Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Death by Disney?




COCO
ANIMATED

PLOT:    A young Mexican boy learns to appreciate family from the land of the dead.
                Miguel loves his hero Ernesto del la Cruz a singer but his family has banned him from playing music.  On the holiday Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) he is accidentally goes to the land of the dead and finds out the truth about his family and how he wants to go back to them.  It sounds like a horror movie but they have beautiful songs and visuals and the important lesson never forget your family.  It is well done and doesn’t seem like the movie is for children but it is for everyone.  If you can WATCH IT!


STAR WARS VIII: THE LAST JEDI
FANTASY/ACTION
  
PLOT:    Rey goes to see Luke Skywalker for she is founding out she has new powers and the rebels have a new menace:  The First Order.


                Good and evil are being blurred in this movie.  You don’t know who to trust.   The best parts are the action and special effects.  Both are very well done.  The bad guy Snoke is great but not in there very long.  Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) Snoke’s apprentice is moving even closer to the “dark side” of the force.  The late and fantastic 

Carrie Fisher as General Lei Organa is still strong still leading the rebels and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is torn between living alone on his island or to help Rey.  He has funny moments and equally sad moments as well.  If you are a fan of Star Wars, the ones director George Lucas made you may not like it, for writer director Rian Johnson is “Disney-fying” the franchise.  Diehard fans will go; others (like me) liked the movie as  epic entertainment.
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Friday, December 1, 2017

Holiday Epic Funtime




JUSTICE LEAGUE
ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT:    The origin of the team of the Justice League.

                Superman is dead and Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) decides to collect of people with superpowers to stop the herald of Darkside, Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) from retrieving the three Mother Boxes to destroy the world.   The superheroes are: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), The Flash, (Ezra Miller) Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa).  For those who think this is the Dark Knight, it isn’t!!  It is a lighter tone.  The movie was much longer but the studio; Warner Brothers edited it to two hours.  It may feel rushed by it just may have been cut for time.  The team has great chemistry but the villain not so much.  Fans know who Steppenwolf is but many people do not.  The Flash and Aquaman are the highlights of the film.  They are heroic and humorous.  If you see this movie DO NOT rush out when the credits start rolling!  There are two post-credit scenes  you want to see.  Marvel films does this post-credits scenes all the time, but now DC is doing it . 

THE STAR
ANIMATED

PLOT:  The telling of first Christmas with animals.

              There have been many films of the first Christmas from the animal’s point of view but this is well-made and heartfelt.   Many celebrities used their voices to this film but what makes it good is that it is funny and the animals are cute.  It is for children as well as adults.  I believe it will be a classic years to come.  If you can, please watch it!!!

MARSHALL
BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

PLOT:   A young and only lawyer of NAACP and one of his famous cases.

               Chadwick Boseman loves bio films.  He was baseball great Jackie Robinson and the Godfather of Soul James Brown now he plays Thurgood Marshall.  He is a young lawyer who helps black people trying to get a fair trial.  In one case a blonde upper class beauty Kate Hudson is attacked by a black man Sterling K. Brown.  Marshall and his assistant Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) who is his lawyers.  You figure out the outcome before the movie is over but the acting is excellent from all the leads.  Hudson and Gad known for comedy are fantastic.  The movie did not do very well in theaters but I hope in video for it is outstanding.  Actor Boseman will be in the highly anticipated movie Black Panther.

MURDER OF THE ORIENT EXPRESS
MYSTERY

PLOT:  Remake of 1974 film of the same name.

                Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is a retired detective boards a train and Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp) is murdered.  He solves it but it is a somber conclusion.  Branagh isn’t just an actor but a director and he is very good at it!  It is well made and beautiful to look at.    The cast is not just A-list in popularity but talent as well.   Judi Dench (M from the James Bond films), Willem Dafoe (Spiderman, John Wick), Derek Jacobi (I Claudius, Gladiator) and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). The trailer seemed it would be lightweight-it wasn’t.  It is always welcome to see a good who dunnit in the midst of action packed superheroes.








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Thursday, November 9, 2017

Storms, Deaths and Apocalypses




THOR RAGNAROK
ACTION/ADVENTURE/SUPERHERO

PLOT:  The third movie about the thunder god with the hammer.

                Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds out his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is pretending to be his father Odin and that he has a long lost sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) Goddess of Death and she wants to take over Asgard and portals him to a place where he becomes a gladiator against his ex-Avenger, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).  This is the funniest movie of the Thor series but considering the meaning of ragnarok means destruction is very strange.  It does have serious moments but mostly it is very amusing.  Hemsworth is also physically perfect as Thor and he is very funny.  Blanchett is excellent as Hela who wants to be queen or Asgard or Armageddon.   Huddleston as Loki is devious as always.  Idris Elba as Heimdall is strong, intense, and heroic and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie is tough but drinking warrior.

GEOSTORM
SCI-FI/DRAMA

PLOT:  The weather is unpredictable so a brilliant scientist creates a station in space to control the weather.

                Jack Lawson (Gerald Butler) is smart scientist who created Geostorm, a space station that controls the weather.  This is a disaster movie so you know someone tampers with the space station and the weather goes nuts!  Countries that are cold are hot, eruptions, lighting everything with the weather goes crazy.  Jack has to save the Earth.  Story is not the important thing about this movie but special effects and they are top-notch!    It is a popcorn movie in October.   It is a good movie if you like disaster movies. The film is not doing well and I believe the reason is the recent hurricanes are worst than ever. It is a little to real for the public right now.

HAPPY DEATH DAY
HORROR/COMEDY

PLOT:  Young woman relives her death over and over until she finds her murderer.


                Theresa nickname Tree (Jessica Rothe) is a college student who on her birthday gets a bizarre birthday gift she has to find the killer or she repeats different ways she gets murdered. She is not a good girl but a beautiful, self-centered bitch!  The strange thing is you cheer for her because throughout the movie she becomes a decent woman.  Rothe is very good funny and fierce as she is trying to solve her own killing.  The young, unknown cast is very good as well but the standout is actress Rachel Matthews as Danielle, a beauty who is more of a bitch than Tree.  It is an amusing slasher movie if there is such a thing.

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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Darker Action, Circles and Runners




AMERICAN ASSASSIN
ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT:  Young man sees his girlfriend killed by terrorist and joins a counter terrorism agency.

                Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’ Brien Teen Wolf, Maze Runner) loves his girlfriend and on their vacation asked her to marry him.  She says yes and then she is killed by a terrorist; he loses it and wants revenge and joins an agency to wipe out terrorist lead by Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton).  He doesn’t follow the rules and makes his superior mad as hell.  It is your typical revenge spy movie but what is different many people don’t finish sentences because they are killed!  Three reasons you should see it; great action, many betrayals and Dylan O’Brien.

KINGSMAN 2: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT:   The further adventures of Eggsy who is now a spy on his own.

                The Kingsman is very few now, his mentor Harry (Colin Firth) is supposedly dead and a new villain named Poppy (Julianne Moore) is rising as a cartel.  He finds help with the Statesmen, who are the Kingman’s American counterpart. Talented Jeff Bridges is their leader Channing Tatum is also part of the group but who stand out is Whiskey (Pedro Pascal, Game of Thrones) who can handle a gun and a laser whip with ease.  I do hope he receives more parts.  Before you watch the sequel watch the first movie over again for they do reference from the original.  The action is great along with the humor.  It is not as good as the first one but not bad either.

BLADE RUNNER 2049
DRAMA SCI-FI MYSTERY

PLOT:  The sequel to the cult classic.
               

                The year is 2049 and K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner officer which takes down old replicas (old cyborgs).  He finds out that Rick Detard (Harrison Ford) had a child with a replica, Rachel (Sean Young.) and assumed destroyed it.  Philip K Dick is the sci-fi writer of the original but the film is so bleak and somber is there hope for humans and replicas in the future.  The movie is not action-packed so don’t expect it.  It is slooow so fast-pace it is not.  It is either brilliant or boring.  You shouldn’t have to pay good money to find out.  If you like the first Blade Runner it is more of the same; if not don’t bother.
KC Web Developer

Monday, September 18, 2017

It Came from Annabelle's Dark Tower




VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS
FANTASY/ACTION

PLOT:  A visual epic adventure.

                This movie is hard to describe but it is a beautiful looking film.  Major Valerian (Dane DeHann, Chronicle, and Amazing Spiderman 2) and his partner Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevinge, Suicide Squad) are agents who get involved with a perfect planet that may or not be extinct.  It is based on comic books in France in the 70s.  DeHann doesn’t look like the hero type for the film and Delevinge is always tough. They are like two teenagers in space suits instead of talented operatives.  Singer Rihianna is great as Bubble, an artist who is really fantasy stripper.  Commander (Clive Owen, Shoot ‘Em Up) is interesting but his hi-tech robots are even better!  It is lovely but empty.  If you can wait for video-wait.

IT: CHAPTER ONE
HORROR

PLOT:    An evil being shaped like a clown comes to a town every 27 years in Derry, Maine.

                Stephen King wrote this novel in 1986 and was turned into a scary mini-series in 1990. Mini-series was popular at that time but a horror mini-series was very rare.  Now they have made a movie about Pennywise, (Bill Skarsgard) the Dancing Clown.  The movie and the mini-series still don’t tell the entire story of this thing called IT.  If you are very interested read the book.  Skarsgard’s Pennywise is CREEPY!  His wicked presence is felt through the movie.  He doesn’t talk much but what he does to scary the kids is just awful.  The seven kids are very brave, funny and a few curse a lot.  It has made much money so that means sequel and in the sequel they are adults.
  
DETROIT
CRIME DRAMA

PLOT:    The true story of a hotel incident in 1967 in Detroit where cops killed black men.

                Detroit in 1967 was a tense place to be if you were black.  Curfew at nine black folks scared of cops.  The movie is very hard to sit through for you see mostly white racist police humiliating black men and women.   The acting is very good. Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow can’t get a break.  She won the Oscar for directing The Hurt Locker but even winning the award it still didn’t make any money and this movie didn’t either.  Whites are tired of being the bad guys and black people are tired of being victims.  The film is worth watching for after 50 years to some there is little change.

THE DARK TOWER
ACTION/SCI-FI/WESTERN

PLOT:  Young man draws people from other worlds.

                The film is based on the popular books from popular horror author Stephen King.  Jake(Tom Tyler) draws people from other worlds and family and friends thinks he is mentally ill.  He comes to realize there is another world besides the one he lives in and Walter a.k.a. Man in Black (Mathew McConaughey) is after him for he can destroy the dark tower in that world and he can take over our universe.  The only person that can stop him is Roland a.k.a. Gunslinger (Idris Elba) who can load his guns as fast as he can shoot them.  The movie could have easily been an episode of Dr. Who.  The action is great.  I believe the books are much better than the movie.  The back story of the film is more interesting, it was suppose to be a movie then a limited (mini-series) then back to a film.  I believe it would have been a better mini-series on Netflix. 

ANNABELLE: CREATION
HORROR

PLOT:  The origin of the doll Annabelle.

The film tells the story of how the doll became evil.  It is sloooow but when it does start to move it does move!  It makes sense to the fans that saw Annabelle.  A doll maker loses their daughter in an accident and he designs the doll in her imagine but supernatural lurks in their scary house.  Many things don’t make a lot of logic but if you like these kinds of movies go.  Stay for the post credit for it shows the “creepy nun.” 

HITMAN’S BODYGUARD
ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT:    A top bodyguard has to protect an assassin so a dictator will go to prison.

                OMG!!  The concept is crazy and the cast is great.  It stars Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) who has to protect Samuel L. Jackson (who is in every other movie) a hitman.  The action sequences are amazing-almost cartoonish but fun.  Jackson and Reynolds curse a lot and they each have many flashbacks about their lives.  The lovely Salma Hayek is Jackson’s wife and Elodie Yung (Gods of Egypt, Electra in Daredevil) is Reynolds girlfriend.

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

2017 Summer WrapUp Pt2




WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
ACTION/ADVENTURE/SCI-FI

PLOT:    The third movie of the series.

                The virus is spreading for the humans and they are turning into voiceless animals while the apes are becoming more intelligent.  Caesar is trying to remain neutral and peaceful but the Colonel (Woody Harrison) thinks that apes must be killed at any cost.  Caesar wants revenge at any cost and it ends in an explosive conclusion.  This is the best film franchise I have ever seen!  I don’t really like the old Planet of the Apes series but I like this.  There are a lot of subtitles only because many apes use sign language but when the action does come it is fast and furious!  If you liked the last two you will enjoy this one and it might be the last one.
  
BABY DRIVER
ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:    Young, talented getaway driver wants out.

                This film is like teen Transporter and a 109 minute MTV video!   Baby (Ansel Elgort, Divergent) a young man who can drive a car is in debt with crime boss Doc ( Kevin Spacey) and he thinks he does one last job and he is done.  Doesn’t happen then things get more complicated when he falls in love with Debora (Lily James Pride Prejudice and Zombies) who works at a diner.  Bats (Jamie Fox) is a crazy criminal and Jon Ham (Mad Men) becomes a driven killer. It is very stylized crime drama with a great soundtrack.  If you want something different this movie is it!

ATOMIC BLONDE
ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:    A MI6 must find “The List” at any cost.
               
                Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is a spy and she has to use her intelligence, her seduction and fighting skills to retrieve a microfilm with a list of spies.  Plot is not important but style and action is!  Theron could be the female James Bond!  The fight sequences are AMAZING.  She can give a beating and take a beating as well.  David Percival (James McAvoy, Split) is always good as an ally to Lorraine and the underrated but talented John Goodman (Kong Skull Island) as Emmett Kurzfeld, a CIA agent working with MI6.  It is not as action-packed as the trailer but when the action does come it is fast and brutal!  It is good but not good as the trailer!

GIRLS TRIP
COMEDY

PLOT:  Four successful black women go to New Orleans to have fun.

                The fabulous four Sasha (Queen Latifah), Ryan (Regina Hall), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) have marital problems, financial problems, man problems so they decide to go to Essence Music Festival to relive old, good times.  It is Bridesmaids dipped in chocolate!  It is funny, outrageous, raunchy and at times so poignant.  All the leading ladies are great but Haddish stands out as foul mouth, loyal fun-loving woman.  You have seen this all before but never by African-American females.  If you like this kind of movie you should see it.! 

KC Web Developer

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

2017 Summer WrapUp Pt1



ROUGH NIGHT
COMEDY 

PLOT:  Five college women get together after ten years with zany results.

                You know the story college people get together after years apart and try to relive the old days.  The five are Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Alice (Jillian Bell), Blair (Zoe Kravitz), Frankie (Ilana Glazer) and Pippa (Kate McKinnon).  Alice tries to make a fantastic bachelorette weekend for her best friend Jess but everything goes terrible wrong.  It is like Hangover and Weekend at Bernie’s only it is female.  It is vulgar too but some of it is funny and very funny but not often.  If you like these kind of raunchy comedies you should see this –if not you can wait a couple of months until video. 

DESPICABLE ME 3
ANIMATED

PLOT:  Gru is back!

                Gru is now a good guy who works for AVL (Anti Villain League) who can’t defeat child star Balthazar Bratt who never got out of the 80’s.  He cracked and now he decides to destroy Hollywood after he got to be a grown man.  Gru also finds out he is not an only child but has a twin brother with hair and his yellow minions leave him. It sounds very dramatic but it is very funny.  It is so imaginative how they use the music of the 80s to tell the story.  A few raunchy parts but mostly good.  For kids and grown-ups! 

SPIDERMAN HOMECOMING
ACTION/ADVENTURE/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Another reimaging of Spiderman


                People who love comics and superhero movies know the story of Spiderman but this one a little different.  Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is smart but also a superhero by night.  Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is his mentor and gives him an amazing suit and he uses it to stop the Vulture (Michael Keaton) so he won’t sell hi-tech weapons to gangsters. The little differences are no origin how he got his powers, no mention of his Uncle Ben and the villain is not his nemesis. It has what a summer movie should have lots of humor, lots of action and an exciting ending.  Robert Downey Jr. was born to be Iron Man, Tom Holland was born to be Spiderman.


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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Sleight of Rap Last Knight




SLEIGHT
CRIME DRAMA/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Young black man trying to support younger sister sells drugs.

                OMG, this is not your typical superhero movie.  It is about Bo (Jacob Latimore, Maze Runner, Ride Along) a smart student who takes cares for his sister.  He does magic tricks on the streets but sells drugs to make a living.  He wants to get out of the business especially when he has a steady girlfriend but his boss Angelo (Dule Hill West Wing, Psych) won’t let him. 

Actor Hill is vicious as his employer who always wants to be obeyed and respected. Bo is moving up but he has to do worst than sell.  He really does have superpowers but you don’t see that until the end. It is a strange but delightful mix of drug drama and science fiction.  The shocking part they didn’t advertise this film very much which is strange since WWE Studios the wrestling company produced it. It is low-budget and the hero is African American.  It gives you a taste until the big budget movie Black Panther comes along.  It is worth watching.


TRANSFORMERS:  THE LAST NIGHT
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Optimus Prime turns evil to bring Cypertron back with a mystical object.

                Humans and robots are at war and Optimus turns bad and must retrieve an ancient relic to bring back his planet even if earth is destroyed in the process.  Story not the important part in the fifth film of the series. The action and the special effects are.  The ending is amazing.  I enjoy the franchise but not like I used to.  Optimus is not the movie most of the time. The most is of course the ending.  He is the leader of the Autobots and he is good.  Small spoiler he does let loose when he is bad.  They need to really let him have an evil opponent to he can go full destruction!  If you enjoy this series you like this one.

ALL EYEZ ON ME
BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

PLOT:  The incredible short life of rapper, actor, poet Tupac Shakur.

                Tupac (Demetrius Shipp Jr.) wanted to be more than a rapper; he wanted to change the world with his music.  It is a rags to riches story-gangster style.  It is not as good as Straight Outta Compton but it is not bad. Newcomer Shipp portrayal as Tupac is very good, Danai Gurira (Miichonne, Walking Dead) who plays his mother, Afeni Shakur is excellent!  Also outstanding is Dominic L. Santana as ruthless, rich producer Surge Knight.  The movie isn’t doing as well as many thought it would maybe because of some parts might be false but I hope it makes you want to read about this rapper who did so much in his life before gunned downed at 25.



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Saturday, June 17, 2017

Curse of the Baywatch Mummy



THE MUMMY
ACTION/ADVENTURE

                PLOT:  Treasure hunter finds an evil princess who wants to destroy the world.

                                Nick (Tom Cruise) is ex-military finds a tomb that belongs to Ahmant (Sofia Boutella, Star Trek Beyond, Kingsman: Secret Service) a wicked being who wants to conquer the world or destroy it.  She also picked Nick to be her lover. The movie is the (hopefully) beginning of Dark Universe from Universal, a movie company known for monsters and creatures.  The movie is a popcorn movie!  It is not Oscar winning cinema so why treat it as such.  It is not a reboot of the Mummy franchise with Brendan Frasier.  It is a good movie for a summer flick.  It is not doing well in the U.S. but better overseas.  If you like Mummy films in general you should see this; if not just wait. 

BAYWATCH
ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT:  Reboot of the TV series of the same name.

                When you watch this movie you MUST do suspension of disbelief.  If you like the series you will like this but it has curse words and crude, sexual humor.  If you can deal with that then you will enjoy this film.  The women are beautiful and Dwayne”The Rock” Johnson and Zac  Efron are hulks.  The villainess of the movie is Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) and she is pretty good at being bad.  The film is doing terrible in America but very well overseas.  If you can deal what I wrote before go see it but if you can’t –wait.  I believe it will do better on video. 

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT
THRILLER/SCI-FI

PLOT:  A sick social experiment where people in an isolated office building have to kill or be killed.

                This is the office version of Battle Royale, where teens have to kill each other or be assassinated.  It is a B-movie but it has stars you have seen before like Tony Goldwyn (TV show Scandal), John C. McGinley (TV show Stan Against Evil), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy).  The film came out at the wrong time!  It is a bloody, violent movie about human nature must survive no matter the cost!  It is a fascinating downer and I hope that it does better on-demand, video and streaming for it is worth a viewing.


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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Same-o Prequels, Sequels, and Films of Wonder



ALIEN CONVENANT
SCI-FI/ACTION

PLOT:  The sequel to the prequel of Prometheus!

                                I know it sounds crazy but it is correct; this is the sequel of Prometheus before Alien 1979.  Covenant means coming together and it is also the name of the spaceship in the film.  A group of astronauts are off course by an unexpected blast and they are awakening too soon and they discover a perfect planet until they find out the planet is not so perfect.  The “covenant” coming together is how the “Aliens” disturbing origin began.  The creatures have many other ways to invade the human body and it is nasty!  Ridley Scott directed both movies and Alien 1979 and it is very well made.  The director is making a third prequel.  How many prequels can you do?  It is not doing well in the US maybe no one has ever heard of so many prequels and sequels for one movie!  If you like the Alien franchise you should see this movie; if not wait until cable. 

WONDER WOMAN
ACTION/FANTASY

                PLOT: The origin of the most famous Amazon ever.

                                Gal Gadot (Fast and Furious movies) is Diana an Amazon living and training in beautiful island in Themyscira when Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, recent Star Trek movies) washes ashore.  She finds out there is war outside her world and decides to help Steve.  Basically you know the story of Wonder Woman but it is on the big screen with a female superhero.  Gadot is very good as Wonder Woman.  What she lacks in size she is very intense!  The fight scenes are slow-motion but AMAZING.  The villains are not great but not dull either only for they did not have much to do.  It is also directed by a woman Patty Jenkins whose last film was Monster in 2003. Much is riding on this blockbuster because if it fails-wait a looong time for female lead superhero. 

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5:  DEAD MAN TELL NO TALES
ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY
  
                PLOT:  The further tales of Jack Sparrow.

                                 Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has a past and his name is Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem,(No Country for Old Men, Skyfall) who kill all the ships at sea until he finds a mythical object to break the spell.  At least it is better than then last one.  It has all you expect in these kinds of movies.  Bardem is just amazing as the evil Captain Salazar.  He is a great actor but he plays a bad guy he gives the character depth but you still dislike him!  HIGHLIGHT:  Rotting  zombie sharks!!  If you like this movie series you should see this installment.


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Monday, May 22, 2017

The Summer of Sequel and Remake Overload?



SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE
ANIMATED

PLOT:    Four Smurfs find a map where there are even more Smurfs and try to save them from the evil
                Gargamel.

                This movie is all animated-no live action but it is still delightful.  Smurfette still feels alone for she still is the only girl but they discover there are more Smurfs beyond the gray wall-even girl Smurfs.  The voices are different actors that include singer Demi Lovato (Smurfette), Joe Manganiello (Hefty), Brainy (Danny Pudi) and Clumsy (Jack McBrayer).  The evil Gargamel is voiced by Rainn Wilson.  The real surprise Julia Roberts does the voice of SmurfWilliow.  It is very cute and imaginative if you like the characters, if not wait for video.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2
ACTION/FANTASY

PLOT:  The further adventures of Star-Lord and his crew.

                Peter Quill/Star-Lord(Chris Pratt) finds out by accident about his father Ego(Kurt Russell): Gamora (Zoe Saldana) finds out why her sister competes with her; Groot is growing; Rocket is still a thief and Drax (Dave Bautista) is not so angry like in the last movie.  The special effects are just amazing; there are some surprising cameos and 5 post credits so stay until it is over.  If you like the first film you will enjoy the second.  It is much lighter than the original but it does get sober near the end.  A good popcorn movie to start the summer.

KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD
ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY

PLOT:  A unique version of King Arthur.

                If you see this movie forget about Disney’s The Sword and the Stone-it isn’t!  It doesn’t have Merlin or Morgana either.  It is a gritty, realistic mixture of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and every other fantasy film you have seen.  Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) is the title character who as child saw his parents die and survived by being a thief.  He finds out he is the true king but doesn’t want the title and what comes with it.

Astrid Berges-Frisbey is the Mage, a magical woman to guide him to his true purpose in life.  Hunnam is good as commoner turned king.  The best acting comes from Jude Law as Vortigen, the guy who took the kingdom from his brother.  The film is doing terrible in the US and overseas because it is not really a popcorn movie for the summer.  It is not any version most people know or it has been done so many times most people don’t want to see another tale of King Arthur.

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Thursday, April 20, 2017

Fantasies for Kids of All Ages



GHOST IN THE SHELL
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  In the future a young woman has a human brain but a cyborg body.

                Major Mia Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind; her body robotic but has a human mind.  She is trained to be a weapon but also wants to know her past.  The live-action movie is based on the anime series of the same name.  Johansson actually looks like Major but many fans of the series wished they considered an Asian for the part.  There are many Asians actress but Hollywood prefers to go with a box-office star rather to have the ethnicity correct.  She was good as the rest of the cast and it is very sober.

BOSS BABY
ANIMATED

PLOT:  A young kid and his baby brother in a suit must take out an evil guy to stop parents from loving their babies.

                An adorable baby in a black business suit pretends he is Tim’s baby brother while investigates his parents who works at Puppyco, a  toy company to make the ultimate toy puppy that will make all parents all over the world to love the puppy more than their own babies.  It sounds incredible but is very good and imaginative.  Alec Baldwin is simply great as the “baby” who is all business and nothing else.  It is delightful storytelling and very recommended.

THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS 8
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Dom Tretto goes rouge!

                Dom (Vin Diesel) is on his honeymoon with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) when a mysterious woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron) forces Dom to work for her.  Here’s a big hint:  It is about family he doesn’t know about.  It is a fun popcorn movie in April.  It is incredible how the beginning of the franchise they were just race car drivers to minority Mission Impossible!  If you like the movie series up till now go see it; if not don’t.



KC Web Developer

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Fantasy Reboots and Rebooted Aliens



BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
FANTASY/MUSICAL 

PLOT:  A live action remake of the classic animation of 1991

                Disney has stuck gold twice with the same movie.  Belle (Emma Watson, Harry Potter series) is a lover of books and through a series of events Belle must stay with the Beast.  They hate each other at first then begin to care for each other.  There are a few changes from the musical animation but it is good just as well.
The bad guy Gaston (Luke Evans) is very good playing a vain, macho creep.  If you enjoyed the animated film you will enjoy this as well. 

POWER RANGERS
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Five high school loners become superheroes.

                The original Mighty Morphing Power Rangers were very popular in the 90s and this is the reboot of the series and movie.  Instead of nice kids they are loners and outsiders who become friends become then superheroes and most important of all become a team to save the world.  Most of the cast are newcomers.  The two that are not are Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Godzilla 2014) as Zordan their leader and Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games) as  Rita Repulsa.  She is a comic villainess and she is very good. The special effects are amazing.  It is like the Power Rangers in the 90s, fun but forgettable. 

LIFE
SCI-FI/HORROR/THRILLER

PLOT:    Astronauts bring back a specimen from Mars.

                Six astronauts that includes Jake Gyllenhaal (South Paw), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible, Rogue Nation) who retrieves a sample from Mars.   Bad idea.  At first it is cute (it is shaped like a leech to me) then it grows into a blob-shaped octopus slithering over objects and killing the crew.  It is your typical don’t-bring-back-things-from-other planets scenio.  Nothing really stands out but the special effects and the eerie music.  It maybe a sequel but I really doubt it and when you watch the movie you can see why.  It will be better on video.


KC Web Developer

Monday, March 20, 2017

The Spring Blockbusters Cometh



GET OUT
HORROR/THRILLER

PLOT:    Successful black male meets his white girlfriend’s parents with scary results.
               
                Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Johnny English Reborn) is very much in love with Rose (Allison Williams, Girls HBO series) a pretty white woman.  They are getting serious and Rose wants him to meet her parents.  He is nervous for her folks doesn’t know he is African-American.  He goes anyway even when his good friend Rod (LilRel Howery, a stand-up comic) advises him not to go.  Big mistake for he starts seeing things that are very unsettling with the black maid and gardener.  He finally finds out what is going on and it is frightening!  Some people think it is slow because it is building to a creepy climax. There is a lot going on in this film. All the actors are great-especially Howery who is much needed comic relief and director Jordon Peele (part of Key and Peele-the one with the glasses who does skit comedy on Comedy Central) does a great job.
                                                                                                                                             
LOGAN
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  The final chapter of Wolverine.

                Logan (Hugh Jackman) is older and the adamantium is killing him yet he takes a job as a chauffeur and takes care of an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart).  A mysterious woman begs him to take a young girl Laura (Dafne Keen) to the Canadian border and they are endless hunted by the military to get the Laura back.  OMG!  This is not a POPCORN MOVIE!  There is humor but it is bloody, dark and grim.  It is a slow pace but when there is action it is a messy.  It is rated R for a very good reason.  Jackman is good for he can be human and horrifying too.  Keen mostly has a scowl on her face and when you watch the movie you will know why.  See it if you like Wolverine for Hugh Jackman says it’s his last(?).  If he did he ended it on a high but sad note.

KONG SKULL ISLAND
ACTION/ADVENTURE/SCI-FI

PLOT:    In 1973 scientists and military go to an island that doesn’t exit and finds monsters.

                First, let me say King Kong is not my favorite giant monster until I saw this movie!  He is seen more than my favorite giant monster Godzilla 2014.  King Kong in 1933 is 25 feet, this one is 100 feet.  The people are expendable but they do what they can.  No one is going to see this epic movie for acting.  The monster action is AMAZING and the finale is FANTASTIC!!!  If the upcoming film Godzilla Vs King Kong is as good as this-shut up and take my money!  Giant monsters fans REJOICE!.  Stay for the extra footage.


KC Web Developer

Monday, March 6, 2017

More Thrillers, Or Thrillingly Silly



THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
                                                                        ANIMATED                 

PLOT:  Batman as a Lego character.

                Batman (Will Arnett, Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles) loves being the lonely, anti-hero but he realizes he needs a team that’s like family to stop the evil Joker ( Zach Galifinakis) to from destroying Gotham City.  This movie is funny and shows Batman from the 60’s to now in funny ways. It has villains even from other movies. Arnett’s Batman is just great as the rest of the cast that includes Robin (Michael Cera), Batgirl (Rosario Dawson).  Kids and adults will enjoy this movie.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
ACTION

PLOT:  John Wick tries to retire again.

                John Wick (Keanu Reeves) wants to lead the quite life with his new dog, new home but an old friend needs his services so he has to kill a lot of people when there is a hit on him.  Story not a point in a movie like this but body count is.  The film is stylish and bloody.  There is a fight scene between Reeves and rapper Common that will become a classic.  Will there be a Chapter 3?  Only the fans can decide.  Action hounds your movie is HERE!

SLEEPLESS
ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:  Jamie Fox plays a cop. 
            
Jamie Fox plays Vincent a policeman who may or not be crooked.  He steals drugs from the top gangster and they retaliate by kidnapping his teenage son in front of him.  The movie was in theaters for a hot minute but is very good.  You as well as Fox don’t know what cops or federal agents to trust until the very end.  The action is good and the thrills are better.  You should see this if you are a Jamie Fox fan or action fan.

KC Web Developer

Friday, February 17, 2017

Darker Shades of Thriller



RESIDENT EVIL:  THE FINAL CHAPTER
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Alice must save the world again!

                Alice (Mia Jovovich) takes on zombies and tries to save earth from a man-made apocalypse by Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen).  The film is what you expect from the franchise-action packed, lots of the undead and a few monsters.  Jovovich is just an action babe!  Acting not really a requirement for films like these but she is intense and can handle herself with man or monster. If you like this movie series you will enjoy it but it may not be the last-wink, wink!

SPLIT
THRILLER

PLOT:  A mental ill man has 23 different personalities.

                Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McIvor) is his real name but the man has a problem.  He has 22 other characters inside of him.  One of them kidnaps three girls and isolated them and the young women try to escape.  Many people have seen movies with one person with many but not like this!  McIvor is just brilliant-if not for him it wouldn’t be good and the director M. Knight Shyamalan who did The Sixth Sense which I liked.  He directed many other movies but this is very good.  Minor spoiler –there is a “twist” in the film and a guest star action fans know.  It is a psychological thriller not Jason in Friday the 13th so don’t expect many killings but if you want to see something different this is it!

FIFTY SHADES DARKER
EROTIC ROMANCE

PLOT: The further adventure of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

                Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) couldn’t take Christian (Jamie Dorman) kinky fetishes so she leave him. Christian is used to getting what he wants so he pursues Ana.  She still wants him and gives him another chance but one of his ex-submissive (?) Leila (Bella Heathcote) is stalking Ana and the woman who got him into bondage Elena Lincoln (still sexy Kim Basinger) dislikes her. OMG!  At least it is funny.  

 Let me tell you how it goes:  funny, boring, sex scene repeat a few times, suspense, the end.  There is much talent in this movie from the stars to the director but again at least it’s funny.  This is not a critic movie, it’s a guilty pleasure.  African-Americans have Madea franchise, teens had Twilight Saga and young women have this!  It’s a girl’s night out movie with drinks provided!  


KC Web Developer

Friday, January 27, 2017

The Annual Black History Month Movies



MOONLIGHT 
DRAMA
                                                                                                                  
PLOT:  A black young boy grows up in a ghetto neighborhood.

                The movie is broken down into three parts first chapter, when Chiron is a young boy and is bullied because he is little and has to deal with his drug addict mother.  Second chapter, he is a teen and realizes he is not straight but still shy and still bullied.  Third chapter he is a well-built, chain-wearing gangster who is still has gay feelings.  The acting is amazing!  Most of the actors are unknown except for Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage, Hidden Figures), Naomie Harris (Monypenny in the latest James Bond movies) and Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures).  The film ask the  question is how tough it is to be a man, then a black man and on top of that being a gay black man.

HIDDEN FIGURES-2017
HISTORICAL DRAMA

PLOT:  The true story of three African American women who assisted NASA with the space missions in the 60s.

                All the science ladies Katherine G Johnson (Tarji Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) are brilliant mathematicians who help NASA get astronaut John Glenn into space.  It is a feel good movie with black women in the leads overcoming racism and sexism.  It is also a chick flick, true story with lots of humor and heart.  The movie is worth watching to see African American women than the usual stereotypes and all the acting is very, very good. 

FENCES - 2016
DRAMA

PLOT: The movie adaption of the play of the same name by August Wilson.

                Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) works as a garbage collector in the fifties.  His dream was to be a baseball player but he got too old to play.  He is married to his loyal wife Rose (Viola Davis) who deals with his drinking and plays ref between him and his son who wanted to play football.    It was rumored that Eddie Murphy in the 90’s when he was popular.  It was worth the wait for ALL the performances were excellent.  Not only did Washington star in the film he directed as well.

KC Web Developer

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Songs of Spies and Assassins



SING
ANIMATION

PLOT:  Talking animals enter a singing contest with hilarious results.
                                                                                                                                   
         Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) owns a theater and he has hit hard times so he decides to have a singing contest like American Idol and the lucky ones have problems of their own. The voice cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Scarlett Johansson. It is a great musical, the characters are cute and it is funny and heartfelt.  A MUST for all ages. 

ALLIED
ROMANTIC/ THRILLER

PLOT:  Two spies fall in love but should they.

      Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) is an agent for the US and he goes to Casablanca to meet another spy, French Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) in World War II.  They pretend to be married to assassinate an important German Ambassador.  They really do fall in love and Max takes her back to the states to marry and they have a child. He finds out something that can tear their family apart.  The film is very slow and sober and when there is action it is brief but intense.  The two leads are good.  It wasn’t promoted very much because of Brad Pitt’s messy divorce so if you blink you would miss it.  If you like old-fashion romance suspense you will like it. 

ASSASSIN'S CREED
ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  Another popular video game made into a film.
     
      Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) is a criminal and drifter.  Assuming he died but transferred in a facility that has a device, Amimus that regress memories and in his past life he is Agular who is in a secret society that protects The Apple of Eden which eliminates free will.  Whew!  Are you still with me?  The best part of the movie is the action which is fast and furious. If you play video games you may not like it but for those who don’t play the games might not like it either for there is a lot of material that is hard to believe.  Video games to movies must be hard to make for so many fail at the box office.  Many fans thought this movie would be a financial and fans would enjoy it but not this one.

     

KC Web Developer