Mini Movie Review Catch Up 7/22/18

Greetings!

Yep, I once more fell off the face of the planet. This is never intentional, but sometimes life's plans don't match mine. (Busted pipes, rabid bat and consequent pet quarantine, vet bills from quarantine fallout, back muscle issues, tons of day job work, etc. Life has been interesting. Not always a good thing!) :P Money is tight right now, which hasn't helped matters any.

Figured I would try to catch up on mini movie reviews since it's summer and it's movie watching time! Lots out there to see right now. (Had to do some catching up on that too!) These are in order of older to newer.

Mini Movie Reviews

Incredibles 2 - after a super long hiatus, the Incredibles are back! And we get theme songs! Lol. Yes, the older superheroes had theme songs, and we get to hear them. You have to wait for  Elastigirl's in the end credits, but worth the wait. :P

Befriended by a brother and sister who want to bring back the old days when superheroes were free to do what they do best, everyone has to deal with changing roles in the household as Helen become the focus of the hero campaign.

Lots of family issues to deal with as Bob tries not to be jealous and works at being a stay at home Dad. Nefarious forces are at work, however. In that respect, the new film repeats some of the plot complications of the first movie. Still, it was a fun ride.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)




Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - The advertisements give a wrong impression of what the film is actually about. Yes, there is a volcano about to explode and destroy the island, but that whole segment is only the beginning of the film leading to the main section.

Dr. Wu (played by BD Wong) is a fortunate and resilient man, and the character connects the latest two films back to the original. The scientist has been a very busy and he has a new patron.  They want to build upon the success of their last creation and use the older animals to finance their ambitions.

Gorgeous film, loads of actions, quirky comedy, and more. The whole volcano problem is a little contrived, but if you can look past that, there's definite fun to be had. I find it funny how the old T-Rex is used much like Godzilla now. A very dangerous creature that still comes to your aid when you least expect. :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)




Ant-Man and the Wasp - Scott Lang is suffering the consequences of his actions when he went to the aid of Captain America in Captain America: Civil War. He's been under house arrest for two years as a result. His relationship with Hope and Dr. Pym lie in tatters.  His decision to help Cap had many consequences he'd not expected.

A few days before his house arrest is complete; however, he has a strangely vivid dream about Hope's mother and a little girl. So he leaves them a message, not sure how to explain it or even if it means anything.

It is this message that gets him kidnapped by Dr. Pym. Due to the things Scott saw during the first film when he shrunk himself into the subatomic levels, Dr. Pym and Hope have been working on a way to try to free his wife from there. They believe Scott is connected to Janet due to quantum entanglement.

But there are others interested in what Pym is working on. So Scott finds himself jeopardizing his freedom as they fight to bring Janet Pym back while keeping the tech out of other hands.

Everything I loved about Ant-Man comes back to the second film. Scott's relationship with his daughter (the maze adventure was awesome!), Luis and his dense but adorable childlike spirit, Hope and Scott's clashing denial of their feelings, and just all the fun of making things big and small! (Not sure you really could shrink and move a building around and have it work once you made it big again. All the power infrastructure and underground parts would not be there. But the concept is so cool! They could have easily explained it if they'd just taken a few moments!) :P Oh and the way they use the wheel-shaped Matchbox car carrying case is genius!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)





Skyscraper - weird as it may sound, the biggest reason I wanted to see this film was because the protagonist had a disability. This problem added such a neat wrinkle to the plot. After reading the three book mystery series by J.K. Rowling and her hard-boiled P.I. and his issues with part of a missing leg, I wanted to see what they did with it here. Overall, I thought they did a good job!

The building was gorgeous! I wish they'd shown us more of it before the destruction began. The special effects were fantastic. The company logo was awesome! Loved how they used it in the company video. (Yes, I love dragons!)

Once you find out what the tower owner is hiding, the reasons behind the actions of the bad guy make sense, but not Mr. Ji's. If you have copies of the data, leave the original in the safe. It will either keep it or destroy it, but you still have what you need. Henry, Will's son, also disappears conveniently from the film when they need Will's wife, Sarah to be more involved. Loved that she helped, so the movie wasn't just one-sided, but... Another issue was the wiring needed for the final move at the end of the film to work. Most of that would have melted off so wouldn't have worked. If they'd spent a little more time on the building introduction, they could have covered that, but they didn't.

Overall though, it was a fun ride and worth watching for all the action and just the darn cool building!!!!  :P

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Price of Admission.)





Hotel Transylvania 2: Summer Vacation - These are always so cute! Great for families to see together. They always cover different aspects of being a family. This one is multi-pronged in that aspect as we see issues from multiple families being highlighted.

The writers had a lot of fun writing this one. A lot of the details and bits definitely came from people with kids. Lol. They also take some expectations and give you something entirely different. Loved what they did with the Bermuda Triangle and the lost city of Atlantis. I would go on this cruise! :)

Loads of family topics - tradition, loneliness, obsession, letting go, embarrassment caused by family members, and more. Ericka ended up being a much more faceted character than I expected. I loved what they did with her. I even guessed the song that was used to save the day! Bwahahahaha!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

That should keep you all busy for a bit. :P

Here's hoping for a steady blog posting schedule!

Movie Review - Logan

Logan

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, and more.

Directed by: James Mangold Story by: James Mangold Screenplay by: Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green Cinematography by: John Mathieson Music by: Marco Beltrami 

Premise: It is the year 2029. Mutants are no longer born, the weird mutation died out. Logan and Xavier are old, and neither are in good health. Everything they've lived through seems meaningless now. So when a woman approaches Logan professing to need his help, he's not interested. He's got other things to worry about. But she's not about to let this go. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine. This is an older, more pessimistic Logan. Hugh Jackman does an incredible job. He gives an excellent performance throughout. You feel his aches and pains, he's so good! :)

Patrick Stewart also reprises his role as Charles Xavier. Though ill, Charles still does his best for his remaining student. Patrick brings all the light and comedic moments to the tale. And he does it so very well! Watching the two of them go back and forth was a lot of fun.

Dafne Keen as Laura is a treat. Not only does she have the Wolverine glare down, but she's also full of little surprises. Boyd Holbrook as Pierce is unexpectedly multifaceted. Though, his prosthetic hand kept trying to steal his spotlight. :P

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of nice and subtle special effects in this film. Two of the effects stuck with me. 

The first is the awesome work on Logan's abused body. One look at his face, his shoulders, and arms and you know this is a man who has suffered pain. When you see ooze coming from where his blades previously cut the skin, you know he's in trouble. And when you see his wounds at the clinic - eek!

The second is Pierce's mechanical hand. You would swear it was his true appendage. There's a scene where it's disconnected from the socket. Then he plugs it back in and twirls a small screwdriver. It is such a seamless move that it sells its reality to the audience, even though it truly isn't real. 

Laura's blades and Wolverine's were great. Xavier's unintended attacks, and the paralysis and other problems it invoked, made for a super cool scene in the city. 

Oh and Logan's limo? Priceless! Though it loses the fight with the fence, it makes up for that by bringing it along and using it as a weapon! Sweet!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: When you first realize Wolverine is not well, many fans will be wanting to know why. How could this be? Wolverine is a mutant, and his mutation is regeneration/healing. Oh, it's not a problem with the plot. There is an answer. And you'll have to wait for it! But if you're not paying attention, you might miss it. So when the scientist talks towards the end of the film in the woods, pay attention! It won't make immediate sense to connect it to Logan and what's wrong with him, but if you give it some thought, you'll see that they are. I have to say, the whole idea of it was brilliant! (High fructose corn syrup is the devil! I knew it! Bwahahaha!) 

The general plot is straightforward, with several points being obvious in their direction. But then, when you least expect it, you get a little surprise pop up here and there, throwing in some new angle, some new bit of fun. 

There are a lot of piled layers to the film as well. Regret, guilt, debts, family, reality vs. fantasy, putting one foot in front of the other out of sheer stubbornness. Living each day for a dream that's out of reach just to make it through another day. 

Tons and tons of touching moments. I did find it ironic how Canada is mentioned as a place of safety when for Logan it had been anything but. :P Callisto as a man was also a bit of a surprise. I didn't read the Laura arc in comics so I can't make any comments on that, but I did enjoy it! (I'm a sucker for well-done angst.) :P

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: This is a film with Wolverine, so a ton of stunts is definitely an expectation, and you won't be disappointed. Tons of hand to hand combat. Watching Wolverine and Laura go at it together is a sight to behold. And all the people involved in Xavier's unintended attack were fab! 

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the neat hideaway in Mexico to the location of Eden, the farm, and more - they all looked great. The sunset behind the caravan looking for Laura was breathtaking. Some nice view of mountains, tundras, and more. Visually satisfying stuff!

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I enjoyed the care they took with some of the clothing used in the film. Especially with regards to Laura. Mean, tough exterior, yet she showed a softer, girlier side with some of her random choices in eyewear and clothing. It was adorable and added an unexpected layer to her personality. Xavier putting on the hat he buys was such a cute moment!  

One the makeup side, all the work on Hugh Jackman was fabulous! It screams out even more so when we meet an unexpected participant. Made for a striking contrast. 

Conclusion: Logan was a fun and emotional film. Tons of action and more. Some typical moments but lots of non-typical as well. There's also a Deadpool intro before the main movie. Disturbing and too funny all at the same time. lol. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Mind Sieve 12/7/15

It's MONDAY!

Fan Fun

Batman vs. Superman Trailer #3 - Oh yeah! Now we see what the heck is going on. Lex, you are so naughty! :P

Star Wars International Trailer 3 - shows a bit more than the one we had before! Tears me up. lol. 

Captain America: Civil War Trailer #1 - booyah! This is going to get messy. 

Social Media/Author Platform

Social Media, Branding & Owning 2016—Because EVERY Day is Game Day by Kristen Lamb.

Writing Advice

FiYoShiMo Day 3: Tone is not Mood by John Adamus - some nice info in here!

Well more of a post than I have done recently. Wheee!

Movie Review - Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Ty Simpkins, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Dale Dickey, Miguel Ferrer, and more.

Directed by: Shane Black Screenplay by: Drew Pearce and Shane Black Based on the Comic by: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: John Toll Original Music by: Brian Tyler

Premise: As a new terrorist makes his tread felt over the world, Tony is dealing with anxiety attacks which have plagued him ever since he went into the wormhole in "The Avengers." A female conquest from his past, and some decision he made in 1999 also come back to haunt him. If he's not careful, he might lose the thing he cherishes the most - Pepper Potts. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Robert Downey Jr is always such fun as Tony Stark. His 'snark' and one liners dot the entire film. Gwyneth Paltrow once more didn't get given much to do through most of the film, but she shines in all of it. Don Cheadle looked great during several scenes and even gave Tony some snark back. Guy Pearce was very smooth as Aldrich Killian. The hints of slight madness here and there were very nice. Ben Kingsley will surprise everyone, and he was quite funny as well. Ty Simpkins and Robert Downey Jr together were adorable and hilarious.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Great job on the special effects! The armor pieces must have driven the department insane, but looked so very awesome. The whole scene where Tony's house is destroyed was fabulous. And the work they did on the Mandarin's people gave me chills. You could almost see their humanity escaping their grasp.

The 3D brain live feed took my breath away. Definitely recommend seeing the film in the IMAX 3D.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: For the most part that is. Fans of the Iron Man comics will get a shock and it will dilute the pleasure they derive from the film. Though the commercials mentioned the Mandarin, and we saw him with the rings - it's false advertizing. This Mandarin is not the alien tech/magical ring wearing megalomanic the comic book fans will be expecting. Sadly, there is little to nothing with this Mandarin that matches Iron Man's comic book arch-nemesis. However, most of the viewing public won't realize this, and for them it won't be a detriment.

The powers of those who've been injected (can't say too much or I'll give things away) did not appear to be consistent. Yet no real explanation was made as to why. The bad guy ends up showing powers beyond all his compatriots, to the point he seems almost god like, but the information we've been supplied with does not substantiate the end product.

Lots of little twists, many of them quite delicious. Others will be seen coming from miles away. They tried to bring back some of the feel of the first film, and this worked pretty well. The scenes Tony spends with the little boy while in hiding were priceless. Some of the best bits of the film come from those two interacting.

Make sure to STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS! One of the best bits in the entire film awaits you there.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Amazing CGI assisted stunts abound through the entire film. The whole Miami sequence was great!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Got some wonderful overhead shots of Tony's house, letting us appreciate the place one last time before we see it totally destroyed and from many different angles. The Miami location was fabulous. And the set up for the final battle zone made combat into a three dimensional affair and this worked to great effect.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Pepper in the white power suit looked fabulous! Also Tony's shirt in the beginning section. Costuming and makeup also made the Killian transformation from when we first see him in 1999 and then in the present a startling contrast. Tony's wounds all looked very real, and very painful.

Conclusion: "Iron Man 3" is a fun action packed film and well worth watching. Unless you're a fan of the comics, then you might feel a bit robbed with what they did (or mostly didn't do) with the Mandarin. Great one liners abound. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D. The soundtrack rocked!

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price To See Again!)

Movie Review - The Avengers

The Avengers

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smolders, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more.

Directed by: Josh Whedon Screenplay by: Josh Whedon Story by: Zac Penn and Josh Whedon Based on the comic books created by: Jack Kirby and Stan Lee Cinematography by: Seamus McGarvey Original Music by: Alan Silvestri

Premise: Loki has made a deal with an unknown alien force and so he's returned to Earth to recover the Tesseract, a recently uncovered energy source. He wants to use it to open a gate to Earth to let in his borrowed army, and then subjugate humanity so they may worship him. Nick Fury and SHIELD gather together a set of unusual but powerful allies in the hopes of recovering the Tesseract before it is too late.

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Half the fun of the movie was watching all these great actors interact. I was ecstatic when I spotted Gwyneth Paltrow as her interplay with Robert Downey Jr. is always such fun to watch. Clark Gregg broadened his role as Agent Phil Coulson and proved that even agents can have a little bit of a geek inside them. Scarlett Johansson and her character were so much more than just the 'token female' of the film. She not only outfought most men, but she showed a devious, cold interior that will always get the job done. Cobie Smolders also showed the strength and competency of women as Nick Fury's second right hand. Mark Ruffalo conveyed tremendous amounts of feelings with just a look. Tom Hiddleston also gave a great performance as the aggrieved god Loki.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Where superheroes are involved, you need super special effects - and the team that worked on them for the Avengers film were more than superb. From energy gates, to imploding secret bases, to alien invasion, explosions, and destruction, everything was very detailed, flawless, and best of all, believable.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I've been following the works of Joss Whedon for a while now and he has yet to disappoint. He always knows how to play the audience and give it what it wants. Unlike other works where a combination of superheroes come together but get overshadowed by one or two key figures, Mr. Whedon and Mr. Penn managed to give equal weight to all those concerned, even Bruce Banner's alter ego, the Hulk.

The pace was brisk; all the details furthering the story. The only time it felt bogged down was during some bickering and then not for very long. Some viewers will not realize the staff has a lot to do with the escalation of frayed tempers, so the fact this wasn't mentioned by any of them later might hurt the story in their opinions but the later part of the film more than makes up for it.

Using the Hulk as comic relief during the combat sequences was genius! It gave depth to a character who normally has little to say and showed that he is more than the monster he appears to be. Captain America's instructions to the Hulk during the battle a master stroke of leadership.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: While some of the action is CGI, not all of it is. The actors and stunts people worked hard for their wages and it shows. In turn, this gave the audience an awesome and unforgettable set of action scenes. Good job everyone!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: With a wide range of filming spots from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, to California as well as those created through virtual reality, they were strung together to create a viable world of great locations for our heroes to protect. The Stark building was amazing. The cinematography of the streets of New York swamped by invaders and the collapse of the research base will play in your mind for some time.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The heroes' costumes closely resembled the look of their comic book originals. Hawkeye was the only one who's uniform did not match in any way, totally missing his telltale mask, but I have to say that the detail paid to his bow and how he could program it to send signals to his quiver so arm his special arrows was fantastic. Thor's hair looked stringy and dirty for the full film, which seemed odd, but could have been a stylist choice. The wounds and bruises received and later maintained on all the characters were very well done. And when our heroes were finished, they looked tired and worn as they should have. Great job.

Conclusion: A fantastic, fun filled film. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D and more than once if you can get away with it. (Sit through ALL the credits! There are TWO extra scenes!)

Rating: 4.75 pout of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See It Again!)