Aquaman

My View:  Aquaman  (2018)  PG 13  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Now he must step forward to lead his people and become a hero to the world. So you can say that this is better than Suicide Squad or Justice League but not by much. This film is way too long (two and a half hours), has one too many villains and a plot that doesn’t always work. If it weren’t for the charisma of Jason Momoa, this film wouldn’t be watchable. Momoa does have excellent chemistry with Amber Heard, who plays his love interest and allay. I will say that the film looks incredible and the special effects are well done.  There are bonus scenes in the credits at the end. To tell you silly this film is, there is a giant octopus playing drums before a big fight.    My Rating: Cable   Aquaman Website 

My View:  Mary Poppins Returns  (2018)  PG  Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. If you are a fan of the Julie Andrews Mary Poppins, you will like this one. This is a sequel to the original film, and they have captured the spirit and look of the original. There are a couple of surprises in the film, and yes, there are dancing penguins. Emily Blunt can sing and dance with the best of them. There are some great original songs, and it helps when you have Lin-Manuel Miranda in your cast. I was smiling all the way through the film.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Mary Poppins Returns Website

My View:  Welcome to Marwen  (2018)  PG  Mark (Steve Carell) was savagely beaten outside a bar and had to relearn how to walk and talk. He lost the ability to draw (he was an illustrator) and to deal with what Mark has gone through he takes pictures of dolls in the make-believe town of Marwen. I enjoyed this sweet film about a very troubled man. Steve Carell gives a very complex performance, playing Mark and his alter-ego Captain Hogie. The supporting cast is phenomenal with Janelle Monae and Leslie Mann standing out.   My Rating: Full Price    Welcome to Marwen Website

Indiefest:  Ben Is Back  (2018) R  Much to the unhappiness of his mother (Julia Roberts) and his step-father (Courtney B. Vance), Ben (Lucas Hedges) has left rehab and come to visit his family on Christmas Eve. This isn’t the Oscar bait movie everyone thought it was going to be. It’s not to say that Julia Roberts performance isn’t powerful and moving. I just didn’t like the storyline, and the movie seemed too long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Ben is Back Website

Forgotten Film:  Black Christmas (1974)  R  During the Christmas breaks, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a killer. It’s hard to believe that the guy that directed A Christmas Story directed one of the first slasher movies. This is a pretty darn good slasher film. The great thing about this film is it is relatively scary.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee Black Christmas Info 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Aquaman: Special Makeup Effects and Creature Sculptor

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Destroyer  (2018)  R  A police detective (Nicole Kidman) goes undercover, and she explores her past to make peace. Many critics feel Kidman could win another Oscar for this performance.    Destroyer Website

Until Next Time!

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Family Faire: Ralph Breaks the Internet  (2018)  PG    Ralph (John C. Reily), and his pal Venellope (Sarah Silverman) go on a search on the internet for a new joystick for Ralph’s game. If they don’t find the joystick, Ralph’s game will be turned off. I liked this film more than the first film, Wreck it Ralph. I think it’s funnier and has a better message than the first film. This film is all about friendship and putting other peoples needs and feelings in front of yours. I loved that they got a lot of the Disney princesses voices, like Kristen Bell and Ming Na to do their characters voices. The film is enjoyable for both kids and adults, though some adults may not get all the jokes, as some of them are aimed at the ‘YouTube’ generation. The film moves at a quick pace and is fun to watch. This is the perfect film for families to go out to see this holiday season.  My Rating: Full Price  

 My View:  Creed II (2018)  PG-13   With Rocky’s (Sylvester Stallone) help, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) faces off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man that killed Adonis’ father. This is a disappointing film because the first Creed film was one of the best of that year. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote this film, and it has his heavy hand all over it. This feels more like a Rocky picture than a sequel to Creed. What is surprising is how good Dolph Lundgren is as Ivan Drago, the boxer who lost everything when Rocky beat him thirty years ago. Lundren makes Drago a real character who wants revenge through his son and it’s the best performance in the film. I just wish the movie wasn’t so over the top and is much too long.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

In Case You Missed It (A movie just released on DVD/Blu-Ray):  Dog Days  (2018)  PG    A group of interconnected people in Los Angeles are brought together by the dogs that fill their lives with love and hope. This very bland movie has a few cute dogs in it, but that’s about it. The film is made up of a bunch of stories about people and their dogs. A morning TV hosts (Nina Dobrev) gets a new on-air partner, and their dogs get along better than they do. A husband (Rob Corddry) and wife (Eva Longoria) adopt a young girl who seems unhappy until a dog enters their life. All the stories are dull and lifeless, and worse yet, highly predictable. Go walk your own dog around the block rather than going to the theatre to see this film.   My Rating:  Cable   Dog Days Website

Indiefest:  Maria by Callas  (2017)  PG  Documentary on the life and loves of the Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas. This is a celebration of a singer of extraordinary talent that wanted desperately to be a wife and mother but was driven by her mother and later her husband to concentrate on her career. If you are a fan of opera or great singing, this film is for you as there are some extraordinary clips of Maria singing. The whole movie is told through Maria herself as she was interviewed by the media on almost a constant basis. The film also looks at her private life, including her relationship with Aristotle Onassis, her great love who left her to marry Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s a sad tale about a woman who left us too soon but left a legacy of music to remember her by.  My Rating: Full Price   Maria by Callas Website

Indiefest:  Chef Flynn  (2018)  Documentary about Flynn McGarry who started cooking gourmet meals at age 9, by 11 had a supper club in his home and age 19 has his own restaurant in NYC. Let me say up front that I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so the small portion fancy meals that Chef Flynn creates with tweezers is not my idea of a meal. Having said that, he is incredibly creative, and his food is beautiful to look at. His success (at 15 Chef Flynn is charging 160 dollars a head at pop-up restaurants around the world) comes at a price, as the intent trolls are continually attacking him but the good news is famous chefs think Chef Flynn is talented and his cooking is lauded by them. One thing that bothers me about this film is that it never explains how he and his mother can afford this lifestyle, especially in the early days when he wasn’t charging his friends and family for extremely exorbitant meals. If you are a foodie and love artful cooking, then Chef Flynn is worth checking out.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Chef Flynn Website

Forgotten Film:  Drugstore Cowboy  (1989)  R    Led by Bob (Matt Dillon) two couples travel from on seedy motel to another in search of drugs. Dillon gives one of the greatest performances of his life as he and his friends travel to find any drug that they can find or steal. While not a happy film it is worth seeing for Dillon’s performance and the interaction of the 4 characters who treat each other like they are family.   My Rating: Full Price   Drugstore Cowboy Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Creed II:  Contact Lens Painter

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Mary Poppins Returns  (2018)  PG-13    Decades after her last visit, Mary (Emily Blunt) returns to help the Banks family through a difficult time in their lives. The trailer is amazing, and I will go see anything that Emily Blunt is in.   Mary Poppins Returns Website

Until Next Time!