Captain America: Brave New World

My View:  Captain America: Brave New World  (2025)  PG-13  In Captain America: Brave New World, following the election of Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) as President of the United States, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) now holds the mantle of Captain America. Sam finds himself at the center of an international incident that could threaten the world and must work to stop the true masterminds behind it. My father (a professor and playwright) always said that the film had trouble if you see more than three writers in the credits, and this one has five. That’s very evident in this film, where scenes seem to be stuck together by bubble gum and baling wire. Sam is trying to figure out how to be Captain America without damaging the very large shadow that Steve Rodgers left. Along the way, Sam has to decide whether to trust new President Ross or go on his own. Since the trailer and the poster give it away, it takes a heck of a long time for us to see Red Hulk and I think you will be disappointed in the showdown between Captain and Red Hulk. The film's roots are in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, which starred Edward Norton as Banner/Hulk, Liv Tyler as his love intrest/scientist Betty Ross, and William Hurt as General Thaddeus Ross. With Harrison Ford now playing Ross (for the late William Hurt), we get a lot of playbacks from that film, including Liv Tyler showing up in a phone call to daddy Ross. Now I love Tim Blake Nelson as an actor, but his villain is another in a recent line of villains that don’t work on screen. I was pretty bored by the film, notwithstanding that I enjoyed some of the action sequences, but they seemed like filler between lots of talking about duty and country. And yes, there is a post-credit sequence at the end of all the credits, giving us a really weak taste of what is coming for the next MCU films. Maybe instead of doing a bunch of reshoots, Marvel should take a few years off and rethink everything.   My Rating: Cable  Captain America: Brave New World Website   Now playing theatres nationwide.

Familyfaire:  Paddington in Peru  (2024)  PG   Paddington in Peru tells the story of Paddington when he receives a letter from his Aunt Lucy from her retirement home in Peru, saying that she deeply misses him. Paddington and the Browns travel to Peru to cheer up Aunt Lucy, only to find she is missing and has left a map that might be a clue of where she is. Now, Paddington must go on a journey into the Peruvian jungle to find his aunt and bring her back. I am a huge Paddington fan (I made Paddington 2 one of my top 10 films of 2018), and I am happy to say that while not quite up to the first two films, Paddington in Peru is still a delight for all. As usual, Paddington is still getting into all sorts of trouble, always with a great attitude and often with a thank you after causing some ruckus. This time, Paddington and his beloved Brown family are on an adventure in Peru. What I love about this series is that it doesn’t talk down to kids, that they, as the audience, are asked to follow along and root for the marmalade-loving little bear. The good-feeling humor works for both kids and adults. Paddington in Peru is a fun and funny film that has a lot of action sequences to keep the smaller ones happy and a few twists and turns in the plot to keep the older kids interested. Adults will be pleased with the rather substantial and humorous roles played by Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas. So, put on your hat and coat and join our little Paddington on an adventure that you won’t soon forget.  My View: Full Price   Paddington in Peru Website  Now playing in theaters.

My View:  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy  (2025) R   In Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, it’s been four years since Bridget’s (Renée Zellweger) beloved husband, Mark, died, and she is still trying to figure out how to navigate life as a widow and a mother of two. With the assistance of family, friends, and perhaps an app or two, Bridget is ready to get back into dating in this new world. Are we certain that the world is ready? I loved the first two movies, Bridget Jones' Diary (2001) and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (2004). I wasn't as impressed with the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), but perhaps I was missing Hugh Grant too much. We now get a fourth installment, and this time, there isn’t a Mr. Darcy, as Mark has died, and Bridget is raising their two kids alone (with a lot of input from her friends). I have always loved Renée Zellweger, from her early roles in Empire Records and The Whole Wide World to her breakout hit Jerry Maguire to her Oscar-winning roles in Cold Mountain and Judy. What this film does really well is give Zellweger the space and the spotlight to have fun in the role again. There is a fantastic scene near the middle of the film when she is back producing a TV show and, in a rehearsal, takes the place of a singer so that the lighting people can practice for the show. Zellweger goes all out in that scene, dancing up a storm and having fun, so much so that it is infectious. Do we miss Mr. Darcy? Sure we do. But the film knows that and lets us grieve a bit before Bridget goes all out in the dating world and once again she will have to choose between two suitors. I hope this is the last Bridget Jones film in the series because it’s an excellent send-off of a character we have loved for all her kookiness and smart-aleck thoughts.  My Rating: Full Price  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Website  Now playing on the Peacock platform.

My View:  The Gorge  (2025)   PG-13  The Gorge is about two elite snipers (Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller) assigned to a mysterious mission: guarding a deep and seemingly impenetrable gorge. They are in guard towers on opposite ends of the gorge, forbidden from contacting each other and not knowing what actually lies beneath them. I liked the first hour of this film, which is a romance with a bit of action. The film does a great job of giving us insight into both characters, who kill for a living and are haunted by it. By utilizing high-powered binoculars and printing out large notes for each other to see across the vast expanse of the gorge, they begin flirting with one another. The second half of the film is all action, with the two fighting off evil forces. The second half of the film feels as if it was filmed on an old Star Trek set from the 60s, and the action sequences make you keep wanting to know how much ammunition these two can actually carry. I would have enjoyed this film more if they had gone a more conventional route rather than the Sci-Fi/horror way that the film turns. It’s too bad because Taylor-Joy and Teller have great chemistry, and sparks fly every time they look at each other across the gorge. It's a shame that the scary parts had to show up.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Gorge Website Now playing on the Apple TV+ platform.

My View:  La Dolce Villa  (2025)  In La Dolce Villa, successful business executive Eric (Scott Foley) travels to Italy when his daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) buys a villa for next to nothing. The only problem is that the villa is in horrible shape, and Eric has little time to convince his daughter to return to the States. That and the town’s mayor, Francesca (Violante Placido), is single and interested in Eric. La Dolce Villa is your typical romantic film where the widower falls for a local while dealing with his wayward daughter. The film is a little light on a storyline, but the Italian scenery and the chemistry between Placido and Foley works. I was surprised that the daughter’s romance never became a plot point. This is a lovely romance that you can watch once and move on to the next one. My Rating: Bargain Maintee  La Dolce Villa Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View:  Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) (2025)  The documentary Sly Lives! focuses on the life and legacy of Sly Stone, who, along with his group Sly and the Family Stone, was one of the most popular groups of the 60s/70s. Sly rose to the top, only to fade out due to Stone’s drug use and continued erratic behavior, which he never completely recovered from. The director of the film, Questlove, won an Oscar in 2022 for his documentary Summer of Soul. I remember seeing Sly and the Family Stone performances on TV, and the band’s high energy stage show was one of the highlights of the documentary Woodstock, where they had the giant crowd in the palm of Sly’s very large keyboard-playing hands. I also remember when Sly got married in 1974 in Madison Square Garden and thinking, ‘huh, he’s still around?’ The film celebrates the genius of Sly, who, from his early days as a radio disc jockey, also produced bands from English rock to Motown. And then he started his own band. It was unusual because it had a mix of Black and White musicians, as well as female musicians in critical roles, such as keyboards and trumpets. Sly and the Family Stone were huge hitmakers in the late 60s and early 70s, filling auditoriums and stadiums with their music. Then, the pressure of being an enormous star got the better of Sly, and it all started falling apart. The documentary does an incredible job of letting us get to know the man through interviews with both Sly (all done in the past) with interviews with not only his band members but also his many romantic partners, his kids, and artists like George Clinton, André 3000, and Chaka Khan. Even if you don’t know who Sly was, you know his songs, as they show up in commercials and movies all the time, along with all the songs that hip-hop and rap artists have sampled. Now it’s time to get to know a man who, for a while, was one of the most creative and popular musical artists in the world.   My Rating: Full Price  Sly Lives! Website      Now playing on the Hulu platform. 

Forgotten Film:  Maurice  (1987) R  Two English university students, Maurice (James Wilby) and Clive (Hugh Grant) find themselves falling for each other. They go their separate ways to keep their place in society, with Clive marrying Anne (Phoebe Nicholls). While visiting the married couple, Maurice discovers a new love, Alec (Rupert Graves), a gamekeeper. Maurice is a film from the team of Merchant and Ivory (Remains of the Day, A Room with a View, Howard End), and as usual, the cinematography and set designs are stunning. Grant gives the best performance of the two very early in his career, and we can see why he was destined to be a star. The film is helped by a stellar supporting cast, including Ben Kingsley, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw, and Denholm Elliott. While not one of Merchant/Ivory’s best, watching a very young Hugh Grant find his acting chops is still fun.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Maurice Info    The film is available to buy/rent on many online servers. 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Captain America: Brave New World: Stunt Office Assistant 

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You:   Novocaine (2025) R Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) has finally found the courage to ask Sherry (Amber Midthunder) out, and their date was incredible. Now, right in front of Nathan’s eyes, the bank that she works at is held up, and she is taken hostage. What’s a guy to do but go to her rescue? What her kidnappers don’t know is that Nathan has a condition where he is incapable of feeling pain. He’s going to need it to get her back.  The trailer is a blast, so I hope this film matches that fun.  Novocaine Website   The film will be in theaters on Friday, March 14, 2025.  

Until Next Time!

Abominable

FamilyFaire: Abominable (2019) PG   Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet), a young girl, finds a friendly Yeti that longs to go back to his mountain. Yi and two other friends make it their mission to help ‘Everest’ return to its homeland. The gang will have to avoid a wealthy man named Burnish (Eddie Izzard) who wants to put Everest in his collection. While very predictable and at times a little slow, the film is warm look at friendship and how those friends will try their best to make their friends dreams come true. This is a sweet film that families will enjoy and kids will love the action sequences. Sure the plot is a little too paint by numbers kids film, but Everest and his buddies may just make you forget that.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Abominable Website

My View: Judy (2019) PG-13   A penniless and considered washed-up Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) arrives in London to restart her career with a series of sold-out concerts. She must deal with the demons of the past while battling her ex-husband over the custody of her children. The film is let down a bit by its storyline that centers on Judy’s self-destructive behavior but it’s the performance of Renne Zellweger, who stunningly brings Judy Garland back to life with an incredible performance. Zellweger is brilliant in the role and her singing a ton of Judy’s hallmark songs brings this film to life. I loved the flashbacks to when Judy (played by Darci Shaw) is in the middle of filming The Wizard of Oz. We see that the young Judy just wanted to spend a day or two being a normal kid but the Hollywood system wouldn’t let her. I just wish there had been a few more flashbacks in the last third of the film when Judy’s downward spiral becomes almost too much to watch.   My Rating: Full Price    Judy Website

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray): Yesterday (2019) PG-13   A musician, Jack(Himesh Patel) who realizes he’s the only person to remember The Beatles. He then starts performing their songs and becomes a big star. Patel has a fine voice and what I like about this film is Patel puts a new take on some of the Beatles songs. His version of Help near the end of the film is a perfect example of this; it’s full of anger and angst. I loved Lily James, who plays Ellie, Jack’s manager, who at times is the only one that believes that he can succeed as a musician. I enjoyed the music in the film, seventeen songs of The Beatles are sung, showing just how prolific they were. This is a sweet film that doesn’t always work. The film never quite finds its footing and I hated the ending. You get the feeling that screenwriter Richard Curtis didn’t quite know how to get his characters out of the predicament they find themselves at the end of the film.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee     Yesterday Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Playing with Fire (2019)   A crew of wild-land firefighters, led by tough as nails Jake Carson (John Cena) meet their match when they rescue a trio of rambunctious children. Why does every action star feel the need to make a movie where they get bested by children that ultimately teach the action hero a lesson on how to let people into your heart?  Playing with Fire Info 

Forgotten Film:   The Big Country (1958)   A New Englander (Gregory Peck) arrives in the old west, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families who both claim a piece of land. This film is one of those big, larger than life films with a huge all-star cast that only someone like William Wyler could direct. Two reasons to see this film, Burl Ives, who won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance and the amazing shot after shot of the ranch lands in the film. While a good movie, it’s more known for how Wyler pissed off almost the whole cast, including Peck who would never talk to Wyler again after making the film.   My Rating: Full Price    The Big Country Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Judy: Immigration Consultant

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Doctor Sleep (2019) R   Years after the events of The Shining, a now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a young girl (Emily Alyn Lind) who has similar powers as his. Dan takes the girl under his wing and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot. Their mission is to find and prey on children with powers so that their members can remain immortal. The words ‘based on a novel by Stephen King’ is enough to get me to see this film.    Doctor Sleep Facebook Page

Until Next Time!