The Lego Batman Movie

My View:  The Lego Batman Movie  (2017)  PG  Batman (Will Arnett) is used to handling The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) on his own, but now he realizes that he just might need some help.  If you just want to have fun at a movie, then this film is for you.  I love The Lego Movie (2014), and while I didn’t quite have as good a time as with that film, I still enjoyed this ride.  Will Arnett is hilarious as Batman, a man who thinks he can do everything by himself. The film makes fun of some of the old Batman movies and also the fact that there is a seemingly endless supply of villains in the DC world. There are so many bad guys in this film; you will have to see it twice to catch them all. A few things in the movie don’t work, but there is so much going on throughout the film, you can just let them go by. I wouldn’t be surprised that, after you see this movie, you go out and buy some Legos to play Batman yourself.   My Rating: Full Price   The Lego Batman Movie Website

My View:  John Wick: Chapter Two  (2017)  R  John Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) retirement didn’t last long as he now has to travel to Rome to take on a squad of assassins to defend a former associate who has seized control of the assassins’ guild. The first John Wick film was one of the biggest surprises of 2014, as it was a highly enjoyable full-out action-fest.  I enjoyed this film as much as the first and love that it tries to outdo the first film on ways to kill the bad guys. The action sequences are fast, well done and, unlike some recent films, don’t rely on the use of “shakycam” to cover up the lack of real action. If you like action films and especially up close hand-to-hand fighting, then this is the movie for you. And, by the way, a third film is in the works.   My Rating:  Full Price   John Wick: Chapter 2 Website

Indiefest:  The Salesman  (2017)  PG-13  A young couple Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are appearing in a play together and have moved into a new apartment. One fateful decision changes their life together forever. This is a moving and forceful film on how one event can destroy a relationship and happiness. Alidoosti is stunning in her portrayal of a woman whose life has been shattered, and she doesn’t know how to pick up the pieces. This is a psychological drama that slowly builds up the tension until it explodes near the end. The film is a masterful job of storytelling and is well worth the watch.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Salesman Website

Forgotten Film:  Stir of Echoes  (1999)  R  After being hypnotized by his sister (Illeana Douglas) at a party, Tom (Kevin Bacon) begins seeing visions of a girl’s ghost (Jennifer Morison).  The visions become more frequent, and it is very evident that the ghost wants one thing from Tom, for him to find out how she died. This is a thriller that delivers on all fronts. Bacon gives a sensational performance of a man who is slowly slipping into madness.  The plot has a few twists and turns, and the supernatural aspect of the film is used to its full advantage.   My Rating: Full Price   Stir of Echoes Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):   Loving  (2016)  PG-13  Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) get married in 1958. They are sentenced to prison in Virginia because they are an interracial couple.  This is a story of courage, and we suffer at every indignity the Loving’s suffer in this film. Being told that your love is illegal and you must leave your home and family if you want to stay together is heartbreaking which forces the Loving’s to make tough choices.  Ruth Negga gives a performance of a lifetime, and this is a film that will stay with you for a long time.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Loving Facebook Page

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Lego Batman Movie:  Lead Lighter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  T2 Trainspotting  (2017)  R  A continuation of the Trainspotting saga which includes the cast from the first film.  It’s hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice, but if anyone can do it, director Danny Boyle can.   T2 Trainspotting Info

Until Next Time!

xXx: Return of Xander Cage

My View:  xXx: Return of Xander Cage  (2017)  PG-13  Just when you thought Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) was dead, he comes out of exile to help the CIA recover a powerful weapon known as “Pandora’s Box” before the evil villain Xiang (Donnie Yen) can acquire it.  This is the kind of movie that I call “stupid fun.” You know going in that it will be over-the-top, the plot will be there just to do more and more stunts, and Vin Diesel will do some things that even Superman couldn’t do. Have there been better action films? Sure, Fast and Furious 6 comes to mind, but I did enjoy this film where Vin Diesel skis down a mountain that doesn’t have any snow.  There are new additions to the xXx group and a couple of surprise guests that help move the film at a quick pace. The ending seems a little forced, but I had a good time watching all the action sequences.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   xXx: Return of Xander Cage Website

My View:  Split  (2016)  PG-13  After a birthday party, three girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Anya Taylor-Joy) are kidnapped. Their captor Kevin (James McAvoy) suffers from the rare dissociative identity disorder where he has 23 split personalities. The girls must now find one of those personalities to help them escape before the arrival of the 24th and final personality, the “beast.” This is a strange film to watch, mostly due to the 23 personalities that James McAvoy portrays. This is a solid piece of horror filmmaking plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.  It’s a wild ride that makes an excellent thriller. The film’s backstory on Anya Taylor-Joy’s character is well thought out, and her performance is one of the best things in this film. And there is a very big reveal at the end of the film that is jaw dropping. This is certainly more in line with what we expected that M. Night Shyamalan would put out after his groundbreaking The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.   My Rating: Full Price   Split Website

My View:  The Founder  (2016)  PG-13  The story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), who turned a small hamburger shop into Mc Donald’s, the biggest restaurant business in the world.  Ray Kroc wasn’t a nice guy, as he would do just about anything to get his way. Michael Keaton gives a scintillating performance of a ruthless, unlikeable man. The film is highly enjoyable in the first half of the film, but it loses its way when the most interesting characters in the movie, the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch), are forgotten during most of the second half of the movie. It’s a hard look at a man who hid behind the American flag and family values to steal a company from two honest to a fault brothers.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Founder Website

Indiefest:   20th Century Women  (2016)  R  Set in Santa Barbara, California in 1979, a free spirit mother (Annette Benning) seeks help from her two housemates (Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning) with raising her son (Lucas Jade Zumann).  Benning has never been better in the role of a woman who seems to be stuck in the 1960s. Her character appears to be constantly trying to figure out each person whom she meets, and her performance is nuanced and never over-the-top. The rest of the cast is outstanding with Greta Gerwig putting in an excellent performance as a photographer who is a cancer survivor. The film is an enjoyable look at a teenage boy and the three women who are collectively raising him.   My Rating:  Full Price   20th Century Women Website

Forgotten Film:  The Dark Half (1993)  R  After writing under an assumed name, writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), decides to write under his own name. Thad’s life is turned upside down when he is framed for a series of murders that he could not have committed. This is one of the better adaptations of a Stephen King work, and while flawed, George A. Romero knows how to open a horror film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Dark Half Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Founder:  Choreographer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Lego Batman Movie  (2017) PG   Bruce Wayne as Batman must deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but he also has to deal with a young boy he has adopted. I can’t wait for this film to come out.  The teaser trailer was so much fun.  The Lego Batman Movie Website

Until Next Time!