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.