Frozen Rated: G

Tory Says: 

I am a Disney fanatic…really I am. I love Disney movies, I go to Disneyland almost every year and even my toddler is in love with Mickey Mouse! So of course I just HAD to go see Frozen.

Wow! Wow…did I mention WOW! For me, this is in the top 5 animated Disney movies of all time. (Not counting Pixar films.) I want to just take over a theater for a day and watch it over and over and over…but that’s just not possible. I might be the first person in line to buy it when it comes out though.

Frozen is about two sisters who are princesses. One sister, Elsa has magical powers to control ice and snow while her sister Anna is just a normal, rambunctious girl. One day, there is an accident and Anna is hurt by Elsa’s powers. So Elsa (through her choice but more her parents) is separated into another room in their castle so she can learn to control and not hurt anyone with her powers. Also, Anna’s memories of magic are stripped so she has no idea Elsa has powers. Well one day, when Elsa’s secret gets out and she is shunned from the kingdom. Upset and feeling alone, she runs away leaving the kingdom in eternal winter. Anna goes after her sister to try to talk her into stopping the winter. Along the way she makes friends with Kristoff an ice dealer, Sven, his trusty reindeer and Olaf a lovable snowman who was brought to life with Elsa's powers.

Of course it has the great Disney lessons about love, trust and friendship. Nothing too scary (my toddler was just fine seeing it) and beyond fantastic music! I can’t rave about this one enough. My absolute favorite part is that Anna (our heroine) is not a pushover. She is a quirky, clumsy and daring princess. A wonderful role model for little girls. I’ve noticed Disney has been doing this lately and I love it!!! (Ex. Brave, Tangled, Frozen…) My husband and I have seen it twice. My niece (who is 4) is obsessed and so is my sister. I’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t love it! GO SEE IT! Take your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents…they will love it too. If I could give this an 11 I would but I do give it a 10 out of 10. A must see and a must own. 

Cat Says:

Our family are huge Disney fans so it was hard to wait until Christmas Day to go see this film especially since everyone I knew had been to see it several times already! So it was with much anticipation that we went to go see it and it didn't let us down.

Tory outlined the story above so I don't need to go over it again. We've been a fan of Idina Menzel (Elsa here) since Enchanted but had never heard Kristen Bell (Anna here) sing before. It was wonderful! This is a true musical...in other words, dialog that would be spoken is often sung here instead, so there is a lot of singing going on for the entire film. The songs are catchy so be prepared to go get the soundtrack or head out to itunes for your favorites.

But it's the story here that will touch you. Two little girls who are brought up in such seclusion and how they are each frustrated by their circumstances. Because of this they don't make great decisions when they are faced with real life situations but they have had to rely upon themselves for so long that they are able to figure it all out in the end. And this is what I love about this film. That the princesses don't "need" some guy to come save them. They save themselves. Add in a singing snowman and you have a winner!

I give it an 8 out of 10. Not my favorite Disney musical but right up there in the top 5!

Barbara Says:

As a lover of these kind of films it is hard to disappoint me with one.  I enjoyed Frozen and some of the songs were very good. The movie had funny areas too and I liked those.  Well made and beautiful scenes. But as an older woman did not as get as caught up as others in my family did.  Sorry, but loved The Little Mermaid or The Princess and The Frog a whole lot more. Now do not get me wrong here. It is a good movie and you should go see it for sure on the big screen so those beautiful scenes are in their full glory. The girl being kept away because she is different from others has a good lesson for young people at most but for older ones as well.  The fact that you can still love those people is a lesson a great deal of people could learn.  Also, that something that looks terrible on the surface can be turned into something good if you just try would be great for people to come to grips with too.     People give up too easy today (would never have made it in the early days of Indians and covered wagons) and need to learn a little more to fight on till the end and change the outcome.  Nothing is ever final, except death.  And love, well , love is most definitely the answer to all our troubles in this world. Out of 10 I would give it a 7 for story and a 10 for beauty

Hours Rated: PG-13

Tory Says:

I’m a huge Paul Walker fan and was devastated to hear of his passing on November 30^th. In the two weeks following his death both Fast & Furious 6 (DVD) and Hours (Limited Theaters) were released.

I had been very much looking forward to Hours and I wasn’t disappointed. Hours is about a father, played by Walker, who loses his wife to childbirth during Hurricane Katrina. His daughter is born but is 5 weeks early and must be in an incubator for 48 hours to survive. Due to the force of the hurricane, the hospital is evacuated but he refuses to leave his daughter. A nurse promises to come back with help so he stays…and then the power goes out. There is a backup battery but it is faulty and he must hand crank a generator every 3 minutes to keep the power going and keep his daughter alive.

Even if Walker had been alive, this would have been an intense movie. There are a few funny parts but for the most part, very serious. One of his better films. Few actors could pull off this much screen time alone but he does it very well! I felt like I was there, holding my breath for the whole film. As a parent I totally understand the lengths to which you are willing to go for your child.

It was perfectly timed too. Only 90 minutes long or so. By the time I thought “Ok. This has to be over soon, right?”…it only had a few minutes left. This is not a film for kids or honestly, anyone under 16. I only say that because there is some violence and I don’t think they would appreciate the subject matter. I think they would be bored. For adults though, I recommend it. Is it Oscar worthy…eh…I’m not sure. Is it worth it? YES! I give it an 8.5 out of 10. Only because I found myself wanting a little more at the end.

 

SPOILER ALERT:**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

 It DOES have a good ending.

The Worlds End Rated: R

Tory Says:

My review for this is simple. Did you like Shaun of the Dead? Did you like Hot Fuzz? If you answered yes, go see The World’s End. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are just as hilarious in this one as they were in the first two. Only this time, they have a slightly bigger cast to help.

The plot for this one is pretty easy to follow. Five high school friends attempted an epic pub crawl called “The Golden Mile” on the day of their graduation. Their goal was to get to “The World’s End” (the last pub on the list of 12) but they didn’t get very far before all of them had to give up. 20 years later, they have almost no contact at all. Gary (Simon Pegg), a total screw-up who was their leader, hasn’t changed much since high school while the rest of them have grown up and moved on with their lives. One day, Gary has the idea to get them all back together to go to their hometown and finish “The Golden Mile.” Reluctantly they all agree (with some trickery and persuasion by Gary.) What started as a mission to get to “The World’s End” actually ends up being a fight for survival from the body snatching “robots” that have taken over the town!

I spent the first part of the movie waiting. There is always that part in the other films. (If you’ve seen them you know what I’m talking about.) That part where is goes from totally normal British film to ridiculous and hilarious! I felt like it took a little bit longer to get to that part but well worth it.

As usual, this film is way over the top and side-splittingly funny! However, it did seem to have much more explicit language than the others. I think the “F” word is in almost every line if not every 3 lines. So this is NOT appropriate for kids under 17. The violence aspect actually isn’t too bad because when the robots “bleed” they bleed what looks like blue paint and when they get smashed apart, it looks like an egg cracking or exploding. So nothing truly horrifying. However, the language is just insane! (I think if they ever show this on TV they will have to re-shoot the film to clean it up! Lol)

We saw it after an exhausting day so it was nice to just sit and watch something fun! Plus we got a date movie out of it which is rare! I would happily give this a 7.5 out of 10. I think some of the language could have been taken out. It wasn’t as good as Hot Fuzz but better than Shaun of the Dead for me. Like I said, if you liked those, go see this one and just enjoy!!

Thanks For Sharing Rated: R

Barbara Says:

Addictions...we all have them of one kind or another.  Some are ones you can tell people about and others you hide very carefully. This is what the movie `Thanks for Sharing' is about..'addictions.'  The kind we can accept and the kind we think is a joke or cop-out.  This movie has some very good actors.  Tim Robbins,Gwyneth Paltrow,Mark Ruffalo and Patrick Fugit.  It deals with drinking,drugs. and sex addictions.  Mark Ruffalo plays a guy with a sex problem who has been on the wagon for 5 years. He meets a woman he really likes and then knows he has to tell her about his past.  But he knows this is an addiction people laugh about and do not believe is real. And most definitly not a problem. But it is not only a very real problem but one that can destroy your life. Patrick Fugit plays a younger version caught in the undertow of the same addiction and going down for the last time. It is funny at times and you feel so sad for them too.  Trying not to think about sex all day is like trying not to drink when you work in a bar.   There was one line in the movie thats very funny and I will remember it. Mark tells Tim he has all these feelings that are driving him crazy.  Tim tells him``feelings are like children..you don`t want them driving the car but you can`t stuff them in the trunk either. Deal with them." That is so very true.  This a very adult movie but it is a thinking person`s movie too.  It gives us a good insight into the everyday problems those with these serious addictions must handle without going down.  We enjoyed it and recommend it those who want a funny,tender and serious movie for a change. Out of 10 I gave it a good 8 for acting and content.

Cat Says:

First of all, I love Indies. We don't get many in our part of the state because we are a "small" market. So I'm happy for the ones we do get. We headed out to go see this movie not really knowing what is was about and only knowing the Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and Gwenyth Paltrow were in it. What we got was a very good movie.

Ok, to break it down for you. Ruffalo is a recovering sex addict. He's been 5 years "sober". This means no sex or sexual contact of any sort for 5 years. Robbins plays his sponsor who also had substance abuse issues as well as the sexual addiction. Add in there Josh Gad who plays a fairly messed up addict who is just starting to attend the meetings and not succeeding in his recovery efforts and you have 3 guys who are trying to make their way through this very difficult process. Ruffalo meets Paltrow and, for the first time in 5 years, he has a relationship which leads to sex which confuses the issue and his recovery greatly. Robbins is still married but, while being a wonderful guidepost for those he helps, still has many unresolved issues in his own family with his wife and grown son. Gad meets and mentors Pink (yes, the singer) who plays a substance and sex addict trying to find her way in an environment that is mostly made up of men. Gad's character is able to help her, and she is able to help him, just by being a platonic touchstone. All of these stories are touching, sweet, and evlolving. All of the characters are interesting, entertaining, heartbreaking, flawed, damaged and real. 

Due to the subject matter it is very adult. There are scenes that include masterbation, sex acts, pornography and nudity. Fortunately they don't go terribly far with any of these scenes. They are supposed to make you feel uncomfortable while they give more details about each of the characters. This does make the film for 17 and older. I give it an 8 out of 10. Doesn't need to be seen on the big screen but very good.

The Book Thief Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

The Book Thief is one of those movies you had better take tissues with you.  But, my oh my, is it good. We were very taken with the story and the actors. Of course, Geoffrey Rush is always great at whatever he does. But the girl, Liesel, (Sophie Nelisse) and the boy, Rudy, (Nico Liersch )were just wonderful as children who form a close friendship during the rise of Hitler.  She has lost her brother to death and her mother to being very poor.  She goes to live with Geoffery Rush and Emily Watson and meets her next door neighbor, Rudy. Along the way they shelter a young Jewish man, Max (Ben Schnetzer), from the troopers. The whole story is narrated by DEATH talking about how he becames interested in Liesel on the train when he came for her brother. It is a story of friendship, love, hardship, lost and how to endure when everything seems to have gone to hell in front of your eyes. It shows how some people even though they love you find it impossible to show it. It reminds us of how entire countries can become blinded by hate and thus destroy themselves.  Out of 10 I give this one a 12.  I will long remember it.


Cat Says:

I went into this movie knowing just the bare bones outline of the story, what I had seen in the trailers and a warning from a friend that it's an emotional rollercoaster but ends well. It is a sweet story about how people during the 40's were forced to place their children up for adoption and what happens to the children. The couple (Rush and Watson) think they are adopting two children but only one, Liesel, survives the journey to their home. Rosa (Watson) is disappointed that it wasn't the boy who survived so she has a very gruff exterior for Liesel to penetrate but Hans (Rush) is immediately kind and loving and giving. His helping Liesel to read is one of the most touching things I have seen in film. 

The title refers to that reading quest. Rosa does the laundry for the Burgermeister in town and his wife, having lost her own son who was a voracious reader, decides to share their library with Liesel. At this time the Nazi's are beginning to round up the Jews for the camps so Hans and Rosa take in a young man for shelter. Max and Liesel become fast friends as he recovers from an illness. Their bond takes a brother/sister level and when Max becomes so ill, hiding in the freezing basement, and almost dies, Liesel makes it her mission to keep him going by any means and the best one she knows of is the stories that she reads outloud to him. When the Burgermeister calls a halt to Liesel using his library she is forced to climb into their window and borrowing books to read to Max, always being careful to return the books when she gets a new one.

Her friendship with the next door neighbor boy, Rudy, is never really fleshed out because they spend so much time on the parental relationship growing between Hans and Liesel and Rosa and Liesel as well as the growing brother-like relationship with Max that they run out of time to fully develop the friendship with Rudy which leaves you to feel like you are missing a whole bunch of the story. Based on a book, this is clearly part of it that they glossed over in the movie making process.

As the war takes a turn for the worse for the Nazi's it brings the bombing of Germany home to Liesel and her family. The ending of the film is also rather rushed. For an hour and a half you get the very slow movement of how Liesel came to live there, how those relationships grew in the shadow of the war and highlights from that such as the book burning parties they would stage for the towns. The last half hour is quickly showing how fast life can change on a dime and how Liesel's life ended up decades later.

The most interesting view of this movie is the narrator. It is told from the view of Death. He speaks of how he first came into Liesel's life when he came to collect the life of her brother on their journey to Hans and Rosa. Then he follows from there with how he returns into her life from time to time and ends with when he finally comes to collect her life in her old age. It really is a very wonderful approach to the movie and sets up that there will be very sad moments to come in the film. 

But, as my friend let me know, it does end happily for Liesel even though she loses a lot along the way. It's a sweet slow moving film that tries hard to show as much as it can about the world Liesel grew up in at that period in her life in a short amount of time. I have a feeling that the book version of this would reveal a whole lot more that is missing here. For this reason it gets an 8 out of 10 from me. I just kept thinking that, while well written, well acted and cinematically beautiful, it isn't well balanced story-wise or time-wise. I would have rather had an other half hour added to the film time and actually have the weaker parts expanded and the ending not so rushed.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Rated: PG-13

Tory Says:

I am a Harry Potter and Twilight geek to the core. I was expecting to LOVE The Hunger Games. I liked the first one but wasn’t jumping to go see Catching Fire. However, I’m so glad I did. I actually loved this one. I haven’t read the books so I can’t give that comparison but I was on the edge of my car’s seat (I saw it at the drive-in) almost the whole time!

The acting was SO much better in this one. I’m a big Jennifer Lawrence fan and this role feels made for her. The relationship with Peeta is a complicated one and the story line for this film definitely leaves you wanting more! There are moments of emotion that make you want to cry. I almost lost it when she is sent back into the arena. Without giving anything away, they tug on some heartstrings during that part. Jenna Malone as Johanna was fantastic! I truly enjoyed her performance. She had the perfect combo of smart aleck, angst and bad ass. Lol

As soon as it was over, I wanted to stay for the next show. It really was that good. Those I have talked to who have read the book say that this film nailed it! Let me put it this way, it was SO good that I went home and started reading the series. I can’t wait to get to this book and the next as well. There is a bit of a cliff hanger at the end of this film so beware if you haven’t read the books. I’m excited to see how this story will end up. No different from the first Hunger Games as far as your kid being able to see it but for ones who haven’t read the books, the cliffhanger maybe confused or upset them so keep that in mind. I’m giving this one a 9 out of 10. I can’t wait to own it! I’m already betting that I’ll see it again before it leaves theaters.

Cat Says:

I am the only one out of the three of us who has read all three books. For the "fan boys" out there this will not disappoint. The outline of the movie is that it picks up where the last one left off. If all three books were put together into one this would be the middle section. The first part of the book would be the set up. Introducing the concept and the world that they live in and what they face. This second part, the middle part, shows you what happens after the first games ended and how Katniss brings about a revolution on her own. The Capital tries to slow her down by throwing her and Peta back into the games but this is the beginning of the end for the Capital and everyone knows it. The movie ends at a part that feels unfinished. A cliffhanger. Sort of like you stopped reading right in the last third of a great book. It is set up for the third section of the story which will be told in two movies. Those are the ones I'm dying to see and find out how they manage to translate it onto the big screen because, in the books, the effects are just SO fantastic! For those who have not read the books please do brace yourself for an abrupt ending to this movie. But it's SO worth it. 

For those of you with kids. The first games were a lot more brutal than what they show in the second movie. The other victors are not really the danger here, the Capital bent on killing them all is the real threat. These effects can be very scary for smaller kids but the movie, as a whole, isn't as violent. 

My only regret is that they didn't flesh out the newer characters as much as I would have liked but at over 2 hours in length they really just didn't have the time or it would have ended up being a 3 hour movie. All of them are very interesting characters and my favorite, Finnick, (played by Sam Claflin) has a larger role in the third book so it would have been nice to have seen more of his character fleshed out a bit.So for this it loses a point. I give it an 8 out of 10. See it on the big screen if you can! Definitely go get the books so you can catch up with what they didn't have the time to show in the movies!


Barbara Says:

Some have said this movie did not have enough action but for me it was just right. I watched it on just about every lunch break and saw the movie completely twice. The entire cast is perfect in their roles..even the villans. In my eyes at least, Donald Sutherland is one of the best old time actors.  As for Jennifer Lawrence, she is a up and coming young actor who will go far if she does not let it all go to her head.  Only 21 and she has it all.  This second in the series of Hunger Games is mostly setting up the coming last two.  Yes, you read it correctly.  The last will be broken into two movies so they can get everything into it. One woman came out of watching this one and was very upset about how it ended.  When I reminded her there were others coming she replied "Yes,in a year.''  I do know where she is coming from because a year is a long time in my life too.  But I keep wandering away from the facts of this movie.  It keeps you guessing on just what Katniss feels for Peta.  I, at my age have come to know you can love two people at the same time..just in different ways for different reasons. There are a few surprises for those who have not read the books (I have not) and so makes for a very good time.  I like this series (never cared for Twilight series) and the actors are very good .  So will look forward to next year and The Uprising.  I give this one a 9 out of 10 rating.

Thor: The Dark World Rated: PG-13

Tory Says:

I saw this one because my husband wanted to and because it looked better than the first which I barely remember. This one is SO much better. At least this one felt like it had a real story line.

 

Once every 5,000 years the 9 realms of Asgard align, including Earth. In London, Jane Foster and her crew find a portal that has been created between the realms. While Jane is investigating the portal she comes in contact with a substance called Aether. After 2 years, Thor is drawn back to Earth and after realizing that Jane is infected with the Aether, takes her back to Asgard to be cured. Unfortunately it draws more than just Jane there including another being called Malekith who wants to use the Aether to destroy Asgard. Thor must call upon his imprisoned brother, Loki, for help to save the realms.

 

For me, Loki actually makes this movie. He is such a wonderful smart aleck and trickster. All his one liners had us cracking up! The special effects are done well and I never felt “bored” like I did with the first. I actually remember the plot to this one and would see it again!  I think whether you liked the first Thor film or not, you should see this one. It felt more like “The Avengers” which was fantastic! If your kids saw Thor or The Avengers, they can see this one. So I would give it a 7.5 out of 10. Good and I would see it again but I don’t feel I need to own it.

Captain Phillips Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

Why is the theater not packed with people to see this movie??? It is a seat clutching, gut wrenching, nail biting movie with the best acting Tom Hanks has ever done and that is saying something.  I knew how it ended and it did not matter because I was so caught up in it that I was lost.  The only other movie that has done that was Argo with Ben Affleck.  And have to say it: this was even better.  

You come to know these people, even the pirates.  And, in our case, to care about one of them so much you want him to live. The story, in case you were living in a cave when this all went done a few years ago, is about Somali pirates taking an American freighter in the Somali straight. They try to anyway. You even get to see the pirates beforehand and how they became involved in this tragedy. How in some ways, they were not unlike children in their behavior.  You see Captain Phillips emotions so clearly with Hanks`s portrayal and the very real fear he will not live through this to see his family again.  What these people cannot understand is that the United States does not pay a ransom and will end the problem in a final way if pushed to that end.

Go see this movie on the big screen before it is gone because you get the impact so much more.  I simply cannot tell you how well done this movie was or how much it sends the message that the world is a dangerous place.   I give this film an 11 out of 10.  And hope to see Tom Hanks up for an Oscar.

Ender's Game Rated:PG-13

Barbara Says:

This stars a newcomer, or at least he is to us. Asa Butterfield did an amazing job as a young boy in training to fight aliens who, he is told, have attacked Earth before and are massing for another attack. He is quick to see paths other do not and believes in putting on on such a fight that his enemy never returns. But he finds he has been lied to and it just about does him in because he cannot live with what he has done. I will not say what it is so it is a big surprise for you too. 

This movie uses the fact that so many of our young people are very adept at computer games of war. It also stars Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Ben Kingsley. The movie ran a bit of a different path with a few twists that made it interesting and enjoyable. My friend and I found it worth watching and, out of 10, I would give it a 7.

RUSH Rated:R

Cat Says:

I remember, as a kid, my dad loving Mario Andretti. I even remember the accident that set Niki Lauda on fire. But, honestly, I didn't remember how that season ended up. Knowing I wanted to go see this movie I made the decision not to go look the result up. I'm very glad I did that. 

Quickly, this film is about the 1976 Formula 1 racing season and the two drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, who were in the top two spots the entire season. In Days of Thunder they focused on the personal story the most and then there were a few racing scenes. As much as I love that film I was really hoping for a bit more of a balance between the personal story and the racing story of these two men. Happily I can say that the balance is perfect.

The film begins with both men entering the racing scene and how they moved up the ranks. Neither guy is perfect. Lauda is nicknamed The Rat. Part of this is for his looks and part is for his demeanor. He's not the kindest or most emotional guy in the world. Daniel Bruhel is perfection in this role. You do get to see the chinks in the armor of this man. You see how he lived his life, how he fell in love and found out what life is all about. You also get to see his fierce determination and how that made him into a world class jerk as well as a world class driver. Hunt is a playboy.  Played perfectly by Chris Hemsworth (yes, the guy from Thor) he is portrayed as a womanizer, a "live every day as if it were you last" kind of guy. Live wild, live crazy, drive yourself harder than you drive your car and, if it ends, then it ends and what a wild ride it was. He's handsome, charming and, basically a real jerk. But, as the movie progresses, you get to see how he finds out who he is, why he does what he does and how he comes to deeply appreciate the relationship he and Lauda find themselves in as the years go by. 

The racing scenes are intense. The accidents are graphic and are meant to be disturbing. There is sex, drug use and a big party scene that add to the fact that this film isn't for kids. Older teens who are into cars or racing could love it but I would say it's not appropriate for 15 and under. We really loved this film and I can not say one bad thing about it. It gets a rare 10 out of 10 from me. One of those I would have gladly just stayed in my seat to watch again. No surprise that Ron Howard is at the helm on this one. It is a racing masterpiece.

Instructions Not Included Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

Instructions Not Included is this years sleeper movie. Right off let me say that out of 10 we gave it an 11. Several reasons for that high a mark.  It did something very few movies can do with me..surprised me.  I read a LOT and see a lot of movies.  So plots are something I can figure out pretty quick.  It does not mean I then do not enjoy the movie it just means I can guess where it is going and how it will end. It starts off in Mexico with a free living ,free loving guy who has no plans to ever be anything else. We learn how and why he got that way.  But one day his door bell rings and he is handed a baby and asked for 10.00 to pay the cabbie by the mother, who does not come back to collect the baby.   He learns the old girlfriend has gone to Los Angeles and  he takes off after her to give the baby back. Well, things do not go as he plans...at all.  He ends up raising her and taking a stunt job to care for her.  This movie is very funny and sweet and caring. But it is heart breaking when mom shows up after 6 years to collect her daughter.    The father, played by Mexican actor Eugenio Derbezhas, to fight for her in court and the daughter played by Jessica Lindsey is in awe of having a mother so the fight is a hard one.  But there is a twist that I will not even hint at because it makes this movie what it is..a heart breaker and a box of tissues kind.  The people we passed as we left were all talking about how much they had liked it. My friend said she had to fight not to start sobbing and I agreed.   This is a movie I could go right back tomorrow and watch again even though I know the ending, which believe me, is not what you think. So make the time to go see this movie which is of course in both Spanish (with sub-titles) and in English. The sub-titles were nice in that they are big enough to read easily. I will long remember this one.

Cat Says:

Living where we do we don't get a lot of "Indies" much less foreign films. I'm one of those who don't mind subtitles and a great deal of this movie is in subtitles but takes place in California. The story is a sweet, if contrived, story of a playboy who gets saddled with a baby and ends up trying to raise her himself. Of course the mother returns to muck things up a bit but by the end of the movie that is resolved.

Now let me tell you what is good about this movie. I loved the message of it. The idea that you may not be ready to be a parent and it's an on the job training situation but that you can be a great parent if you commit yourself to it. 99% of the movie is fun, hysterically funny, touching, sweet and wonderful. It's the 1% that will mean I will never watch it again. Up till the very last 2 minutes of the movie I was all set to give this a 9. But the last 2 minutes dropped it to a 7. If you don't mind bad endings, sad endings, truly downer endings then this movie is very much worth watching. If not then skip this one or watch it when you are already in a heartbreaking mood and needing a good cry.

SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ FARTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE END!

****************************************************************

You go on this wonderful journey with this man from the dropping of the baby on his doorstep to his daughters mother coming back and wanting a relationship, his court battle to keep his daughter only to have her die in the last 2 minutes. That's right...they kill of the child! Apparently she had an issue in her brain that meant she could slip into a coma or die at any moment. The idea is that they are adding the message that no matter how short of a time you have someone you love in your life that it is worth the loving. This is supposed to be the "real life" touch for a movie that was anything but real life based. For me, personally, I have enough real life and real life loss...I don't need to go to the movies to see that. 

Planes Rated: PG

Tory Says:

Like most little kids, especially boys, my son is obsessed with cars, trains and planes! He loved Disney’s Cars (both the first and second) and with planes being a new obsession, we were dying to take him to see Disney’s Planes.

 

“Planes” is about a crop-dusting plane with a fear of heights that dreams of competing in the “Around the World” plane race. The catch is he is actually good! With the help of some old and new friends Dusty learns that being the good guy doesn’t always mean you finish last!

 

Was it as cute as the first Cars? No. Was it cute and better than Cars 2? Yes!!! My son (who is almost 2 ½ ) loved it! He was happy with all the bright colors, music and of course, planes!! There was just enough humor for me and my husband and even our friend and her 21 month old daughter enjoyed it!

For me it was exactly what I expected. Some humor for the little ones, some humor only the adults would probably catch and everyone learns a lesson at the end. My favorite character is actually El Chupacabra because he is too funny and always trying too hard to win the heart of the girl! (Don’t worry, Dusty helps him to be himself!)

 

It was very cute. I give it a solid 7.5 because my kid made it all the way through it. Not the best Disney film but certainly not the worst! And suitable for ALL ages!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says: 

While I am not a fan of vampires/werewolves/and not really human beings type of movies we had nothing else to go see.   And, as we were leaving, we realized the movie had been 2 hours long and we had not been aware of it.  So we started to pick it apart and came to the conclusion we had enjoyed it.  Surprise!  The movie has only one or two actors I even knew and a group of young ones I did not. But we agreed they did a very good job of acting. There was an interesting story and not a bunch of bloody scenes to gross one out (such as myself who does not care for vampires,at all) and a sweet love story with the twist that was needed to make it an impossible one. Actually looking forward to the second one. Told by my daughter there are 3 Twilight films. Cannot claim to have watched any of the movies with the woman who shall remain nameless (lol) and her vampire lover and the werewolf who loved her too. Because they just looked to be not worth my time and money. Cannot say I liked anyone of the actors in it either.  But did like the ones in this movie.This is a group of Shadowhunters who find and destroy demons that live among us. The Shadowhunters cannot be seen by humans. While killing one such demon, one of them is seen by what seems to be a human and, knowing it is not possible, he follows her.  It turns out she the most powerful Shadowhunter of them all and does not know it because her mother took her and hid her. Her father has been trying to find her because she holds the clue to a cup he needs to control the entire underworld. All in all, I give it a good 7 because it held my attention for 2 hours. 

Cat Says:

We went to go see this movie the other day simply because there wasn't anything out there to see and we wanted to get out of the house and see a movie. I'm a fan of Jonathan Rhys Meyers so I figured, what the heck, why not give it a try and hope it wasn't worse than Twilight. I know, I know, there are a lot of Twilight fans out there, I'm just not one of them. The main reason being the cast. I didn't have that issue with this film.

This movie is a mash up of Twilight, Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lily Collins (Singer Phil Collins daughter) plays Clary. Like in Potter and Buffy, Clary has no idea that she is a Shadow Hunter (part human, part angel that hunts demons) until suppressed childhood memories break through. She suddenly can see other Shadow Hunters who are invisible to the regular human eye and it, well, understandably freaks her out. She has a best friend who, of course, is in love with her, named Simon (Robert Sheehan plays this role with just enough geekiness and just enough on-the-edge-of hunkiness that it makes it more fun) and she finds herself in an uncomfortable situation, not really a love triangle, with the Shadow Hunter, Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower plays this role convincingly but he's not really Hollywood beautiful so it's more interesting too) who decides to help her out even before learning who she is.

She finds out that she has been suppressing some pretty powerful memories including who her father is (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who is hunky as always with that edge of evil attached) and how her mother, who is kidnapped in the beginning, hid them both for years and how this fits into his scheme and the whole puzzle. When the puzzle finally comes together and all of the pieces fit Clary finds herself having to save her mother and her world. Not the big scale problem of saving THE world but you get the feeling that saving her world is just the tip of the iceberg and that we are going to see another installment in this story. They do wrap this one up neatly though so if it ends up being the only one you won't be left hanging.

The special effects are very good. There are times when you know that what you are looking at isn't real but it sure looks real! There is violence, of course, in the battle scenes but they don't get gory with it and killing is pretty much hidden from camera view while getting the point across that this is what is happening. The demons are gross and creepy at times but, like the violence, it's brief. Because of this I think you can go a few years under the "13" of the rating if you have a 9 year old or older who wants to go see it.

The issues here are really with the lightweight Stephanie Meyer/Twilight type script writing (and since this is also based on a "teen" book series by Cassandra Clare) I guess that is to be expected) which will make you roll your eyes from time to time or think "wow, he actually said that with a straight face!" moments but they are brief and mildly distracting. The movie is 2 hours and 10 minutes long and it never felt like it was dragging or too long so I always find that to be a good sign especially when I am watching a movie that is a genre I don't usually like. I give it a solid 8 out of 10. Do you need to go see it in the theater, well, no, it could wait for DVD. BUT, and especially, if this is a genre you normally go to see then I think you will love it and it will be even better on the Big Screen!

Lee Daniels:The Butler Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

History has always been one of my favorite things.  I am a firm believer in the knowledge that to make a better future - then learn from the past. Just by being the kind of man he was, he made people think about WHAT he was. A black man with a pride in his work and a passion to make a better life for those he loved then the one he had to endure as a boy. From field hand to house "nigga" (they use this term in the movie in order to make you feel the uncomfortable feelings he felt and keep it realistic) to hotel servant to butler in the White House.  This was this mans road to travel.  Forest Whitaker has always been one of those actors that Hollywood over looks because he makes it look so easy.  He can say more with one glance at someone then ten words can do.  You feel his pain as a man who must see and listen to powerful men discuss what they will or will not do to help people of his color. When Jack Kennedy is shot the real sense of loss he feels is clear and when Jackie gives him a tie her husband loved he treasures it like diamonds.  The love he feels for both his sons comes back to wound him deeply.  The older son played by David Oyelowo does a great piece of work here as someone trying to change the world around him and paying a high price to do it.   Oprah Winfrey, as the wife who spends too much time alone but still loves her husband a great deal, does a very good job of her role. You can feel her suffering as she drowns  in liquor and an affair.  All in all, this is a quite movie that will tear at your heart if you have one. It brought both of us to tears several times. To know that your fellow humans can treat someone as these people have been (and still are) being treated makes me ashamed .  How can we talk about what some other country  is doing to their people when this one continues to look down on someone for the color of their skin is shameful. If you are a courageous  person who believes in Life, Liberty,and the pursuit of Happiness for everyone regards of the color, race or religion go see this movie and I dare you to walk away from it without a feeling of shame for the way they were and still are in some cases treated. This man served faithfully through several presidents for a great many years and was well regarded by them.    These are the stories I love to watch on the big screen.  The Butler is a movie worth spending your money on. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Blackfish Rated: PG-13

I have loved the ocean all my life. When Free Willy came out in 1993, I fell head over heels in love with these amazing Orcas (also known as Killer Whales.) When I saw an article about a new Orca documentary called Blackfish that was really getting under the skin of Sea World, I knew I had to see it!

The documentary mostly follows the history of Tilikum, a male Orca weighing over 12,000 pounds. He is the largest whale in captivity to date and has been linked to at least 3 people’s deaths. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, this documentary is a highly critical look at the treatment of Orcas at Sea World parks over the years. It starts with him being captured as a young Orca, his journey to different parks, the attacks that have happened over the years and most especially, his part in the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau who was killed during a 2010 show at Sea World.

It was a very powerful documentary. I considered myself to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject of Orcas. After watching this documentary, I realized just how little I actually knew. I thought this would be a documentary where the director shoved a microphone and camera in people’s faces and accused them of their crimes…but I was wrong. There is no “hounding people”, no “stalking” or rushing up to people to get the story. It is told mostly from the point of view of 4 former Sea World trainers, other interviews and never before seen footage. I don’t recall hearing the director’s voice at all.

I think it is hard for me to give this a “number” rating so I think I will give it a letter…an A! I never felt like this was Cowperthwaite’s view of things, I felt like she was very impartial but wanted to bring light to this subject. Sea World seems to have gotten away with a lot in the past and she wanted to make sure people saw the truth. In the end, I feel most sorry for the victims and for Tilikum, not Sea World. I was impressed with how tactful it was in regards to the trainer who lost her life. There was nothing disrespectful in it at all except for the fact that Sea World blamed her for her death and not Tilikum. As a matter of fact, I left the theater feeling ashamed that I had gone to Sea World San Diego last year.

I don’t think for a second that I would consider taking anyone under the age of 16 to see this film. There are some very violent images and even a few Orca attacks that were caught on film. This along with stories from the trainers & victims might prove to be too much for a younger audience. I had more than a few moments where both my friend and I gasped out loud at either footage or interviews. If you are a fan of documentaries, I say go see it. I don’t feel it “needs” to be seen on a large screen but I’m certainly glad I did.

(My heart goes out to the friends & family of Dawn Brancheau and for all of those who have been lost or injured due to marine animal attacks.)

 

2 Guns Rated: R

Barbara Says:

When we went to see `2 Guns' I knew I would like it.  After all, it has Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in it. When you start with the best you get a good movie to enjoy. It is never really explained completely how they got together but seems it was due to Mark Wahlberg`s character being told to throw in with him.  Neither one knows the truth about the other. But more important neither is aware they have both been set up.  They end up robbing a bank trying to steal this drug lords money but end up with CIA slush funds in the amount of  43 million. Which everyone wants back and them dead. The two guys are like brothers who simply cannot get along but need each other to survive. Lots of shooting, fighting, smashing of cars and things blowing up.    All in all it was just good fun.  Out of 10 I give it a 8 3/4 for a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  There is a high body count so don't go if that turns you off.  There are some fun lines though to quote afterwards. Such as, "Don't rob a bank across from a diner that sells good donuts." I leave you to figure out why not.

Red 2 Rated: PG:13

Barbara Says:

I had seen the first movie Red with Bruce Willis, Mary Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and loved it very much.   So I was excited to see Red 2.   It delivered.  We laughed so hard at times. Yes,there are always some pretty far out stunts but so funny you forgive them. Because after all  they are Retired and Extremely Dangerous.   Anthony Hopkins is there to do his acting chops and have fun too.  Saw premier the other night and writers of the movies called Malkovich  BACON.  Because they said he was just like it-everything is better with John in it. Have to say he is as crazy and yet smart as a raccoon after your trash can. Hopkins built a bomb in his younger day and hid it. The English shut him away in an insane asylum .  That is where our guys go to get him and find the bomb before bad guys in the CIA can get it first. And the race is and here comes Brucie coming up the back stretch and John is moving to the middle with Helen and her sub-machine bring up the rear. Then along comes Mary to win the race.  Good fun. Out of 10 I give it a solid 9 just for giving me a lot of laughs.

Cat Says:

I had reluctantly seen the first Red and loved it. It was a fun story, fun actors basically making fun of their characters, great script writing. Playful dialog which I love. So I was excited to see the second one and worried all at the same time. I've seen so many sequels just trying so hard to out-do themselves that it ruins them and I was afraid this one would do the same.

Basically here is the "plot". The old crew, Willis' character in particular, are blamed for an old cold war incident so everyone is out to get them and the bomb that was created by a "mad" scientist (Anthony Hopkins). So now, with the help of John Malkovich and Mary-Louise Parker, as his ex-partner and his ditzy combat yearning girlfriend, they go and try to figure it all out and save the day. Along the way they join up with Helen Mirren and Byung-hun Lee (assassins orginally hired to kill Willis and Lee delivers one of the best lines of the movie!) to face the bad guys. Catherine Zeta Jones has a part in here as a Russian Spy but her character never really gels and is fairly forgettable.

So...the actors are great. The stunts are over the top, one of them clearly borrowed from Wanted, and tons of fun. The one liners are epic. So that all makes this over the top fun. As long as you don't take it seriously you will have fun with it. Now the down side.

It feels disjointed. It's really hard to describe it but it just feels "off". They are not really clear what is going on and where the story is headed until at least half way through the movie. Like they forgot to give you a "set up" at the beginning of the movie. But just as you are thinking "where IS this going" they distract you with another hilarious one liner. But this disjointed feeling kept me from completely getting into the swing of things. So while I had fun with it I can only give it a 7.5. By all means, go see it on the big screen if you are looking for a fun date night or something fun to go see but if movie money is tight this year you could wait for DVD and be just fine.

Parental advisory. There is a LOT of killing going on here and complete casualness about it. One scene has the Mirren character chatting on the phone to Willis while calmly disposing of a body. While tongue in cheek for an adult, a kid could internalize it negatively. So keep this in mind for children under 13. 

White House Down Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

Sometimes Hollywood just does not make sense to me.  While the new release, called White House Down, is not a bad movie and I am a real fan of Channing Tatum`s, this movie is almost a carbon copy of Olympus Has Fallen with Gerard Butler.  I have to say that Butler`s film was the better one. It had a more believeable style to it. That is not to say I am sorry I went to see this one because it was enjoyable and had funny scenes and the audience clapped at the end.  

The setting is of course the White House and it is taken over by the bad guys.  Jamie Fox plays the President and Channing Tatum is the ex-serviceman who is a bodyguard to the Speaker of the House. He takes his daughter with him when  he applies for a secret service job (gets turned down) and then they join a guided tour of the White House. These men, who all hold a grudge against the President, are slowly filtering into the place by one means or another. They take over and Tatum gets the President back from some of them but loses his daughter to them. Lots of action and it runs so close to the Butler film that you know just what is coming all along the way. But it is not a bad way to spend a night out and I for one can always sit and stare at Channing for 2 hours. Out of 10 this gets a 7.

Pacific Rim Rated: PG-13

Cat Says:

Headed out to the movies again today to see Pacific Rim. I had been looking forward to this movie for two reasons...Transformers and Guillermo del Toro. I figured the creatures and graphics would be incredible! So off we went to the opening showing.

One of the reasons I loved the first and last Transformers is that you are supposed to take it seriously. Sure, there was some laughs but they were not campy. The reason I hated the second Transformers is because it resorted to campy comedy way too much. And thus the flaw in Pacific Rim. The previews led me to believe that it was like the first Transformers. It is much more like the second one or Hellboy. That is fine if you loved both of those movies. In fact, my husband didn't mind the camp but then he loved Hellboy. Unfortunately the camp wasn't like say, The Fifth Element (which we adore), it was more like trying to insert Medea into The Notebook. Seriously bad.

Quickly the story is about aliens who attack up from the ocean and not the sky. The creatures are definitely up to del Toro's reputation level. Fantastically done! The graphics are also up to his level. You don't feel for a single second that what you are seeing isn't realistic. The group of Rangers has been fighting the creatures for 7 years when our story opens and the fight continues on for another 5 as the creatures adapt to the battle and we play catch up.

The main characters, beginning with the leader of this group, Stacker played by Idris Elba (who we LOVE from the British Series Luther) does a really great job with the role of the commander in chief of this group of "Rangers" who begin as a military squad and end up as a rebel alliance. I have come to hate the "Braveheart" speech that seems to be in every single movie now that has a battle. But, for once, I didn't hate this one. Elba delivers a short but perfect speech that fits into the movie easily.

Our hero here, Raleigh Beckett played by Charlie Hunnam, is one of those "great guy" types who valiantly goes "once more unto the breech" after a tragic accident leaves him out of the loop for 5 years. He is paired up at the Hong Kong station with a protoge of Stacker's, Mako played by Rinko Kikuchi. She has all sorts horrid memories from losing her family to the creatures, known here as Kaiju (which means Strange Beast in Japanese) and is determined to become a Ranger and pilot the huge Jaeger robots (which means Hunter in German). 

Now here are the issues. There are two scientists (played by Charlie Day and Burn Gorman) at the helm here as well. And, of course, they are part of the reason we figure out how to defeat the beasts. However, for whatever reason, the decided to write these two characters as total buffoons. They are complete caricatures. Funny voices, weird twitches, manic every moment of the movie. Every time they were on the screen it would break the spell for me. I'd roll my eyes in irritation for a few moments and they would finally be gone and we could go back to the movie. Unfortunately the writers decided that those two characters were just not enough for this movie and they decided that Ron Perlman, as Hannibal Chau, needed to be added to the story. The character is supposed to be a Kaiju body part farmer and dealer. And, apparently, as far over the top as you could possibly make him to be. He embodies the comic in comic book in a big way...all the way down to the little mid credit scene. These three characters, and the fact that no-one can seem to communicate life or death information by anything but by being in person face to face...apparently cell phones, or phones of any sort, don't work anymore??...really killed this movie for me. 

Unfortunately the great effects and creatures just can not make up for the poor writing and acting in this movie. With the opening scenes I was thinking this was a 9...then it dropped to an 8 with the arrival of the scientists and then to a 7 when Perlman entered the scene and ended at about a 6.5 when, once again, a cell phone just couldn't be used for the delivery of crucial information. My husband, who likes the campy comic book style movies, gives it a 7.5. I don't think I can recommend this one to anyone who didn't like Hellboy and he can only marginally recommend it himself. If your movie money is tight this summer then maybe you should wait to see this on Dvd.