The Billion Dollar Franchises Awaken

CREED

SPORTS DRAMA

PLOT:  Retired Rocky Balboa trains Apollo’s son.

                Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is older and alone then Apollo Creed’s son wants to be a fighter and wants Rocky to train him. Soon they form a bond. Michael B. Jordan is great as Adonis Creed and Stallone is fantastic as the now father figure Rocky.  The boxing is brutal!  No two fighters can last as long with the punches they exchange in the movies.  You have seen these kinds of movies before but this one is well made.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR

ANIMATED

PLOT:  Arlo is lost dinosaur and will do anything to find his family and meets a young cave boy who    becomes his friend.

                The animation and the music are great.  It had funny moments but this film is frightening for young children!  Bugs are used as musical instruments or eaten!  It is rough stuff so if you do bring your kids be warned.

               

PEANUTS MOVIE

ANIMATED

PLOT:  Charlie Brown and friends are back on the big screen.

                Charlie Brown, that lovable failure is back in 3D animation and it is good.  There is really no story.  It is nostalgia about the characters and situations that made Peanuts wonderful.  All ages will like it and some will love it.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY

PLOT:  The first of the new Star Wars saga.

                It has been 30 years since the end of Darth Vader and the Empire but there is a new enemy emerging named the First Order led by the evil Kylo Ren to crush the resistance.  If you are not a Star Wars fan you will enjoy this movie!  It is epic and action packed.  If you are a Star Wars fan you love this movie!  Why?    It is new and nostalgia.  Some people will be disappointed because it is not completed in this film but it is the first of a new series.  You will learn more in each film.  Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver are great as new characters to the franchise as well as Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

Family Faction and Action Gets Traction

SPECTRE

ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT:  The 24^th James Bond movie.

                First of all, the meaning of the evil organization named SPECTRE Special Executive for Counter Intelligence Terrorism Revenge and Extortion.  James Bond (Daniel Craig) last as 007.  The group is lead by Blodfeld (Christoph Waltz) and his reason to hurt Bond is professional as well as personal.  It is a great movie if you haven’t seen a current James Bond movie.  The opening sequence is just amazing and the fight scene with former wrestler Dave Bautista (Mr. Hinx) brutal.  There are slow spots helping you with the story.  It is worth to watch.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2

ANIMATED

PLOT:  The sequel to Hotel Transylvania.

                You don’t have to see the first movie to understand this one.  Mavis (Selena Gomez) Dracula’s daughter married a human and Dracula (Adam Sandler) wants his grandson  to be more monster than human.  The movie is very funny, delightful and in a strange way teaching children accepting people or creatures as they are. It is delightful for all ages.

HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY PART 2

ACTION/SCI-FI

PLOT:  The final chapter of Hunger Game series.

                Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) knows who the enemy is now and he is President Snow (Donald Southerland) and wants to kill him but is he really the bad guy?  Our heroine has to deal with death, deception and worship.  It is the saddest ending to a franchise I have ever seen.  The trailer is so misleading for the other three movies are a building up and you would expect an action-packed ending and it is not that.  The novels I know are better.  The writer is trying to say something important and does but it is grim throughout.  If you enjoyed the other films you will like this one but if you didn’t  don’t go.