The Hundred Foot Journey Rated: PG

Barbara Says:

The Hundred Foot Journey was a movie I was looking forward too a lot.  Love Helen Mirren as she always does a top notch job every time.  This is about rival restaurants. One very upscale run by Helen and a new one right across a very small road being opened by an Indian family forced out of their homeland by having their restaurant burned to the ground.  The mother died in the fire.  She had been teaching her son (Manish Dayal) to cook and she left her spices to him.   There are five children and the father (Om Puri) who set up the restaurant in the South of France.  Not a great place to start an Indian eating place.  Certainly  not across from a place that has one Michelin star for great food.  Warning to all the women this guy Dayal is just the best looking man I have seen in a good while.  The young female chef in training across the road thinks so too.  Bitter words and underhanded tricks are committed by Helen at the start and so the father returns them too. This goes on till real damage is done and the young man gets hurt .  This wakes the woman Helen plays up to what she is doing.  She lets the young man come cook for her to see if he is as good as the father says. He is that and she hires him to train in her place.  She gets another star due to him and then he gets an invite to a teaching restaurant in Paris.  Leaving his new blossoming love behind.  This is a story of family and love and honor. All very important things in life.  Out 10  I gave it a 10 just because I enjoyed it from start to finish. The acting was very good.  The scenery wonderful to look at and it shows what can happen when we let pride and a fear of something different cloud our better judgement.

Cat Says:

I really went to see this film for Helen Mirren. I'm a huge fan and truly wanted to know if she could pull off "French". We have a very good friend who is French so I had much in which to compare the performance. Mirren nails it!

The format of the film is rather predictable. Indian father finds a place in France to set up his restaurant with son who can cook. Unfortunately the building is right across the street from a famous French restaurant. Son who can cook falls for girl from French restaurant who can cook and all live happily ever after. Right? Close.

The film begins with an explanation about the family from India, their lives there and how the son learned to cook. In fact, it's a family business. It shows their journey to France and the discovery that the son can't just cook but he's one of "those" chefs. The type who become world famous type chefs. Helen Mirren plays the owner of the French restaurant, Madame Mallory, and she is a piece of work...until her snobery bites her in her conscience. Om Puri plays the father of this displaced this family who really just wants a shot at a new life. There is a brother and two sisters as well but it's the younger son, Hassan, played by the simply gorgeous Manish Dayal, who shines. He meets the sous chef from the French restaurant their first night in town and he's head over heels for her. Marguerite, played by Charlotte Le Bon, is not so quick to fall. Being a chef is a competitive thing and she wants to win as much as he wants to learn. While she is very good, he is amazing. And his quick rise to the top of the culinary scene divides them from each other. But this is happily ever after right? So you pretty much know the ending at the beginning but you most certainly do not mind the ride. These are interesting characters played by gifted actors so you glide through this film like the perfectly plated food you see in the film. For that predictability I deduct a point but it's a very minor flaw in an otherwise divine movie. 9 out of 10. 

For parents. The beginning of the movie has quite a bit of violence as Hassan and his family flee a violent rebellion. There is quite a bit of wine drinking and a disturbing fire scene. If you have a sensitive child then you may want to wait till they are older but I think 8 and up is a safe guideline.

Guardians of the Galaxy Rated: PG-13

Cat Says:

I have to start out by saying that my guys went to go see this and were just over the moon about it. I'm a fan of the Marvel films but this one looked too hokey to be believed. Almost a spoof on the Avenger type films. So I was worried about this one. If I can give one piece of advice...just go with the flow. There are many times where you will stop briefly and think "but in the last scene that blew up!" and wonder about the cohesiveness of the story. That seems to have very little consideration in the making of this film. For your own good, don't think that hard. Just go with the flow.

The story begins with a boy who is losing his mom to cancer. Right after she dies he is kidnapped by aliens (go with me here) and then you are moved 26 years in the future where you find the boy has grown up into a combo Indiana Jones/ Han Solo type guy who listens to a cassette tape on a walkman that his mom gave him. (Yes, this is one of those times you don't want to think too hard about how a cassette tape is still playing after 26 years and numerous plays...don't think about it...just enjoy the vintage music and there is LOTS of that to enjoy!). He's looking for an orb which has many interested parties...some who want to pay for it, most who want to steal it. He, Peter, played by Chris Pratt, gets wrapped up with other bounty/treasure hunters and ends up saving the galaxy. His bad ass love interest, Gamora, is played by Zoe Saldana. She and Chris Pratt are the best part of this movie. The other three in this band of "misfits" are Rocket (a raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper), Groot (a tree that only says three words over and over again in different ways voiced by Vin Diesel) and Drax (played by Dave Bautista). They are going up against the real bad guy, Ronan, played perfectly by Lee Pace. Ronan is out to destroy the galaxy and the band has to stop them. 

They leave the ending open just enough for you to see that Peter is part alien and you still don't know who his dad is, the band is still together and there is still much to do together so there is no surprise that they planned on more installments to this "romp" in the future. 

 

If you can get over the inconsistencies and just plain gaffs as well as the shallow characterizations and bad screenwriting and somehow just enjoy Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana then you will have a good time with this film. My guys gave it a 9 out of 10...I'm giving it more of a 7 out of 10.

Parents: Lots of graphic violence. Most of this movie is a battle scene where someone (or hundreds of someones) is getting annihilated. No sex....I think there is one kiss...and there is mild swearing. Calling someone a "prick" or a "dick". I don't remember any other swearing. 

Barbara Says:

I was not expecting much when we went to see this one.  No, it is not a movie of the year or an Oscar winner.  But it is just good fun  I have watched it twice now and enjoyed it both times.  Chris Pratt does a pretty good job being the result of mating between a human and some unknown male in outer space.  Mom dies at the beginning and he is taken by a space ship minutes after.  His mom gave him tapes for his player with songs from her youth (listening to those was not a hardship at all) and he will risk his life to protect the tapes.  He becomes, as an adult, a guy who steals and sells anything because the man who took him was not his father and not a very good guy at all.  But he becomes involved with a green woman (Zoe Saldana) who is almost the slave of the baddest guy out there.  He is after this silver ball that our guy stole and sends her to get it.   But in steps a raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and a walking, talking tree, " I am Groot", to capture him first. A fight ensues and they are all arrested.  In the escape they become shaky friends at best.  The bad guy now has the the ball which can destroy everything and they must get it back and save a planet.  Lots of CGI but done very well as far as I could tell.  This is funny, sweet, has lots of action and blow ups.  If you want a funny, watchable movie without any expectations of greatness then go see this one.  Out 10 I give it 9 for laughs-7 for acting-6 for story.

Lucy Rated: R

Cat Says:


I like Sci-Fi but I LOVE action! Lucy is a lot more Sci-Fi and it has action. That may not seem like a difference but it really is a huge difference. Unfortunately that's not the problem here. Let's start with the premise of the movie which is that we only use 10% of our brains and what would happen if we could access more.

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a girl hanging out in Asia who meets a dicey guy who then traps her into delivering a briefcase to an Asian mobster. He turns out to be a drug kingpin and she ends up becoming an unwilling drug mule. Here is the first problem. Lucy isn't the only one who gets a packet of this new designer drug sewn up into their abdomens...she is one of 4. But she is the only one who ends up, somehow, in a prison instead of heading to the airport like the other 3. She gets beaten up, the packet ruptures and she ingests enough of the drug to make the change begin and she begins to gain more access to her brain. 

Does Lucy use these new found mental powers that the drug provides to enact revenge? Nope. Does she make it her mission to get the drug off the face of the Earth? Nope. Her one and only mission is to retrieve the other packets for HER use and get to this scientist who does lectures on how much of our human brains we actually use. 

And that's still not totally what is wrong with this movie. As the scientist (Morgan Freeman with almost a walk on role here) lectures about evolution we end up seeing nature video of evolution. When he lectures about reproduction we get nature videos of reproduction. Yes, that heavy handed! Still not all that is wrong with this movie.

As Lucy begins to use more of her brain, thanks to this drug, she goes from the supposed 10% that we use to 20% (and yes, an old fashioned cue card says 20% (or 30%, 40%, etc) on the screen) and up and gets less human and more monotone by the moment. She figures she only has 24 hours to live and spends half of it just getting to the scientist and retrieving the packets. There is a French cop pulled into it (barely) and the Asian bad guys are still chasing her so you get some battles where she is just able to lift people with her mind. However when the lab where the scientist is comes under siege she simply has the French cop try to defend it instead of just removing the bad guys with her mind! THIS is what is majorly wrong with this movie. There are no consistencies. So you end up, the entire movie, thinking "but why didn't she just do "this" or "that" instead?" or "But if she can do that with her mind then why is there any fighting at all?" Because there HAS to be a bad guy and there HAS to be action, otherwise you just end up with a Sci-fi movie and not an action movie.

While I won't tell you the ending you can, by now, guess that it doesn't make a lot of sense even when you are shown more nature videos to try to explain it away. I give this a 4.5 out of 10 simply because of the special effects and the fact that I like Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman.

For those parents out there...it's R because of a very brief sexual encounter (nature videos) and the extreme violence.

Begin Again Rated: R

Cat Says:

So I'd seen the trailer for this movie and I was lukewarm in going to see it but my Mom wanted to see it so what the heck...good Girl's Night Out movie? Yes, yes it was!

The film begins with a girl, Gretta (played by Keira Knightly) being forced up on stage at an Open Mic night by a friend. She sings a little folk song that is not too well received...except by one very drunk washed up music industry producer, Dan (played by Mark Ruffalo) who doesn't just hear her song but also the full arrangement he could bring to it and make it a hit. If only Gretta would let him. 

Gretta is on her last night in the States, heading back to the UK after her relationship with her up and coming rock star and co-songwriter boyfriend, Dave (played by Adam Levine) crashes and burns when he ends up breaking up with her after dragging her on his whirlwind journey to stardom. So she's broken-hearted and just wants to get the hell outta Dodge and away from how much her life sucks and the last thing she wants is to deal with some drunk guy who wants to make her a star. 

But the thing Dan needs most in life is to make her a star and save his own life. He's lost his wife and daughter, and on that day his job too, to his failing career and his dive into the bottle so he really needs this motivation to rejoin the human race and his life. 

So he talks Gretta into his dream, talks his old partner at their music label to give it a chance, and he and Gretta put together their own album. And save each other. 

It's a wonderfully sweet movie. It doesn't make anyone an angel or a devil, not even the cheating boyfriend Dave. Everyone has a heart, everyone is dealing with how fast life changes and how quickly you can get lost. And I loved it. This one I will own when it comes out on DVD type loved it. I loved the music so much I went out and bought the soundtrack that day. I really like Keira Knightly's voice and the music here but a word on that. Go to Amazon or just look up one of the songs on YouTube before going to see this. If you hate this music then you'll hate the movie since it's in just about every single scene. But if you like the music then chances are you will love this movie. I give it a 9.5 out of 10. 

Maleficent Rated: PG

Barbara Says:

Disney films....I am a real fan.  Always have been and always will be.  When  I saw Maleficent the first time (twice,so far) I said this is Disney`s best.  I really like the way they are turning the fairy tales on their heads.  Giving us a new view on them and thus a new life for them to new generations.  The love story of a young fairy who is betrayed and turns vengeful is very well done.  But the master piece here is Maleficent played to a high art by Angelina Jolie at her very best.  But the real love story turns out to be between her and the child she cursed.  The battles between her and the King are fantastic and colorful and very well done.  The whole movie is beautiful and moving.  If you do not know the story of Sleeping Beauty..where have you been living????  Bad fairy puts curse on new born babe and says she will never awake till kissed by a true love when she turns sixteen.  That does not even begin to do this movie justice. I would not spoil this film for you by too much detail.  That is best left for you to see with your  own eyes.  Small children around us were spellbound and so were the adults.  I will own this one.  Out of 10 I will give it a 10 for it deserves no less. The actors in this film were fitted to their roles. The acting was at it`s best.  Give your self a break from the everyday world and go visit fantasyland for two hours.


Cat Says:

We are HUGE Disney fans in this family so it was with great anticipation that we waited for this one to come out. I was doubtful about Angelina Jolie until I saw the first preview and heard her laugh. Perfection! And that is the word for this whole movie and her acting...PERFECTION. 

The movie fleshes out a back story to this very popular Disney villain. How she started out as a fairy, met the future King Stefan and why she would come to hate him and all he loves so very much. But this isn't just a story of revenge. This is a story of young love, betrayal, abuse, revenge, parental love and redemption. Beautifully crafted, beautifully acted, beautifully filmed.
With so many movies relying upon the special effects to really carry the show, this one hands over that responsibility to the actors, namely Jolie, and it couldn't be in better hands. I was riveted by her portrayal. Totally riveted.

The Disney animated tale simply pulls you into christening day, the curse and the implementation of that curse and breaking it. This Disney live action tale goes into Maleficent's childhood, teen years when she meets Stefan, the betrayal and abuse that leads to his ascending the throne at her expense, her anger and revenge the day of the christening (which is one of the highlights of the movie!!! SUCH a great scene!), the child Aurora and Maleficent watching this child grow up and getting to know her and then the spell and breaking of the spell. The tweaks to the story we all grew up with are not huge ones. Prince Philip does arrive and he does seem to be the one for Aurora but his part isn't as big as the animated tale led you to believe. The end will bring the Dragon we all know and love and you won't be disappointed in that animation!

Aurora, played by Elle Fanning, is as light and insipid as the "blessing" by one of the faeries makes her to be but she is also fearless. She is not the main character here, just a chess piece, so her role is to be guided and used as needed. Elle does light and insipid very well but there is no real depth to this Princess. She is a full out ingenue. This bothered our 13 year old a lot and she was his least favorite character. But in the end it's Aurora who saves the day so she's deeper than you may expect from the earlier scenes in the movie. 

Stephan, played by Sharlto Copley, is a fish out of water in his own kingdom...a very ambitious fish. Copley plays this character very subtly so that you get to see how this ambition colors every move Stephan makes...even the truly evil ones. Even in the animated tale you were never very sympathetic to Stefan because you just KNEW he did something to deserve the wrath of Maleficent. Now you get to see what it was and how awful he really was to her. 

A word about that. In social media there has been some talk that the abusive scene that leads to the change in Maleficent is a "rape" scene. It is NOT. What it is IS assault and battery. You don't actually see that onscreen but you do see the aftermath. There is NO love scene, there is NO sex scene, there is NO indication of anything sexual happening between the two characters at ALL. So while Stefan steals her innocence on just how cruel humans can be, even to those they "love", he doesn't steal her sexual innocence. So there is no rape scene in this movie.

In this version you get to see more of the faerie world and that is a lot of fun but these "down" times are the only true weakness of this film. However that is being really, really very picky for just such a great film. We highly enjoyed our time there and would gladly go see it again immediately! 9.5 out of 10 for me.

Parental guidance here: some of the faerie creatures are quite dark and scary. You may want to go see this one yourself first before taking kids under the age of 7 to go see it. No worries, you will want to go see it again anyway! 


Tory Says:

Thanks to my awesome parents, my hubby and I got to see this on a much needed date night. (Our anniversary!) We both have been excited for this movie from the very first poster release…and it did not disappoint.

I have ALWAYS been a huge fan of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty but not really all that interested in Maleficent. She always just seemed like a cool villain and nothing more. This movie changed all that. She was SO much more. This film starts with her as a younger child and continues until past Aurora’s 16^thBirthday.

Angelina Jolie shines as Maleficent. She is in a word perfect! I don’t think there has ever been a more perfect casting in a Disney film. She has the perfect blend of all that Maleficent is! I didn’t find Elle Fanning as convincing but Jolie more than makes up for that. She was born to play this role!

I have never felt that people are either good or evil. I think we all have a bit of both in us but usually more of one than the other. There was so much I adored about this movie but I’m having a hard time putting it into words without giving too much of the story away. I love the connection between Maleficent and Aurora. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, which was a good thing.

I know it sounds like “oh she just liked the movie” but in reality, it is in my top 10 of all-time favorite films…not just Disney movies but all films. I want to see it again and again. I can’t wait to own it! I feel like all of the things I loved about it, give too much away. The story is wonderful and touching, the graphics are spectacular and if you have teenage kids, I think the whole family would enjoy it. I know of friends who have taken their little ones to see it but I think it would be too scary at parts for them and they won’t really understand the film anyways. My husband loved it as well. I fully give this a 10 out of 10. All I can say is take my word for it. GO SEE IT!     

Million Dollar Arm Rated: PG

Barbara Says:

Real human interest stories are a favorite of mine.  Make believe is great but when something takes place that warms the heart and makes you feel for others, then that's a good movie. Million Dollar Arm is just such a film. Sports agent J B Bernstein in Los Angeles was on the verge of losing his new business and his co-owner was fearful of it too.  While watching the London talent show where he watched some one who looked nothing like what a singer was supposed to look like blow the judges away he was struck with an idea how to save his company of signing sports players .  He couldn't stand cricket but his friend and co worker watched it a lot (he is Indian) and he watched how fast the guys playing it threw the ball. What if they could throw a baseball that fast? So he came up with an idea to go to India and have young people try out to win a million dollars throwing a baseball. Now this is a land of cricket and no one played baseball at all.  JB is played by Jon Hamm doing an awesome job of a man who needs to save his very well off way of living (super model girlfriends and Jag) and completely over looks what he is really doing here.  He finds out of thousands only two young men who can throw at the speeds in the 80`s.  He takes them out of their lives which are nothing like the one they find in America.  JB was driven crazy by bumper to bumper traffic and everyone honking their horns all the time. But think what it would be like for two young men dropped into a life of elevators, swimming pools, room service, smoke alarms, etc. He just abandons them at the hotel with a man he picked up in India who is working for free just because he loves baseball. Of course, trouble comes along when they set off smoke alarms and panic.  So JB is forced to take them home with him.  Alan Arkin plays a scout way past his prime who sleeps most of the time but can hear how fast a ball is traveling even when asleep.  Everyone thought this idea was laughable to begin with but JB had gotten some millionaire to back him. It is very funny watching these guys learn to speak English and try to understand the ways of learning to really play baseball.  It was not an easy road and at times looked to be an awful idea that was not going to work.  But JB learns something about caring for someone other then himself.  The young men, Dinesh and Rinku were eventually signed by the Pirates.  Rinku stills plays for them but Dinesh went back to India and helps with the contest which is still carried out every year.  The man who worked for free coaches baseball players in India now.  It is a film well worth seeing and money well spent.  Out of 10 I give it a 10.

Cat Says:

Whenever I hear that a movie has been "Based on a True Story" I have to go look that story up. What I found is that this is actually fairly close to the real story for these two boys. I also found out what happened after the contest! 

Anyways, Barbara covered the story line so I won't repeat it. However, I will say, as a baseball fan (read: freak) I was thrilled with this film. Yes, it's told from the perspective of the agent but knowing what I do about baseball it was fun to watch this process unfold. Now, having said that, Barbara doesn't like baseball...at all. But she loved this film too. So even if you don't like the game don't let that stop you from getting out and seeing this.

The highlights of this film are the wanna-be Indian Scout who starts to work for JB for free (he's now working for real in India with the sport of baseball as a coach!), the retired coach, played by Alan Arkin, who is simply hysterical but amazing at his job and, of course, the two boys, Rinku (currently out for the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery but still part of the Pirates organization) and Dinesh who still works with the contest back in India teaching kids baseball. 

The fact that this sport, which I love so much, is now being enjoyed by a whole new country is fantastic, but the fact that this man found out that there is SO much more to life than just money is what Disney is always trying to teach us. This is a 9 out of 10 for me. Not perfect since it does get a bit melodramatic from time to time but very close!

The Other Woman Rated: PG-13

Tory Says:

Need a good comedy to see with your girlfriends? Need a comedy that both you and your husband could sit through? Go see The Other Woman!!! I went with a girlfriend of mine and we laughed and laughed and laughed (we may have even shed a few tears because of how hard we laughed!) and had a fantastic time!

The plot is a pretty simple one. Carly (Cameron Diaz) is a gorgeous and successful woman who discovers that her “perfect” boyfriend is actually married. She is approached by his wife, Kate (Leslie Mann), one day and confesses to her that she didn't know he was married but that she has in fact been sleeping with Kate’s husband. After a night of sharing stories and too much alcohol, the two begin to develop a friendship. After they discover that he has been cheating on both of them with Amber (Kate Upton), the three girls become very close and begin a plot of revenge.

I was very worried when I read an article that said “The Other Woman is the new Bridesmaids” because honestly, I was one of the only women on the planet that didn't like Bridesmaids…actually if I’m being truthful, I kind of hated Bridesmaids. So I had so much trepidation about this one. I’m so glad I took the chance because I haven’t laughed like that in a long time! There were some parts where you have to just “roll with it” and realize it is just a movie. Some things just weren't believable. During the film, Carly falls for Kate’s brother, Phil. I felt that they didn't take enough time with this relationship. I would have liked to see more about them. The one thing that really bugged me was that they made Kate Upton’s character Amber “the dumb, big boobed blonde”. She isn't a stupid person but they made Amber seem stupid and juvenile. I think it would have been better if she was like the other two: hot and smart! Besides the fact that they would get to stare at three beautiful women, I think husbands would think it was funny as well. Although I did enjoy a Girls Night Out! I got so many great laughs out of this one I think I will give it an 8.5. Even thinking about it now, I’m laughing! 

Cat Says:

Let me say, first off, that I was a bit wary of this movie because of the "low humor" history of Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz. And while there is some of that in this movie it is tamed down and fairly brief. So if you were also worried about that in this film you can relax. 

The story, as stated above, is about 3 women who find out that the first woman's husband is cheating on all of them. The role of the charismatic cheating husband is wonderfully played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (of Game of Thrones) and he does an incredible job of it. He is, indeed, very handsome, charming and he truly gives the performance of a single guy who is devoted to the one he is seeing. So it's no surprise that finding out he was cheating on each woman was shocking to them.

Leslie Mann plays the wife of this cheating man and she is truly sweet and wonderful. But her safe haven home is just too boring for this man who wants his cake and eat it too. In fact, the lawyer he cheats with, played by Cameron Diaz (who is FINALLY looking like she could be in her 30's even though she is now in her 40's) is still not enough for this guy. He chooses to add to his plate the young, curvy and beautiful girl, played by model Kate Upton, that both wife and girlfriend find intimidating...at first. The wife talks the girlfriend into helping her nail her cheating husband and then they pull the younger girl into the mix as well for the final sting.

This is a very fun movie for girlfriends to go see. Unfortunately there are parts that are just too far fetched because of choices they made in the script as well as in the editing. There could have been some very quick fixes placed here or there in the script that would have tied the movie together much better, tighter, than they did. The two low humor spots could have been left out of the movie and not missed. The second of these spots had a set up that was too quick to make it believable so that didn't help that issue. Characters are not quite given the fleshing out they should have and the character of Kate Upton's bimbo is just a little too young and dumb for you to truly believe that this guy would be with her. 

Two characters I would have loved to have seen more of and had more story line about were Don Johnson as Cameron Diaz's father and Taylor Kinney as Leslie Mann's brother. Johnson was absolutely great the brief time he was on screen and you will love the twist with him at the end! Kinney is set up as a love interest but then the idea isn't fleshed out in the script (one of those things that would have been VERY easy for them to do) and you are just supposed to believe the depth of the connection come the end of the film. 

Because of the issues I've mentioned I give it a 7. Go see it with a bunch of girlfriends but it's not one you will watch over and over again. 

Barbara Says:

I will admit right up front that this is a chick movie...BUT..I feel men could get a real kick out of it too.    The guy in it so deserves what he gets.  It is the getting there that is so much fun. Cameron Diaz is a lawyer who gets swept off he feet by what seems to be a great guy. Well, until she finds he has a wife.  She does this by showing up at his house after he says he cannot keep their date because a water pipe broke.  Wifey shows up at her office the next day and after some very funny times they form a loose friendship.  Then they learn there is another one he is sneaking off to see.  At first they are just leaning on one another, then comes the real anger.  That's where the good fun begins.  The revenge they extract is golden. They get help from Cameron`s father, played by Don Johnson as an aging hound with a liking for twenty something women.  But at least he is honest about it.  Just good fun to watch. No earth shaking messages or even life lessons to learn. Just a laughingly good night out with the friends. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

Rio 2 Rated:G

Tory Says:

We went to see Rio 2 on Easter Sunday. My husband and I took our 3 year old son and our friend took her almost 5 year old son. The kids LOVED it! It has so many bright colors and wonderful music that it held their attention 99% of the time! Even we as parents liked it. I always say the mark of a good children’s movie is when they combine humor for both the kids and adults. Rio 2 did that wonderfully. If you saw the first one and liked it, you will most likely like the second one.

Blu and Jewel now have three kids and while Jewel tries to teach the children to live off the land, Blu lives like he did in America with all the human luxuries. Newlyweds Linda and Tulio are in the Amazon re-releasing a bird they nursed back to health into its natural habitat. While there, they find evidence of other birds like Jewel and Blu. So they go on TV and say they will find them and when they do, it will help get the area declared a preserve. But a greedy logger doesn’t want that to happen so he tries to stop them! Jewel begs Blu to take the kids on a “family vacation” to the Amazon to see the other birds and reluctantly Blu agrees to make her happy. While there, they discover hundreds of birds like them including Jewel’s entire family! Although Blu tries to impress Jewel’s father, he just doesn’t fit in. Meanwhile, Nigel (from the first movie) is alive and keeps trying to get his revenge on Blu!

It really was a cute movie and I love that it deals with so many issues: addiction to technology, saving the rainforest, family coming first and the importance of compromise. There are plenty of new characters and the of course, phenomenal voice talent! I will happily own this one and my son is still asking to go back and see “the dancing birdies!” Fun, heartwarming and makes you want to dance! A solid 8 out of 10 for me!

Barbara Says:

Even if you did not see the first film RIO you will enjoy this second one, RIO 2. I liked the first one quite a lot but I loved this one even more.  It was such fun for the children but it was delight for the adults too. The story is based on the Blue Macaw in Brazil having gone extinct but for one owned by a young woman in the U.S.  The first film deals with her finding a second one in Brazil and herself a boyfriend  as well.  The two Macaws have an adventure with bird trapping villains and then they form their own family. 

In this second movie they discover there are more Macaws living far into the jungle of Brazil who are being driven out of their home by a tree cutting thief and his band of cutthroats. It is everyone to the rescue which includes several different birds they met in Rio and a English bulldog.  The Macaw who lived in U.S. named Blu (played by Jesse Eisenberg), is so citified that he does not eat things birds eat and is horrified when his lady love, Jewel (played by Anne Hathaway) eats a fly that's bothering him.  He eats pancakes, eggs, etc. for breakfast.  He does not sleep outside in trees.  So going deep into the jungle where he has to do all those things that he feels are beneath him makes for some very funny lines.  When he meets the leader of the Macaws ,which turns out to be Jewel`s father, (played by Andy Garcia) he is completely undone. Father thinks he just does not measure up to what he wants for his daughter, but feels her old boyfriend Nigel does.  So the battle is on to outwit the tree thieves and prove to Jewel`s father he is the better bird. We had a lot of fun with this one.  So bring out the child in yourself, when you don`t have one to take with you, and go see this very delightful movie. I know you will have a wonderful time.  Out of 10 this one gets a 10 for just plain fun.

The Lego Movie Rated:PG

Tory Says:

I wish my almost 3 year old son could write this review. Of course if he wrote it, it would be a very short one that said “I love blocks!” and that’s it.

Who hasn’t played with Legos? Even if you didn’t play with them as a kid then I’m guessing your child, niece , nephew, cousin or grandchild plays with them. Even though I played with Legos as a kid, I will admit, I wasn’t as excited to see this movie as my husband and son were. I thought it looked a little silly. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised.

 

We all liked it. Actually my husband LOVED it! We laughed at most of the jokes and by the end of the movie, were not only dancing but singing the theme song “Everything is Awesome.” I really enjoyed the little nods to the old Lego characters but there were some parts I found a little slow.

 

I don’t think I would rush out to buy this movie but if it was one a movie channel one day, I would watch it. I liked it but didn’t love it. Usually by about an hour into a film, my little guy is getting restless but I think all the bright colors and music kept him extremely entertained. He sat through the whole film without a peep!

 

Not my favorite movie so far this year but a good one. I would give it 7 out of 10. There is nothing in it that kids can’t see and I think even adults will appreciate some of the humor and references!  Prepare to be singing that song for all of eternity…and then again whenever someone says “Everything is awesome.” I bet that if you’ve already seen the movie, you just sang that sentence, huh?

Cat Says:

Being a "Lego Family" we were all really excited to see this when we saw the trailers for it. Then we started to hear from friends that it was SO good. Critics loved it too. But by the time we got around to being able to see it our 12 year old son was hearing bad things about it from his friends and almost didn't want to go see it anymore. That made me nervous. But then family went to go see it and loved it so we were still hopeful. What we ended up with was definitely a "mixed bag".

The 12 year old thought it was dumb. And the part I loved the most, the ending, was the part he liked the least. Huh. Mind you, we are the "middle" generation here at the Blog, so I wasn't surprised at our reaction to the film but shocked at the kid's reaction! I was sure he'd love it. But there appears to be a generation gap in place here.

What I did like about the movie is easy. That silly song gets stuck in your head..it really is catchy but in a funny good way. I loved how they used the different "play sets" from Lego as their backdrops and I loved the ending. My thing about the ending is that it would have set up the movie even better if they had begun with that bit of information at the beginning. Nope, not gonna tell you what it is since the movie chose to make this their "twist" at the end. 

And there's Batman and GoodCop/BadCop. These two characters made the movie for me. Will Arnett is hysterical as Batman and one of my favorite parts of the movie has to do with GoodCop/BadCop (Liam Neeson) that got a big laugh from me (and still makes me chuckle when I think about it).

But here is the main story. Emmett (Chris Pratt) is a construction worker who builds only within the plans and, indeed, gets his whole identity out of his routine. Then, suddenly, everything goes wonky on him and he's thrust into the spotlight as a hero thanks to the efforts of a prophecy delivered by a wizard (Morgan Freeman) and a master builder (Elizabeth Banks) who is the girl of Emmett's dreams. The are all sure that Emmett is THE master builder they have been waiting for to save their world from the evil overlord Lord Business (Will Ferrell) who wants to freeze the world and everyone in it and only Emmett has the piece that can do it. It is the job of GoodCop/BadCop to track Emmett down and stop him before he saves the world.

The overall message is a good one. That everyone is special no matter who they are or what they do and that you can act badly and then realize that it's something you can change if you want to do so. The laughs were, for us, more chuckles than laughs. But if you are a Lego person then you will find something to love about this film. We gave it a 6-3/4 out of 10. Don't regret seeing it but don't need to see it again.

Non-Stop Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:

I have been waiting to see a movie in the Extreme-D theater at Greenback for a long time now. Finally got my chance today and the movie was Liam Neeson's new one called "Non-Stop''. The theater was perfect for this movie as it has a huge screen and a great sound system.  Also, great leather seats.   But for the movie review. Really liked it a lot. So did my friend. It is a fast action movie (of course.  This is Neeson, after all) and it is a "who done it''. It has Julianne Moore as his seat mate on this flight from New York to London.  He is an air marshal by the name of Bill Marks who has a drinking problem and hates to fly. He receives a message on his phone right after take off that someone will die every 20 minutes if he does have 150 million transferred into an account.  He goes to the head flight attendant (Michele Dockery of Downton Abbey) to enlist her help.  Needless to tell you it all goes down hill fast.  Turns out the account the money is to go into is in his name. His life starts to fall apart with everyone but the woman seated next to him.  The last person he should trust is the first person to suspect.  Do not want to give anything else away because even for me (I read..a lot) there was a surprise.  But as I said, I enjoyed this movie because I like action thrillers with a good story line.  This one has all that.  Out of 10 I give it an 8.  One point I made to my friend is that flight attendants do not wear 6 inch heels. They would break a leg if they did. And while I love the actress as Mary on Downton Abby I was not impressed with her in this movie. Otherwise, good movie...go see.

Winter's Tale Rated: PG-13

Barbara Says:
This one has some good star power. It has Colin Farrell as a  thief in long ago New York working for Russell Crowe .  Crowe is a truly evil man with a horde of evil henchmen to do his bidding. It has Jessica Brown Findlay as the beautiful young woman who Farrell's character falls in love with when he goes to rob her house.  Only he finds she is dying, and soon too.  William Hurt plays her father who only wants her to be happy during her last days.  The spider in the web is Crowe`s mean nature because he wants to kill Farrell and now the woman he loves too.  We soon come to see this is a movie about good and evil. It is about the demons and the angels here on Earth. About the fight to win against each other in the battle for human souls. It has a white horse who is an angel sent to help Farrells character win against Crowe.  Someone is going to perform a miracle and Crowe plus the devil, played by Will Smith, want to stop it from happening. Only they misunderstand who is going to have the miracle and how far in the future that miracle will happen. It has some beautiful scenes taken during the winter and a love story saddened by lost. It has its start in the late 1800`s and on to the early 1900's, but then travels to 2014 for the finish. So fantasy is the core of this movie as well as the good against evil.  Out of 10 I have to give it a 6 simply because of the religious angle that sweeps through the whole movie.  It has its moments and is a watchable film.  It is a movie to go see if you are religious or just need something to do.

Cat Says:

I have to say I was more than a little hesitant to go see this movie. I figured I could either go with it or there would be a whole lot of eye-rolling going on. Turns out it was somewhere in the middle. 

The story is a full out fairytale about Good and Evil and how we all have some of each in us but how we can choose which to give in to and how we use it for ill or good. There is a Demon and his minions (no, not the cute ones) as well as an Angel, miracles, time travel and even Lucifer (played by Will Smith in modern clothing). The whole movie plays like an off-Broadway play. So if you go into the movie knowing those details then you may be able to get past the eye-rolling.

The movie begins with Peter Lake (played by Colin Farrell who seems to have mostly abandoned his bad boy persona for a more romantic one) who works for the Demon, Pearly Soames (played by Russell Crowe...warning, this role won't elevate his career any) as a thief. He's been raised by Soames after his own parents, denied entry into America, are forced to set him in a sail boat to float into New York from just off shore. But, at this point, Peter has decided to make a few mini scores and then get out of town, with Soames chasing him. The first encounter with Soames, cornering Peter in an alley, is the first time you are made aware that there is a whole lot of magic and evil going on here. Peter escapes and finds himself at the home of the very ill and dying Beverly Penn, (played sweetly by Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay) thinking he's going to make one more hit before leaving town. He finds love instead. Soames gets wind of this and starts to panic that Peter will use his one miracle to save Beverly. 

Now, not wanting to reveal all of the twists and turns I will just say that Soames catches up to Peter and tries to kill him by throwing him into the East River. Instead it simply transports Peter to modern day where Soames is still very much in power and Peter is frantically trying to remember who he is and why he keeps drawing a red-headed woman on the sidewalks of Central Park. As his memory starts to return to him he ends up entangled in the lives of a woman and her terminally ill daughter (played by Jennifer Connolly and Ripley Sobo) as the final act in the battle between good and evil puts them all in danger and Peter left wondering how his miracle can finally save someone he loves.

If you are already rolling your eyes just reading this review then perhaps you should wait till it's on cable on a rainy afternoon to give it a try. But if you love fantasy movies and the whole battle of good and evil (and need another reason to loathe Russell Crowe) then head out for a 2 hour diversion. I give it a 6.5 out of 10. I might watch it again on a rainy afternoon but won't be heading out to see it again.

The Monuments Men Rated: PG-13

Cat Says:

I loved the idea of this story from the moment I heard about it. I had heard about Hitler and the Russians stealing art from Italy and France during the war but no idea about these guys who helped to save a lot of it. I know that there are efforts, to this day, to have pieces returned to their countries of origin. So it's a good story. It's not a huge story. More of a "slice of life" type thing. They don't save the world, they don't save the war, they save some art. So for those looking for some huge blockbuster, this isn't it. It's a sweet little story about some good guys who do something and risk their lives for the betterment of all. And this movie tells that story very well. 

This is George Clooney's project and he acts, directs and even wrote this film. Once you see it you will understand why he was so drawn to it. It begins with him getting together a bunch of guys from all over the US as well as one from the UK and one from France to help them find this art that Hitler and the Nazi's have stolen and hidden and then return it back to where it belongs. But as the war ends Hitler delivers a proclamation that says that if he dies or Germany falls then ALL of the art is to be destroyed. As Clooney's character says in the movie, to destroy a culture's art is to destroy themselves. So the urgency of finding and saving this art is more important than ever as the film progresses.

The entire cast is wonderful in this. Clooney as the ringleader is sweet and earnest and determined, Matt Damon as his friend and the one who gets the most information out of a French woman, played by Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, who has one of the most touching scenes of the film, Hugh Bonneville (from Downton Abbey) as the dedicated art historian determined to save the Madonna and Child sculpture, John Goodman and Jean Dujardin (from The Artist) as a couple of guys trying to track down a shipment before it's all over with, and Bob Balaban as the "private" who truly learns what life is all about. 

You can tell by the music score that this isn't a "War Picture" and it isn't supposed to be the grim depiction of war but rather the mission of this band of art historians, curators and artists to try to save what they love and what they deem important enough to risk their lives. I have to totally disagree with the critics on this one and give it a 9 out of 10. I went into the theater expecting a great story about men trying to do the right thing and that is exactly what I got. Not for a second was I bored or felt like the film dragged. It was entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking and always wonderful to watch. Do you "have" to see it on the big screen...probably not but some of the places they visit on their search will take your breath away on the big screen so if you can go see it then DO go see it. Hang around for the end credits where you will be treated with photos of the real Monuments Men. I will own this one as soon as it comes out on DVD.

Barbara Says:

Had a very good time at the movies on Sunday.  Saw Monuments Men with a cast to behold.  George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett. There were other very good actors in this but those are the highlights. This is based on a true story of a group of men in their 30`s and 40`s that during WWII formed a crew to get back famous artifacts stolen by the Nazis. These pieces were hidden by the Nazis to be put in a museum that Hilter wanted built after he took over the world.  But it turns out that he also put in writing that if he lost the war everything was to be destroyed.  

It seems a friend of George`s bought the book about this in an airport shop. Thus was the start to a very good movie about it, as far as I am concerned anyway. I, along with everyone I have spoken to, had no idea this ever happened.  Even the daughter of one of the men involved did not know. This is a small band of men who set out to find these treasures taken from museums and homes all over Europe. This  film is endearing, funny, sad (two of the men died) and heart felt.  I wish there were more movies like this made. Out there, in real life, are so many true acts of heroism that should be shown on film. Instead of all this stupid crap we get buried in every year. 

One scene was more then interesting because I had actually been there.  There is a castle of King Ludwig, Neuschwanstein, that the Nazis stored statues in and on my trip to Bavaria we toured it. The most amazing castle you could ever imagine. All in all, I really liked this movie. It had heart and it made you think about a piece of history.  The acting was the kind of work these men always turn out and the scenes were very real looking.  If you want to spend some time learning something of value and seeing some good actors do their stuff then see this movie. If you are into stupid humor and nonsense, then this is not for you. Out of 10 I give it a 10. I will most definitely watch this one again.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Rated: PG

Cat Says:

I'll start off by saying I'm not much of a Ben Stiller fan. Like most of the comics that are so popular out there like Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, I hate their comedy and love their drama roles. So I was hopeful for this one when I was finally able to get out to see it today.

Yes, I saw the original version with Danny Kaye and liked it, but this version is more like saying you like Apple Pie but this one is Chocolate Creme. They are both pie, both good and both the same and very different at the same time. And I have to say I love this one more.

In this version Walter works for LIFE Magazine which is coming to the end of it's paper magazine run and going all digital. He's been working there for 16 years and is the only contact to their prime outdoor photographer (played in a great cameo by Sean Penn), Sean O'Connell. Sean has sent in a roll of film which has the final cover photo film frame for the magazine. Only, it's not there. Not in the can, not on the roll, not in the envelope. Not there. Walter panics since, if he has any hope of staying on with the company through the transitioning period, he must deliver this final negative for the final cover. Having lived a very safe life up to this point, Walter is forced out of his comfort zone and into panic mode zone where you will do anything to get the job done. He feels a loyalty to this photographer as well as to his magazine. The new girl at the magazine (played by Kristin Wig), Cheryl, whom Walter already adores from afar, encourages him to try to track Sean down and see if he has the negative. Walter takes her advice, knowing he has a very short time to get the negative, and it's an adventure from there.

Like the original, while living the "safe" life, Walter often takes leaps of fantasy and "zones out" as his fantasy life allows him to do things he would never dream of doing. This is a problem when the new transition manager comes into the picture. Adam Scott plays the jerk so well that you begin to wonder if that's who he is in real life because he has the role down! The manager uses Walter's zoning out as a weapon against him but it works for his love live with Cheryl. In this version the fantasy life is just an example of how he checks out of life and doesn't really see even what is in his immediate world. Not quite the scene stealer it was in the original.

Fairly quickly Walter is dashing all over the world in search of the photographer and this missing negative. When trip after trip fails his own life at home in New York kicks up a notch. He connects more with him mom (Shirley MacLaine, wonderful as always) and sister (Kathryn Hahn)  as well as with Cheryl and her son, Rich. As his work life is going downhill and his search for this photographer gets harder he starts to really experience life and the people in it and stops fantasizing instead. It is a wonderful blossoming.

When he, at last, does catch up to Sean you are treated to one of the best scenes in the movie. It is here that you really start to feel the heart of the film. Puzzle pieces come together for Walter and transforms him to the point where he finally "gets" it. Life. 

As a photographer this was a beautiful film to see (and maybe why I was so taken by it). As a movie watcher there are tons of holes that you have to overlook in this film. But it was the heart of the film that made me like it and, by the end of the film, love it. When Walter is forced to see the beauty of the world outside of his cubicle, so are we. When he is forced to see that your heart encompasses a lot more than you think it does, then so are we. It's sweet, tender and funny. There is a side story with Patton Oswald that leads you to one of the funniest lines in the movie. I won't spoil it for you. But it is this side story that helps Walter see where he's going as well as ties into the bigger picture in the end. If I were to look at the holes too closely this film would get a 7. Because of the beauty and heart it gets and 8.5. Great movie, no. It misses the mark by this much. But a very good movie that I will own and I will watch again and again. 

Barbara Says:

Watched ``The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty''' not long after it came out by myself.  I went just to have something to do really. Because I had been taking my breaks for lunch in the theater showing it and had not been real impressed. For those who do not know me, I work in a movie theater.  First, let me say I am not a fan of Ben Stiller.  Now for what I did like.  The scenery was beautiful all the way through the film.  I enjoyed seeing Shirley MacLaine ply her craft again as Walter`s mother.  It was interesting for me just to see all of those countries on the big screen.  The story line is not anything special except for the wallet he is sent by a famous photographer to thank him for doing right by his photo`s over the time he has been with LIFE.  This magazine is now closing down and this will be the photographer`s last photo. He tells Walter it is very, very important that it be on the front page of the last issue. Walter cannot find it..anywhere.  So he tries to find the photographer instead because he thinks it was left out of the envelope.  

If the story had been on that theme alone I would have liked it better.  Did not care for the trips off into stupid day dreaming scenes.   But this movie will appeal to a lot of people and as I said before, beautiful countries to look at no matter what.  The ending I was pleased with and so will you be when you see what the important photo showed.  Best part of the story line to me. I give this a 10 out of 10 for the wonderful scenery.  I give it a 6.5 for story line and an 8 for the ending. So I am all over the board on this one. Make up your own mind here by seeing it for yourself. If nothing else, you get to travel.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Rated: PG-13

Cat Says:

Let's start off by letting you know that I'm a huge fan of the books by Tom Clancy. I was very disappointed when Alec Baldwin bailed on the character after The Hunt for Red October. Happier when they brought in Harrison Ford to continue the series even if he was too old for the part. I enjoyed Patriot Games and to a lesser extent A Clear and Present Danger but, as mentioned, he was too old for the part so it could only go just so far. 

So with this reboot, and yes, it has all the hallmarks of a reboot, they started off with someone young (Chris Pine) to play the role of Jack Ryan. This starts at the beginning of his career showing the helicopter crash alluded to in The Hunt for Red October as well as when he meets his wife Caroline "Cathy" Mueller (Keira Knightly here) as she is training to become the eye doctor she will be by the time you see her in The Hunt for Red October. (don't ask me how they make the leap from Caroline to Cathy...makes no sense but they are trying to tie things to the books and previous movies) So you get a good background on this character before the real secret agent work begins. 

Unless I've completely forgotten this story from the books, this is a brand new story about Jack Ryan. As I warned you...reboot here. He's a new analyst, barely out of PT from the helicopter crash, and pulled into the CIA by a senior agent (Kevin Costner) to work undercover in a certain financial institute after 9-11 to find terrorist accounts. When he does find something suspicious it is from Russia and his boss okay's Ryan to take a trip to Russia for an audit of the accounts and the CIA is never happier to help him out. It begins smoothly enough and then all hell breaks loose and Ryan goes from analyst to agent in a matter of hours thanks to Costner's support and back up help. Things really go wonky when Cathy arrives thinking she's catching her fiance in an affair and instead finds him embroiled in espionage! The action is great and Pine is good in this role so you won't have any issues there.

What you will have issues with are Kenneth Branagh as the bad guy. He's playing the Russian businessman who is actually the terrorist that Ryan is sent to "audit" by his company and bring down for the CIA. While I think he did an awesome job as director of this film, his acting is very flat in this movie. Maybe he thought he was playing deeply hidden emotion that bubbles to the surface from time to time but it comes off as his character having a bit of life to him from time to time! Maybe the job of directing and acting was too much for him this time. No clue but he's the weak link here. There are a few plot holes but, hey, it's an action flick, my plausibility levels are suspended for those. That they went back to Russia is a bit off. That country is having enough issues without focusing in on the US to attack. But then, they don't pin it on the government here, just one group of men so maybe that's how they explain it away. The other issue here is that Pine is already the current hero in the Star Trek series...and does a great job in those too so how much back and forth are we going to be able to do between the two if this reboot takes off? It's a question that bounced around in my head as I realized that this reboot is really very good.  

There really is nothing beyond the usual "Mission Impossible" type of violence here for the 10 and up set. Younger than that and it might be too much and the story too hard to follow. There is a whole "sleeper cell" thing going on here that might lose them completely. No sex here but one scene where Jack and Cathy are waking up in bed together in the morning so if living together before marriage is a big one in your family then you may have questions to answer. I don't remember a lot of swearing so there must not have been a lot. The rating is all violence based. But for this genre this is well done. I give it an 8.5 out of 10. Do you have to see it on the big screen? No...it will play well on your tv too. But if you are looking for a fun action flick to go see then head on out to see this one!

Barbara Says:

A new Jack Ryan movie.  This has been an interesting series. What with Alec Baldwin starting it off with ``The Hunt for Red October'' many years ago and then we had Harrison Ford taking over for a few really good ones too.   Now we have Chris Pine.  Have to admit I was a bit leery about him being Jack Ryan. Not that I don`t like him because I do.  He has already proved he can do action movies and do them well. It is just that it is hard to take over a well acted role behind the above stars mentioned.  But you know what?  He did it. He did it very well too. This is Jack Ryan in college when the towers fell and he signs up for the Marines.  Bad helicopter crash later he ends up in hospital trying to walk again. Because he sent repeated E-mails and made calls to higher ups about things he saw while in the battlefield he comes to the attention of the CIA. And as the saying goes``the chase was on''.  The hospital is where he meets his later to be wife, played by Keria Knightly.   The bad guys are really bad in these movies and you feel for a young Jack who goes to Russia to do an audit at a Russia bank. The American bank he works at under cover is in business with this bank and he has found huge accounts hidden .  He reports to his CIA boss, played by Kevin Costner and it is fixed so he goes to check it out.  There he almost ends up dead right off the bat. He kills a man in hand to hand combat. His first time and it unsettles him that he could really kill like that. Will keep that out so you are surprised when it happens. He meets with the head guy the next day who is played very well  by Kenneth Branagh as a really bad guy indeed.  Fast  moving action movie after that and well done too. We all three enjoyed it and the theater was packed. We had to sit two rows from front and were worried about being so close.  It was fine. We didn't even notice it at all. Fun evening and a good movie. Out of 10 I would give it a  8.5 because it was well done.