affleck gives a strong and powerful performance as the man who leads by example and comes up with a way to slow the ship’s sinking.  The film is weighed down by the love story and the fact that this is a Disney produced movie that tries too hard to keep the movie rating at PG-13. The film, based on a true story, is set in 1952, and even though the film deals with a very stressful situation, there isn’t any cursing or, more amazingly, any cigarette smoking. I might wait and see this film when it comes out on DVD so you I fast forward through the love story and get to the action.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Finest Hours Website   

Indiefest:  Lazer Team  (2015)  PG-13  A 1980s style sci-fi comedy about four misfits who stumble upon alien technology, a mysterious suit made up of two boots, two arm pieces, and a helmet.  Each guy puts on a piece of the equipment, which attaches to their bodies with no way of getting them off. They are then forced to work together to save the planet.  If you are a fan of the Sci-Fi films of the eighties, you will enjoy this crazy, and sometimes nutty take off of the superhero films.  This is a fun film, which, while not all the jokes and gags work, there are enough scenes that do work to make this such an entertaining film. The cast, made up of relative unknowns, is enjoyable to watch and work well with each other on camera. Burnie Burns, as the picked-on small town sheriff, and Gavin Free, as a stoner who suddenly becomes smart when he puts on the alien helmet, stand out, both showing some exceptional comic timing. I love when the stoner puts on the helmet, he starts talking with a British accent because “that’s what stupid people think smart people sound like.” The best part of this film is the band of characters who must work together to save the earth but can’t quit arguing and feuding long enough to learn how to operate the alien equipment.  Their back and forth banter is quick-witted and laugh out loud funny. The special effects are well done, the action is fast, and the plot is well developed. Overall, Lazer Team is a blast to watch.   My Rating: Full Price   Lazer Team Website

Forgotten Film:  Primal Fear  (1996) R  A big time lawyer, Martin Vail (Richard Gere), takes on a case that no one thinks he can win when an altar boy, Arron (Edward Norton), is accused of murdering a priest. Gere is extraordinary as the lawyer who takes the case, not because he thinks his client is innocent, but because this case will get him the most publicity. Edward Norton is even better as the teenager who has been accused of the crime, caught running caught the scene, covered in blood. Norton was so good in this, his first feature film role, that he got an Academy Award nomination. The movie has a brilliant cast including Laura Linney, a former girlfriend of Vail’s who is the prosecuting attorney, John Mahoney as the hard-nosed DA, and Frances McDormand as the psychologist hired to profile Arron and Alfre Woodard as the presiding judge.  The plot has a number of great twists which makes this film enjoyable court genre film to watch.   My Rating: Full Price   Primal Fear Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Finest Hours:  Photo Double For “Tiny”

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Witch  (2015) R   Audiences at Sundance and Toronto were raving about this horror film about a family in the 1630s torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic, and possession.  We don’t get enough good horror movies.   The Witch Website

Until Next Time!

Whiplash

Indiefest:  Whiplash (2014) R A promising young drummer, Andrew (Miles Teller), is promoted to the top jazz band at a music conservatory.  He seems to have the world by the tale: a cute girlfriend (Melissa Benoist), a supportive father (Paul Reiser) and an immense talent. But Andrew’s dream gig turns into a nightmare due to the band’s nightmare of a leader (J.K. Simmons).  The two leads of this film, Teller and Simmons, give amazing, unbelievable performances that are both gut wrenching and sometimes terrifying. This film is almost a horror film about music as the band leader played by Simmons puts Andrew through some of the most sadistic mind controlling sessions that are both moving and believable. Teller is perfect in the role and shows us a range of emotion that is necessary for this movie to hits its emotional marks. Teller is vulnerable, and yet we sense that this is a young man who will be able to fight back when needed. Simmons gives us an Oscar worthy performance as the man who will do anything to ensure that his music is played exactly the way he envisioned it. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Whiplash Website

Indiefest: White Bird in a Blizzard (2014) R  When Kat (Shailene Woodley) is 17 years old, her mother (Eva Green) disappears. The husband (Christopher Meloni) is left shattered, wondering what he did to make her leave. Kat tries to figure out her place in the world without her mother to help her. Part mystery, part coming-of-age film, Kat must figure out, with the help of friends (Gabourey Sidibe and Mark Indelicato)and her psychiatrist (Angela Bassett), how she feels about her mother, someone with whom she didn't always get along. But Kat also slowly puts together that her mother's disappearance may be due to more than just an unhappy housewife wanting to leave. Woodley gives us her first real adult performance as a woman who, while still channeling a young person, is trying to become an adult, with all the responsibilities and feelings that go along with it. Eva Green, who plays the mother (mostly shown in flashbacks), gives us another multi-layered role as the housewife who may have a secret or two. Christopher Meloni is exceptionally cast as the milquetoast father, and I especially enjoyed Gabourey Sidibe as Kat's best friend. But, this is Woodley's movie, and she carries it off with ease.  My Rating: Full Price  White Bird in a Blizzard Website

Indiefest: Nightcrawler (2014) Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) stumbles across a career he never knew existed, freelance news cameraman. Once he learns the ropes, he chases the sirens to the crashes with the best of them. Selling footage of crime scenes and multi-car crashes is big money, and Lou will stop at nothing to get his shot. Gyllenhaal is incredible as the obsessed Lou, making him one of the creepiest characters ever on the screen. I loved Rene Russo as the news director who encourages Lou to push the boundaries. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again  Nightcrawler Info  

Indiefest:  Horns  (2014) R  Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) has been accused of killing his longtime girlfriend (Juno Temple). Even his family doesn’t know if he did it, and it gets worse - he starts sprouting horns from his temples. I enjoyed this movie far more that I thought I would. It's a little bizarre and goes overboard with the symbolism, but it's a fun ride as a murder mystery with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Radcliffe is growing as an actor, and this film let him expand his repertoire a bit. He is right for this part as a man who has a girlfriend who is a little out of his league. The best performance of the film is Juno Temple, playing the sweet girlfriend, who lets us slowly see that she has a lot more going on that what appears on the surface.  The film does a good job of mixing mystery with fantasy, which makes it an enjoyable film to see.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Horns Website

Forgotten Film:  Flatliners (1990) R A group of medical students decide to explore what it's like to "flat line," i.e. die.  This is a well thought out thriller that starred some of the hottest young talent in Hollywood, including Julia Roberts, Oliver Platt, Kimberly Scott, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Kiefer Sutherland. The film becomes intriguing when the students start trying to "one-up" each other, staying dead longer and longer, all to better explore the experiences of the "after-life."   My rating: Bargain Matinee  Flatliners Info  

In Case You Missed it (A new release on DVD / BluRay): Into the Storm (2014) PG-13  This is a fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue is bad, and the acting mediocre, but the specials effects are cool. I mean, who doesn’t want to see a tornado made of fire?  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Into the Storm Website   

Weird Credits: From the credits of Horns: snake handler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Rosewater (2014)   Comedian Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with this film about a Newsweek journalist (Gael Garcia Bernal) who is held in Iranian prisons for over 100 days accused of being a spy for the West. The film is gaining a lot of momentum on the Film Festival circuit.  Rosewater Facebook page

Until Next Time!