Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

My View: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)  PG-13   The Gotham City-based Batman (Ben Affleck) travels to Metropolis to take on Superman (Henry Cavil), whom he feels has become an endangerment to humans. Little do the two superheroes know another person in Metropolis is plotting their deaths, the mysterious Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).  What a big mess of a film. I had no clue what was going on in the first hour of this movie. We didn’t get any backstory on Lex Luthor, so we have no idea why he hates Superman, and I guess Batman too. Batman has a dream sequence that I don’t know what the heck it was about. The film wastes great talent, like Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane, who is used as Superman’s rescue (multiple times). Holly Hunter plays a senator who is questioning if Superman is a good guy or a bad guy, but that never goes anywhere.  The brilliant Diane Lane is wasted as Superman’s adopted mom, Martha, who also is just in the movie to be rescued. Cavil as Superman does a lot of posing in his suit but gives out very few lines. Affleck as Batman is given a bit more to do, but the feud between Superman and Batman is just stupid, and their big fight just sort of peters out. The only saving thing about this film is Wonder Woman, played excellently by Gal Gadot. Gadot give’s life and energy to the movie’s big finish and makes me want to see a Wonder Woman movie. Gadot also looks like the only one in this film who is having a good time, and she looks the part of the warrior princess. This is a very dark film with daddy issues and death hanging all over it. It’s a film that never has any fun, which makes this film feel much longer than its 158 run time.   My Rating: Cable   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Website

My View:  My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2  (2016) PG-13   Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have been married for a while and have a daughter (Elena Kampouris) who is about to go off to college. A family member is about to be married in even a bigger Greek wedding, and family secrets are about to come out.  I liked the first Big Fat Greek Wedding, mostly due to the great chemistry between Vardalos and Corbett, and the fact that Vardalos’ character was adorable. What I didn’t like about the first film was her family and how stereotypical they were portrayed. It’s hard to get lightning to strike twice, and this sequel is a big disappointment, mostly due to the film centering around Toula’s family and not about Toula and Ian. The jokes aren’t funny, some of the scenes with the family are insulting (especially to women), and Ian/Toula’s relationship takes a backseat to her parents’ impending wedding plans (her parents find out that they aren’t married). The film just doesn’t have the wit or charm that the first film had. So skip this film and go back and watch the first movie instead.    My Rating:  Cable   My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Website

My View:  Eye in the Sky  (2016)  R  Colonel Powell (Helen Mirren) is leading a secret drone mission to capture a terrorist group living in a building in Kenya. 2nd Lieutenant Steve Watts (Arron Paul)is given the task of flying the drone.  Things change when they find out that one of the world’s most deadly terrorists is in the building with bombs that could do massive damage.  This is an intriguing film about modern warfare and how we are now fighting our battles via long distance. Mirren is compelling as the Colonel pushing for the air strike, and Paul is riveting as the drone pilot who has to carry out the mission. The film brings us some intriguing questions about how far should we go to fight terrorism around the world.  It’s a topic that you will be discussing long after you see this film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Eye in the Sky Website

Indiefest:  Remember  (2016)  R  With the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor (Martin Landau), Zev (Christopher Plummer) goes on a cross-country trip to track down an Auschwitz prison commander who is living in the U.S. The only problem is that Zev has early symptoms of dementia. This is a fascinating film that takes a number of twists and turns, some of which will shock you. Plummer gives another in a long line of excellent performances. His Zev is going to break your heart as he struggles with his dementia while trying to fulfill his promise to a dying man. I was totally engrossed in this film and rooted for Zev to find his man. I highly recommend this moving and touching film.    My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Remember Website

Indiefest:  Krisha  (2015)  R  Krisha (Krisha Fairchild) is returning home for Thanksgiving after being away for ten years.  Not everyone will be glad that she has returned, as the past will likely be revisited.  This is a very moving but uncomfortable film to watch about a “black sheep” of the family, Krisha, returning home to cause mayhem and trouble, sometimes unintentional and other times just because she can. We don’t like Krisha from almost the first frame of the film, and that’s the beauty of this movie. Her character causes us, the viewer, almost as much pain as she inflicts on her family members, including the son she hasn’t seen in ten years. It’s a masterful performance by Fairchild, and she dominates almost every frame she’s in. This is a film you will want to see, but you will be glad in the end that Krisha isn’t a part of your family.   My Rating:  Full Price   Krisha Website

Indiefest: City of Gold  (2016)  R  Jonathan Gold is one of the world’s most influential food critics, writing for the Los Angeles Times. He is leading a food revolution that is inspired by the pen but driven by the palate.  I loved this film, and if you are even close to being a foodie, you will want to see this funny and informative film about an interesting critic who just happens to love L.A. and its vast food scene. Gold is a former music critic turned into a food critic, but instead of visiting the latest French hotspot, he visits strip malls looking for interesting takes on mom and pop restaurants, mostly run by recent immigrants who bring their native cuisine to be discovered by Gold. One of the great scenes in the film is where Gold is driving around L.A. in his pickup truck, talking about all the restaurants that he is driving by, giving us a crash course in what foods they serve and how good they are. This film will make you want to explore your city and, like Gold, find small, family-owned restaurants that serve unique and tasty food.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   City of Gold Website

Forgotten Film:  Departures (2009)  Daigo (Mashiro Motoki) is a cellist in an orchestra that is about to go under. To make a living, he sells his cello and moves with his wife (Ryoko Hirosue) back to his childhood home. He applies to work at what he thinks is a travel agency.  When he is hired, he realizes that the job is actually for a “Nokanshi,” a person who prepares the deceased body for burial with the family and friends of the dead person in attendance. This is a poignant and impressive film about life, death, and the human condition. While it sounds like it might be a depressing film, Departures is actually a joy to watch and has some quite funny moments. Motoki is sensational as a man who learns he is more than just a musician, he is a human being who has a talent for helping people say good-bye to their loved ones. This little-seen film won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Departures Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Witness Camera Operator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2016)  Do we need another Pirates movie? Does Johnny really need the money? And why is Paul McCartney part of the cast?   Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Info  

Until Next Time!

London Has Fallen

My View:  London Has Fallen  (2016)  R  Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler)is in London with the President for the funeral of the Prime Minister, and Banning doesn’t like what he sees. A last minute funeral means that all the world’s leaders will be sitting ducks in one place on a foreign country’s soil. It’s going to be up to Banning to make sure that the President gets back home alive. This film reminded me of the Chuck Norris films of the 80s like Delta Force; one man takes on terrorists in the name of America. I liked this movie because it just went all out with the action and the one-liners, making it fun to watch. I would love to know the body count of Banning (I know he killed at least 25 on his own in the first film, Olympus Has Fallen) because it’s got to be in the high 30’s. Butler, as you would expect, does an outstanding job with the action sequences, and he has brilliant chemistry on screen with Arron Eckhart, who plays the President whom he is trying to keep alive. The action is fast-paced and fun to watch with some fast and furious car chases through the streets of London. I liked this film more than the first film, which is rare for a sequel. If you like action movies with a little bit of one-liners thrown in, then this film is for you.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  London Has Fallen Website

Family Faire:  Zootopia  (2016)  PG   In a city populated by anthropomorphic animals, a con artist Fox (Jason Bateman) and a rookie bunny cop (Ginnifer Goodwin) must team up to uncover a conspiracy. “Zootopia” is a magical movie that combines the beautiful animation Disney is famous for with a hilarious script that has some serious undertones and messages. While never spelling it out, the film approaches the subjects of racism and profiling. The message never hits you over the head, and the reasons learned are never fully spelled out to the audience, but the message comes over loud and clear. Part buddy film, part mystery, “Zootopia” uses humor at every turn to keep the movie moving at a rather quick pace. There are funny lines and rapid asides that make fun of past Disney films (including one about a “frozen” girl) , so many so that you may have to see the movie several times before getting all the jokes. “Zootopia” is a little long, and very young children may get a bit scared of a few scenes of animals acting ferocious, but this is one film everyone is going to enjoy. And, the DMV scene with the sloths that is teased in the trailer will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter.    My Rating: Full Price   Zootopia Website

My View:  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot  (2016)  R  Kim (Tina Fey) is tired of being behind the scenes and volunteers to be a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She finds a fellow woman reporter (Margot Robbie) who shows her the ropes and lets her know that she may have been a “four or five at home but is a ten here.”  Kim, who always was in the background in the states, is suddenly front and center and has the attention of a dashing war photographer (Martin Freeman). First off, this is not a comedy.  Yes, there are some comedic asides, but it’s mostly to release the tension. And that’s the problem with this film, there isn’t enough tension. Even when out in the field and under fire, I never felt that Kim was in trouble and never really worried about her well being. This isn’t a bad film, and the chemistry between Freeman and Fey is easy going and believable. I loved Billy Bob Thornton as a hard nose Marine general who warms up to Kim’s can do attitude. I just wish the film had a harder edge to it, to give it some realism.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Website

Forgotten Film:  The White Countess  (2005)  PG-13  Set in Shanghai in 1936, a Russian Countess (Natasha Richardson) has fled her country and must work as a bar-girl to survive. She meets Jackson (Ralph Fiennes), a former American diplomat who is blind and owns a classy bar. As the world closes in, they develop a relationship, while curious at first, becomes stronger with time.  This is the last of the famous filmmaking team of Merchant and Ivory and has their trademark of complex characters, intricate plots and luscious scenes that made their films stand out. Fiennes and Richardson make this film worth watching as their characters find a glimmer of hope in each other.   My Take:  Full Price   The White Countess Info   

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)  PG-13  It’s hard for lightning to strike twice.  The first film worked because there was such great chemistry between Nia Vardalos and John Corbett, and Vardalos had such a pleasing presence on the screen that just made you love her.  After seeing the trailer, it looks like it’s the same film, with a few additional characters - which rarely works.   My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Info      

Weird Credits:  From the credits of London Has Fallen:  Russian Arm Operator

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Maggie’s Plan  (2016)  R  Maggie (Greta Gerwig) stole John (Ethan Hawke) from his marriage to Georgette (Julianne Moore). Now Maggie realizes that John isn’t the man she thought he was, so she has a plan to get Georgette and John back together, if only Georgette will cooperate.  This looks like a good old screwball comedy and what’s not to love with a cast that also includes Travis Fimmel, Maya Rudolph, and Bill Hader? Plus, Julianne Moore is speaking with some sort of accent!   Maggie's Plan Info

Until Next Time!