The Croods Rated: PG

Barbara Says:

Out of 10 I give it a 7.  Very pleasant movie with funny lines and nice play on language of the future. I watched it in 3-D and it has several scenes where that works well.  

The basis is a teen daughter rebelling against her father and wanting something more then hiding in a cave. Young man comes along with a smart brain and  he knows their world is changing.  He also has fire and shoes. Something they know nothing about and it scares everyone because they are so used to being scared of what could kill them. 

Forced out of their cave and into the unknown where the very ground under their feet is coming apart they all learn that sometimes the future is worth the risk of dying.   

Not sure I would take a child under say 6 because it has large scary cat with teeth trying to eat them.  Other things that do the same or try too. Mountains shaking and falling. The ground opening up with fire. So could scare a small child and give them nightmares. But for the rest of us...a nice time. Enjoy.

Cat Says: 

If you loved the Ice Age movies then this one is right up your alley. The film opens on a cave man's family, Dad, Mom, three kids and a Gramma. 

The oldest girl, Eep, played by Emma Stone, is growing tired of the "not living, just not dying" way of cave man life. She wants more and one night she finds it in the form of a teen age boy named Guy, played by Ryan Reynolds. He full of stories of how the world is going to end soon with mountains crumbling and fire spewing. 

Dad, played by Nicolas Cage, is totally against anything new. New equals Death and Dad is seeing Guy as something new. Unfortunately for Dad, Guy is right. As the landscape begins to change the cave man's family and it's newcomer, Guy, and his pet, Belt, are running for their lives and trying to find a new life that is not, literally, crumbling under their feet. Along the way Dad has to learn to trust others, learn to let go of Eep a little bit and form a whole new family and life in the end. 

The over all message is a really good one. Life and Family are who and what you make it and that it can end up being the last thing you would expect or plan for it to be. I give it an 8 out of 10. Basically great for the whole family. Might be a bit confusing to those under 5 but I think they would still love the unusual creatures, even if most of the critters are trying to eat the people, and landscapes that the Croods run into and out of along their way. 

The Call Rated: R

Barbara Says: 

This is a real tension reliever.  Because first it draws you up tight as a bow string and then leaves you limp as a noodle. It also opened quite a discussion on the way home too. How many people ever give a thought to the families of these horrible monsters that commit terrible deeds against others?  How do they ever live with the knowledge that they gave birth to, slept with, or had children with these people?  I know it would haunt me. 

This man who kidnaps these young girls to do such awful things to them and the 911 operator who takes the calls from two of them pleading for their lives is so real it makes you hold your breath and plead right along with them.  The ending is off the charts and perfect.  Not sure how a young girl would want to see this but maybe it would be appropriate for 17 and up.  I give it an 9 out of 10. It is not a movie for the faint of heart because it strains the heart. It grabs and holds your interest right from the beginning. Good movie. Enough said.

Cat Says:

If you have seen the previews for this one then you know the basic outline. Halle Berry plays a 911 operator who takes a call one night to find a terrified teen on the end of the line and then a psycho who abducts the girl. The outcome of that call almost leads to a breakdown for "Jordan" and takes her off the 911 phones. Until the day another hysterical teen, Abigail Breslin, calls in and Jordan realizes that it's the same psycho who is responsible. 

This very fast paced race against time leaves clues that, if you read "procedurals" or watch a lot of CSI type tv shows or movies, you can pick up on a few steps ahead of Jordan and her co-workers. This doesn't kill the suspense for you! In fact, if you do figure out the clues ahead of time the movie just makes you feel like you were smart enough to be right! At points you will find that you've been holding your breath waiting for something to happen.

There was only one point where I was thinking "REALLY?!? They are going THERE?" but then, just as quickly it was changed to "oh, ok, yeah, I'd do that too." It really is that fast paced. Great acting by Berry, Breslin and Morris Chestnut as Jordan's Police Officer boyfriend. 

Very intense and it earns it's R rating but I almost think it's a must watch for older teens, boys and girls. There are a lot of tips and tricks you can learn in case you ever find yourself trapped in this situation. WAY too intense for under 16. There is some swearing, a lot of violence since it centers around not just one but two kidnappings as well as murder. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Tory Says:

I’m not a big scary movie person but I do love a good thriller. The Call is an awesome thriller. I really enjoyed the suspense even if it is a little predictable.

Halle Berry plays a 911 operator who is very good at her job until one day a call with a teenager whose house is being broken into doesn’t go well and it really changes her character. About 6 months later, it is almost like déjà vu when another teenager (Abigail Breslin)is kidnapped and at risk for the same fate.

I've seen most of Halle Berry’s recent films and let’s just say they aren't anything Oscar worthy but this one is so much better than I was expecting!! This film reminded me why I used to like her! My biggest surprise was Abigail Breslin. This was the adorable little girl from “Little Miss Sunshine” but my-oh-my has she grown up. I really think that she is becoming a wonderful actress. I had never seen Michael Ekland who plays the bad guy but I felt he was genuinely slimey and easily hated which is all you really need for a good villain.

All in all, not a waste of money and one that I will at least see again, if not own. I think if you poke too deep you will find all sorts of flaws and doubts but if you just take it for what it is (just a movie) then you’ll enjoy it. Due to violence and some language, I don’t think this is one for the kids. I agree with the R-rating and would keep this 17 and up. For me this gets an 8.5 out of 10. (1 point for predictability and an half because it isn't exactly Oscar material.) 

OZ The Great and Powerful Rated: PG

Tory Says: 

My husband said he wanted to see Oz the Great and Powerful so we saw it at the Drive-in. (We have a toddler so for us, it is the easiest place to see movies!) The story is actually meant to be a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and for those of you who have seen it; no…it has nothing to do with “Wicked.” (the book or the play) 

So the story follows small town carnival magician Oscar “Oz” Diggs played by James Franco. He is a ladies man and while running away from one of his ladies husband’s he ends up in a hot air balloon that (along with a tornado) lands him in Oz. He meets 3 witches (Michelle Williams as Glinda, Rachel Weisz as Evanora and Mila Kunis as Theodora) who all want him to “Save Oz” from the Wicked Witch. Along his journey he meets an adorable China Doll girl and a sweet winged monkey. After being attacked a few times by the witch, he realizes he might not be the wizard that Oz wanted but he is the wizard they need.

I liked this movie but I wasn’t as impressed as I'd hoped. Most of the acting was ok but I wasn't impressed by Michelle Williams portrayal of Glinda. She was a little too breathy and wispy in her delivery. The digital effects were beautiful. Normally that kind of thing bothers me but this was done VERY well!! It didn't hurt my eyes or make me feel like everything I was looking at was fake! I was happy to see that the Wicked Witch's evil winged baboons were still scary like the original winged monkeys! I did like how they kept with the original Oz theme and made the first part in black & white while Oz is where it becomes color. A few scary moments so I wouldn't take any child under 11 or so. (Our little one had a kids movie playing in the backseat!) All in all I would give this movie a 7 out of 10. I don't really have anything bad to say about it but not that much good either. It was just "ok" for me. 

Cat Says:

We ended up going to see Oz tonight. It wasn't exactly planned, more like a girls night out so we have to go see something. I have to say that my review doesn't differ from Tory's by much. I will say that James Franco didn't really bother me, no more than normal. He was supposed to play shmarmy and superficial which he does very well. What did surprise me was how bad the acting was by Kunis, Williams and Weisz. The movie feels long. Yet as long as it feels you don't get enough character development in any of the characters except Oz in order to form attachments to them or root for them. Still, I would have given even that a pass had the special effects been up to par. Yes, it is colorful...but you can see the green screen effects. Awful pun to say that you do, indeed, see behind the curtain of this almost totally CGI'd movie but you do. The Emerald City looks like it was painted. You can see where the scene props leave off and the effects begin. For those of us who revel in special effects movies like last summer's Avengers, it's hard to not just take one step back but several steps back in the evolution of this medium.

Now, what I did like. When they were IN the cities and the sets were built sets, not CGI, I loved it. The China Doll character was my favorite. So much so that I found myself thinking "she's a china doll and she still has more facial expressions than Kristen Stewart!". I couldn't help myself. Zac Braff was very good as the monkey sidekick. Both of those effects were done very well. There is one point where they used a projected image to scare the witches and it was the one part of the special effects that I loved. And while I didn't like the flying monkeys of the first Oz movie I really really didn't like the flying baboons of this one...and when I say I didn't like them I mean they scared me so they were perfect! LOL! However, I'd worry about children under 13 being totally freaked out by some of the witch behavior and by the baboons. The other thing is that, at one point, the two evil witches have the good witch tied up and, basically, one is using her powers to electrocute the good witch. So something to consider if you have younger kids in your household. How this got a PG rating I'll never know.

I am giving it a 6.5 on my scale. Do you need to see it on the big screen, no. In fact, seeing this on the small screen might do the special effects a whole lot of favors. I don't go see 3-D movies because they make my head hurt so I can't tell you whether 3-D would help or hurt the special effects. If you are dying to see it on the big screen then go to a matinee and save yourself some money in the process...if not, wait for Netflix. 

Barbara Says:

Well, just what can I say about OZ? It has beautiful color? Great costumes? Lots and lots of special effects? But not a very good story line and the acting was barely passable. Kind of sad when the three of us decided the talking doll was the best part of the entire movie. 

I found myself doing something I never do at a movie-yawning.  We also decided that someone very young might enjoy it but then again someone I know who saw it said their daughter started to get restless half way through.    

Not really sure why it just did not make the grade with me. I would not go see it again and that is what makes a really good movie for me. That I would want to see it again. Being a movie family and having worked for the theater so we went for free to see movies.  I sometimes had to see a movie 3-4 times so I could take all my family.  Up till now never minded but wouldn't do that for this one. If the effects are your thing go see that but don`t look for a good movie to go with them.

Escape From Planet Earth Rated: PG

Barbara Says:

Escape From Planet Earth is just a fun watch for all ages.  Nothing to worry about  in regards to children.  It is of course the same story of good guys against the bad guys. Only, in this story, the bad are humans (mostly) and the good are Aliens.  

We are given a look at life on another planet where Earth is known as The Dark Planet.  No one ever returns from there.  Th supposed Hero of this tale decides he will go and find out why.  His brother (the smarter one) tells him if he does he is on his own for the first time. So of course he is captured and some one must rescue him. When he arrives it is to find a lot of different Aliens held prisoner along with his brother..  It falls on him to save them all against the evil General using them to become master of the whole universe.

Old movie lines,songs and even singing groups are slipped into scenes.  Fun to watch for and try to guess the actors voices. A very nice Sunday movie and 3-D was good in this one.  But this movie will still be a good watch on video.

Argo Rated: R

We actually watched this year's Best Picture Oscar Winner last month but then two of us went to go see it again and one of us got to see it for the first time so I figured we could still do a review on it for those who have not seen it yet!

Barbara Says:

This well made movie deserved the Oscar.  Coming from one who remembers when the subject of this movie was headline news I can tell you we were concerned on a daily basis about these people. Now today so many years later to learn the minute details of what happen(of course with Hollywood flare)is somehow a relief to those who went through it.  To those new to the story or knew very little, it is a seat clutching,nail biting movie. But must admit I did some of that too. Even when I knew how it ended. This movie is well worth anyone`s time to go see. You will remember it long after.

Cat Says:

I have to start out by saying that this was one of my favorite movies that came out this past year. Very few got a really high score for me but Lincoln and this one beat them all. 

As mentioned, this is based on a very real story that happened in 1979. I was in high school in 1979 and we all were waiting to see what would happen with the hostage situation over there. It was our first encounter with the Middle East and definitely not a good one. For many of us it was our first time encountering politics as well. We were able to see that no matter what the regime there is going to be some very bad people who end up in the place of power. In the years that followed I talked to many who were there for the Shah and for the Ayatollah and neither regime was good for the people of that nation. 

This film covers that change over graphically. You see the political unrest. You feel the emotions of those who felt they were caught in the middle and those who just wanted to get away from it all. You see just how violent these people were when they did attack. It's hard, at times, to wrap your head around the type of people who would leave hanging corpses out for all to see. And, yes, I reference a not-so-wonderful part of our own American history when I say that too. 

But what makes this movie truly wonderful is that it's told with a great amount of humor. Even in the most stressful of times we, as humans, use humor to let off a bit of the steam that builds up in such a serious situation. This humor is what helps make this film feel "real". It makes the characters three dimensional and not just actors up on the screen. 

From the siege to the CIA agent that Ben Affleck plays to perfection to the movie producers to the escape, you are on the edge of your seat. Even though you are aware that everyone makes it back home safely you are still tense and have to keep assuring yourself that they all are safe.

Amazing writing, acting and directing is what earned this film the Oscar. It is much deserved. Ben Affleck has become an incredible director and should have won an Oscar for this. I'm glad he did walk away with the Golden Globe. He deserves it. We will own this film before the year is out.

I give it a 9.5 out of 10...yup, it's that good.

Tory Says:

Most of the time when they “re-tell” a story on film, they mess it up. This was NOT the case with Argo. I read an article a few days after seeing it that said apart from the very end (where they make it more suspenseful to draw the audience in and make them feel how the real people must have felt at the end of their journey) everything else was incredibly well done. Now this article wasn’t from Hollywood or a producer, it was an interview with the real Tony Mendez and his wife. I feel that when the real person says “That’s what really happened. Good job to the cast and director!” then they should get our vote as well! Here is the thing: I wasn’t even born when all of this really happened and my husband was about 2 when it happened so this was pretty much a new story to both of us. (We’d heard about it in passing but that’s about it.)The film follows Tony Mendez, an expert with exfiltration from the CIA who gets the job of trying to get 6 Americans out of Iran after the Embassy is attacked. The Americans get away safely to the Canadian Ambassador’s house but they still need to get home. Mendez comes up with the idea going over there to make a pretend Canadian movie and these 6 people are the film crew and director. Ben Affleck is not only one of my favorite actors (since I was 8!) but also turning out to be quite a phenomenal director as well. He even shot the film on actual film and then blew it up 200x so that he got the extra 1970-80’s grainy effect! So you really feel like you are watching a movie from that time! Although you know what happens, you still find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and empathizing with these characters (or in this case, real people!) However, although my husband and I loved this movie…this is a date night movie or one to see with friends. I don’t feel it is appropriate for children under say about 16 and I also don’t think they would understand all of it. Language is a factor: The catch phrase in the movie is “Argo-f*** yourself”…hilarious because it is used correctly but not exactly something you want your kid running around saying. I do feel it deserves every nomination and win from the Academy. I feel for Ben Affleck getting snubbed at the Oscars because he really did deserve a nomination and win for Director! Final score? 9 out of 10. I can’t wait to own this one!!

Jack The Giant Slayer Rated: PG-13

Welcome to our first movie review. The film this time is Jack The Giant Slayer. IMDB (Internet Movie Database) gives this synopsis for the film: "The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack, a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds."

Only two of us went to go see this one this weekend but we may be able to add the last review at a later date.  So first off...

Barbara says:

If you are a purist about your fairy tales then Jack  The Giant Slayer is not the movie for you.  But if you like them turned on their heads then go see this one. I like the new twist given the stories we grew up with being told over and over again in always the same way. I would say children 8 and up could see it if they have out learned fact from fiction because the giants can be rather scary at times.  But the scenes where people are eaten were done quite well and there were no battle scenes that were gory. So out of 10 I give it an 8 as it was very entertaining and amusing even for adults. While available in 3D it's not necessary for this film to be enjoying and may not actually add much to the film.

Cat says:

There have been many "fairy tale" movies that have come out over the past two years. And, in my opinion, each has missed the mark...some barely and some by a mile. When I first saw the trailers for this one I thought...hmmmm, maybe they finally got it right. Now after seeing the film I can tell you they did, indeed, finally get it right. 

The main hero, Jack, is played by the same guy who was so great in Warm Bodies, Nicholas Hoult, which we got to see last month. He's just as great here. The brief build up, how he and the Princess, Elinor Tomlinson, are both brought up with the fairy tale of the Giants and the magic beans takes a brief turn when they add a few new elements to the tale. Accidents happen, a stalk is planted and the adventure begins.

There is a bad guy played by Stanley Tucci, who is one of my favorite actors. He plays his part with evil humor that is a lot of fun. There are gross and, yes, gigantic Giants. The leader of the Giants should sound very familiar to those who loved Davy Jones in the Pirates movies. Ewan McGregor fills out the cast as the main guardian of the Princess who takes his job very seriously. It's lots of fun seeing how each of these characters evolve and entertain. Each actor is perfect in their role.

Certain aspects of the classic fairy tale are eluded to, such as the golden goose and the golden harp, but neither are spotlighted here. They keep the story fairly clean cut and focused instead of confusing it with a lot of side stories. And while you would think that human against Giant would be a foregone conclusion with the humans becoming dinner (and yes, some did), they do give the humans a bit more credit and ability than in the past fairy tale attempts. 

Now for the bad. There is a lot of FX or CGI effects. I'm not a film maker so I really don't know the difference and when one is used over the other. Most of the time it feels real but there are times it feels more like video game graphics. This is a teeny complaint. There is a bit of what we call "8 year old boy humor" but it's brief and not too bad, just sort of eye rolling and yes, our 11 year old boy said "Gross!" while laughing so the "bit" hit it's intended mark.

However, none of it truly gets bad enough or gory enough that an 8 year old couldn't see it. Yes, there are battles, yes, humans get eaten, people die in battle but overall it's "cutaway" death. More "implied" than actually seen. The villains die spectacularly, which I loved, and they all live happily ever after...just what you want from a fairy tale. 

It's given a PG-13 rating but I do think that's a bit too much. I, too, think that 8 and up would enjoy this film. Younger than that may be a bit scared by the Giants and not like the battle scenes. My final rating is a 9 out of 10. It loses a point only for the minor graphics issues. We each had a really good time watching this one as a family and we are sure to own it as soon as it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray.