Hair, Race & Revenge: Late Fall Film Wrap-up

TANGLED
ANIMATED

Disney has done it again!!! It is a fun, entertaining spin on the fairy tale, Rapunzel. Mandy Moore (pop singer) is great as the spunky princess who is trapped in a castle and wants to see the real world. Zachary Levi (TV show Chuck) is good as the prince Flynn Rider, and Donna Murphy as the vain, creepy witch who kidnaps Rapunzel. The movie will make a fantastic Broadway musical. Should you see it? Young girls will love it!!!

NIGHT CATCHES US
DRAMA

This movie has so much going for it, but it has so much going against it as well. The film has the most talented, upcoming black actor and actress in Hollywood Anthony Mackie (Hurt Locker), and Kerry Washington (Fantastic Four, For Color Girls). The director is a black woman, Tanya Hamilton, who took ten years to make it. The rest of the cast is equally good and it is not about drug addicts, pimps or crime---it's REAL, and they are treated like real people.

What it’s got against it, it is not a big budget Hollywood movie, not a comedy, and not a subject average movie fans talks about. The story is about Marcus, who comes back to his home town in 1976. He once belonged to The Black Panthers, and the remaining people left from the group think he snitched on a fellow Panther and was killed by police. Patricia also was a member and her feelings for him complicate things. Should you see it? It is not playing at too many theaters but it is a very good drama. You can also see it on MOVIES ON DEMAND.

FASTER
CRIME DRAMA

ACTION HOUNDS REJOICE!!! Dwayne Johnson is back and bad-ass as ever in this film!!! It is a predictable revenge movie, but Johnson is no wise-cracking guy---he's just angry and ready to kill all the men who killed the brother that he loved. The rest of the cast is good but Johnson shows he can get back in the action genre with no problem. He takes no prisoners. When he gets out of prison he becomes a killing machine!!! I don’t know why this flick is not making money. Last year at Thanksgiving Hollywood gave us ‘Ninja Assassin,’ which was a good action movie but didn’t make any money. I don’t know why Hollywood puts the bloodiest stuff out around the holidays. Should you see it? If you like the Dwayne Johnson and action, yeah, but if not, wait for Blu-ray and DVD.