Coco celebrates family and honors heritage

Movie Title:  Coco (Theatrical Verision)

Grade:  A

Rating: PG, 1 hour 49 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This extremely vibrant, colorful animation by Pixar has heart, visually stunning effects, and celebrates a wonderfully rich Mexican culture that we rarely get to see in the movies.  

It will have you contemplating what happens to you and your loved ones after we die as an added inspiring bonus.

If you’re not familiar with Mexico’s “Day of the Dead” holiday, you might be a little creeped out by all of the skeletons at the beginning of the movie, but by the end, you’ll wish your country celebrated it too.

My twin sister and I wrote a book together about how to research your family tree and celebrate your heritage.  People from around the world sent us their inspiring stories about how they felt their ancestors from “the other side” helping them to find the missing information they were looking for on their family tree!  If you want to have a spiritual experience, do your genealogy!  Click here to learn more about our book called Climbing Family Trees, Whispers in the Leaves.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “One cannot deny who one is meant to be.” – Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Pratt)
• “Seize your moment.” – Ernesto de la Cruz
• Helping friends
• “Nothing is more important than family.” – Miguel .  Families ARE forever!
• Life goes on beyond this mortal experience.
• “That’s what family is supposed to do…support you.” – Miguel
• “Never underestimate the power of music.” – Ernesto de la Cruz

Things I liked:

• I adore Jaime Camil.  His character is ridiculous and charming on Jane the Virgin, Season 1 (5 Discs). 
• The colorful, stacked houses in the movie were inspired by Guanajuato in Mexico.
• The music is really engaging.  The actual composer of the movie appears in caricature as the conductor at the end of the movie.
• I thought it was cool how they used the Aztec marigold throughout the movie to connect things together.  It’s used traditionally on the Day of the Dead for the same purpose: to connect the living with the dead.
• If you see this film in the theaters, you’ll get to see an ADORABLE 21 minute musical short of “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” with characters from the movie Frozen (2013)  Apparently, quite a few audiences in Mexico have complained that it’s too long!  Ha ha  I thought it was awesome and the audience I saw with applauded happily at the end of it.  It’s all about families and their traditions during the holidays.  Super cute.
• After the Frozen (2013) short, the directors of the movie COCO also talked for a minute, which is something I rarely see before a movie starts.  Interesting.
• The beginning of the movie was clever how it told Miguel’s ancestry through lacy flags.
• The movement of the animation was AMAZING. The details were so impressive.  I watched an interview with director Lee Unkrich, who explained that they tied GoPro HERO cameras on people playing the guitar in order to get the fingers exactly right as they played.
• I loved the tiny details in each frame.  For example, you could actually see tiny little chin hairs on Great Grandma Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguia).
• Voice talents include Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, and Latino legend Edward James Olmos.

Things I didn’t like:

• It reminded me a lot of Book of Life movie, which came out three years ago from Twentieth Century Fox.  I personally liked this one more.

Fun Facts:

• In Brazil, the name of this movie is “Viva”, which means “life”, because the word “coco” sounds too similar to the Portuguese word for "poop."
• This film broke the record for the longest production time, because it started in 2011 and didn’t hit theaters until November 2017.
• Merchandising has really gone big.  Southwest Airlines actually painted one of their Boeing airplanes in Coco design.
• The Santa Cecilia graveyard in the movie is named after the Catholic saint of musicians.
• Dante, the dog, is named after Dante Alighieri, who wrote The Divine Comedy and also went on a journey to the world of the dead.

Interesting lines:

• “You don’t have to forgive him, but you shouldn’t forget him.” – Miguel
• “The music is not just in me.  It IS me.” – Ernesto de la Cruz
• “No one was going to hand me my dream.  I had to reach out and take it.” – Ernesto de la Cruz

Tips for parents: 

• You’ll hear the word “chamaco”, which means “kid.”  In some Latino cultures, it has more of a connotation of “brat.”
• The story might be hard for young children to follow.
• Some of the dead ancestors are a bit spooky and creepy.  There are TONS of skeletons!
• Challenge your kids to spot the Pixar character pinatas hanging along the street in the beginning of the movie (Buzz Lightyear, Wood, Mike Wazowski).  You’ll also see the Pizza Planet delivery truck in another scene.  I love that.
• A lot of Spanish words are spoken with no subtitles.  You’ll still understand the story if you don’t speak Spanish.  Here are a couple that are important to know:  

          Mijo  = Mi hijo = my son
          Ofrendas = offerings

• There are some “spirit guide” animals in the story.  This is a perfect time to talk to your kids about what you believe happens to people and animals after we die.
• People drink alcohol.
• No profanity.

Hangman dies a quick death at the box office

Movie Title:    Hangman

Grade:  C

Rating: R

In a Nutshell: Al Pacino.  There’s THAT.  This is the eighth time he has played a police detective.  

The old-school child’s spelling game, Hangman, held promise for a good thriller, but the movie disappoints in a pretty mediocre paint by numbers who-dunnit.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “Sometimes finding out the truth leaves scars.” – Christi Davies (Brittany Snow)
• “Scars tell stories.” – bad guy (I don’t want to tell you who that is!)
• Revenge
• Friendship

Things I liked:

• It was refreshing to see Brittany Snow in a hard-hitting murder mystery, after seeing her in fluffy, fun movies like Pitch Perfect By the way, the 3rd Pitch Perfect movie hits theaters in 3 weeks!  I confess, the franchise is a guilty pleasure for me.
• Karl Urban plays Detective Ruiney as well as he does “Bones” in Star Trek Into Darkness , although "Bones" is definitely a more interesting character.
• I first noticed the beautiful, tough Sarah Shahi when she starred in Person of Interest: S1-5.  Her real name is Aahoo Jahansouz and she’s a descendant of a real Persian Shah.  Cool.  Unfortunately, she seemed too young to be cast as the captain of the police department.

Things I didn’t like:

• Typical bad guy monologue at the end.
• The cops never take the time to try to figure out what the hangman letters mean.  It seems like they could have plugged them into a computer to consider various options.  You get to see what the letters spell out towards the very end, but no one even mentions anything about it.  Missed opportunity there.
• Silly ending.
• The whole plot feels contrived and forced with annoying plot holes.

Tips for parents: 

• This is NOT a family-friendly film.
• F-bombs and other profanity.
• Lots of bloody, gruesome deaths.
• Naked chest of some dead women.
• Paintings of naked women.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

The Star illuminates holy with high jinks

Movie Title:   
    The Star

Grade:  B+

Rating: PG, 1 hour 26 minutes

In a Nutshell: Walden Media and Affirm Films (owned by Sony Pictures) present a very sweet animated movie for Christian families this Christmas.  

While the movie isn’t entirely accurate to the actual Bible, The Star is still very well done and a wonderful way to celebrate the reason for this Christmas season, especially with your little ones.

Uplifting theme: 

• “We’re meant for something greater than this.”  - Bo (Steven Yeun)
• “Just because God has a plan doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.” – Mary (Gina Rodriguez
• “Follow your heart.  Follow the light.  Follow that star.” – The Star - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack sung by Mariah Carey

Things I liked:

• Cute opening with appealing music while we watch the pygmy gerboa bounce around through the town.  Kristen Chenowith is the perfect voice for this adorable creature.
• The animation is simple, yet detailed and rich.  The hair, for example, looks textured and real.
• I have been a fan of Gina Rodriguez since I first started watching her on Jane the Virgin: Season 1, which role actually won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy.  She gives Mary a practical voice that is also tender and sweet.
• The wonderful Christopher Plummer voices Herod the King.  It’s so great to hear his voice again.
• Mary named the donkey “Bo”, so of course that caught my attention, because my youngest son’s name is also Bo.  Steven Yeun voices Bo.
• The Star - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is great with upbeat versions of classic and modern Christmas carols.
• A large part of the movie focuses on talking animals.  They learn and teach each other important life lessons while having silly adventures.
• This is Oprah Winfrey’s 4^th time lending her voice to an animated character.  She plays Deborah the camel.
• This is Walden Media’s first animated film.  
• Mariah Carey voices “Rebecca the hen”, but also wrote and sings the theme song of the movie.  Another singer, Kelly Clarkson voices Leah the horse.
• Other voice talents include Keegan-Michael Key, Tyler Perry, Tracy Morgan, Gabriel Iglesias, Patricia Heaton, Kris Kristofferson, and Anthony Anderson.

Things I didn’t like:

• Christians who know the story will be able to read between the lines.  For example, you hear someone say, “Joseph!”, but you don’t see the angel Gabriel who appeared to him and explained what was happening with Mary.
• Do I dare say it’s a little bland?
• Non-Christians will probably dismiss this movie as rug-rat indoctrination.
• Some of the humor is cliched and falls flat.
• Mary’s espoused husband, Joseph, is a bit whiny and mad a lot.  I always pictured him differently.  He certainly was supportive and kind and had to be amazing in order for God to choose him to raise His son.

Tips for parents: 

• Because the target audience is children, you can expect some poop and fart jokes.
• No profanity.  Very clean.
• The doctrine isn't entirely correct, but it's still a good introduction for little ones to learn the story of Jesus Christ's birth.

@trinaboice 

Wonder warms your heart and fills your eyes with tears

Movie Title:   Wonder

Grade:  PG

Rating:  A

In a Nutshell:  Based on the New York Times bestseller by R.J. Palacio, Wonder features a talented cast in an uplifting, heartwarming, and inspiring movie that teaches us all to be a little more kind with one another.  

As Mr. Brown’s precept on the chalkboard says, “When given a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.”

The prosthetics and make-up used on Jacob Tremblay are truly a Wonder.  There is enough humor to balance out the emotional moments.  Speaking of emotional moments, you WILL cry.  A few times.  Bring tissue. 

The kids who sat in the audience with me loved it.  It’s a Wonder when both parents and kids can find a movie that they equally like.

Uplifting theme: 

• Who do you aspire to be?” – Mr. Brown (Daveed Diggs)
• “You can’t blend in if you were born to stand out.” – Via ( the lovely Izabela Vidovic)
• “Everyone deserves a standing ovation at least once in their lives.” - Auggie
• “Your deeds are your monuments.” – Mr. Brown’s Precept on the classroom wall.  Summer explains that it means, “The things that we do are things that matter the most.”  
• “Oh Earth, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you.” – Via (while acting in the school play of Our Town.)

Things I liked:

• Jacob Tremblay does an incredible job as August Pullman.  He has developed quite an impressive filmography for such a young kid.  He starred in the Room, The Book of Henry, Shut In, Before I Wake [Blu-ray], and even The Smurfs 2.  His real sister, Emma, is also in the movie and plays 
• I liked how the story is told through various people’s perspective.  It’s not just a movie about Auggie, but all of the characters who have their own challenges and growth.
• Some of the kids are really adorable, especially Jacob Tremblay (Auggie), Millie Davis (Summer), and Noah Jupe (who played Matt Damon’s kid in Suburbicon.)
• I got a kick out of all the Star Wars references and the audience laughed every time Chewbaca showed up.
• Someone makes a very kind sacrifice that truly impressed me.  I know, I know…it’s fiction.
• This movie hit theaters the same day as the JUSTICE LEAGUE.  You’ll see a REAL Wonder Woman in the role of Auggie’s mom, played by the wonderful Julia Roberts.   SPOILER:  She looks very comely in the beginning of the movie, but by the end, she appears more hip in an intentional “don’t judge people’s appearances kind of way” and a subtle evidence of how she was completely dedicated to Auggie when she homeschooled him and finally found herself by the end of the movie.
• After starring in Broadway’s hit Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [Clean], the talented Daveed Diggs has been busy working on films lately and has a small, but important role in this one.

Things I didn’t like:

• Yeah, some of the teary moments are manipulative, but they still worked on me.
• Cliché standing ovation scenes that almost every middle-grade movie has lately.
• The bully’s parents were ridiculous.  The mom seemed over-the-top.  I sure hope parents like that don’t actually exist.
• They live in an expensive Brownstone in New York City.  What exactly does Owen Wilson’s character do for a living?  We never learn that, but he’s able to send Auggie to a private school and still have plenty of time to spend with his family.  Fiction, indeed.

Funny lines:

• “Have you ever thought of plastic surgery?” – Jack Will (Noah Jupe)

“Dude!  This IS after plastic surgery!  It takes a lot of work to look this good.” – Auggie

• “What evil man invented Dodgeball?” – Auggie

Interesting lines:

• “Why are you sitting here?” – Auggie

“Because I want some nice friends for a change.” – Summer

“Me too.” – Auggie

• “Good friends are worth defending.” – Mr. Tushman (Mandy Patinkin)
• “Not everything in the world is about you.” – Via  
• “Real friends are hard to find.” – Auggie
• “Auggie can’t change the way he looks.  Maybe we can change the way we see.” – Mr. Tushman
• “We all have marks on our face.  This is the map that shows us where we’re going and these are the marks that show where we’ve been.” – Isabel Pullman   (I loved that sentiment, especially as I age and get more wrinkles!)

Tips for parents: 

• Bullying
• Fist fight among boys
• SPOILER: A sad death
• Julia Roberts shows her kids a floppy disc and they have no idea what it is.  Ha ha
• Two kids cheat during a test.
• The middle school does the play Our Town.”  Your kids may not know anything about it.  You should watch the old movie!
• A kid gets angry and throws something.
• The disease that Auggie has is called mandibulofactuallyacial dystosis, also known as "Treacher Collins syndrome."  Jacob Tremblay visited children who actually have it to prepare for his role as Auggie.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Justice League gets mixed reviews

Movie Title: 
 Justice LEAGUE

Grade:  B

Rating:   PG-13, 110 minutes

In a Nutshell:  With this much superpower force, this movie should have been awesome, but is getting very mixed reviews.

The gathering of the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War brought together fun and quirky personalities that created a super spark that surprised and delighted audiences, something that this movie struggles with.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Hope is like your car keys – easy to lose, but if you look around, you can find it.” - Superman (Henry Cavill)
• “Hope is real.  All you have to do is look…up in the sky.” – Lois Lane (Amy Adams) 

Things I liked:

• I think Gal Gadot is gorgeous and I was looking forward to seeing her again after her successful Wonder Woman movie. Unfortunately, she gets a little lost in all the testosterone and frenzied action.
• Keep watching ALL the way to the very last of the rolling credits to see two more clips.
• The Amazonian women are awesome.  Their battle sequence was one of the best in the entire movie.  Their costumes and hair were dramatically changed from what they looked like in the Wonder Woman movie.  Hmmm...which one is going to stick?
• Most of the CGI is really great.
• I like Ben Affleck as Batman.  He’s certainly the solid leader in this league and his fans will think his opening scene is really cool.
• I thought Jason Momoa made a cool, bad boy Aquaman and I'm excited to see him in his own feature film for this character, which comes out December 21, 2018 in the USA.

Things I didn’t like:

• I was excited to see how DC was going to handle Superman’s death, and was pleased to see he was given so much respect in this movie.  I really like Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel (2013) I think Henry Cavill is so handsome, but what was going on with his CGI face?  It turns out that he had a mustache for his upcoming role in Mission Impossible and Paramount forbade him to remove it, so they used CGI to brush over the stash.  Weird, right?  I thought it was ridiculous that Batman beat Superman to begin with in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.  Superman is way better than Batman. You can read my movie review of Batman vs. Superman here.
• Some of the action sequences seemed so rush and chaotic that it's hard to see what's happening.  You don't see a lot of civilians in the fighting areas, which tends to make the scenes feel less dangerous and urgent.
• The DC movies are much more dark than the Avenger films.  Based on huge box office sales at Marvel movies, audiences seem to prefer a more light-hearted superhero action flick.  My youngest son explains it by saying, “Marvel is self-aware and doesn’t take itself so seriously.”  Yup.
• I would have loved to see more of Atlantis.
• Barry Allen/The Flash played by Ezra Miller is supposed to provide the comic relief for the movie, but a lot of the humor falls flat.  He also looks really strange when he's running. Weird, since that's his big talent.
• People who aren’t familiar with DC Comics may not know who Steppenwolf is, other than they’ve heard of the rock band with the same name.  ha ha  We first saw a blurred glimpse of Steppenwolf in a deleted scene in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, which was later released online.  He’s scary, mean, bad, and angry, but there are rumors we’ll learn more about him and the Darkseid in future movies.
• JUSTICE LEAGUE had to undergo a lot of reshoots and redo’s, because it was directed by two different directors.  Unfortunately, the first director’s daughter died, so he pulled out of the project.
• The character introductions seemed rushed for the new superheroes like Aquaman, Cyborg, and the Flash.  Warner Brothers has tried to keep their superhero movies at 2 hours or less, but this movie could have benefitted by longer backstories that explained character motivation better.  Comic book fans who are familiar with the characters and stories will be able to fill in the missing gaps, but the general public won’t.
• It always bugs me when trailers have lines and scenes that aren’t even in the final movie.
• Once you see the movie, you’ll probably forget it.

Interesting lines:

• “Technology without reason, without heart, destroys us.” – Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)
• “I believe in truth, but I’m also a big fan of justice.” - Superman
• “What are you?” – bad guy

“A believer.” – Wonder Woman

• “You’re out of your mind, Bruce Wayne.” – Aquaman

“Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.” – Batman

• “Darkness, true darkness is not the absence of light, but the conviction that the light will not return.” – Lois Lane

Funny lines:

• “What are your super powers again?” – Barry Allen (Ezra Miller)

“I’m rich.” – Batman

• “It’s good to see you play well with others again.” – Alfred (Jeremony Irons)

“Dressed like a bat.  I dig it.” – Aquaman

“It may be temporary.” – Batman

• “Children.  I work with children.” – Wonder Woman

Tips for parents: 

• One of the superheroes drinks alcohol.
• Some profanity.
• Shootings, violent fighting, death of humans and other creatures.
• Lots of butt shots and skimpy clothing on Wonder Woman.  I really liked her movie, but she's treated like just another pretty object in this one.

@trinaboice 

Murder on the Orient Express features star-studded cast

Movie Title:     Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)

Grade:  B

Rating: PG-13, 1 hour 54 minutes

In a Nutshell:  With an incredible A-list cast, this is a well-made, stylish “Who-dunnit” mystery directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars as the Belgium inspector Hercule Poirot.  

It’s extremely picturesque and beautiful, yet slowly fizzles with a disappointing reveal of who the murderer is.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “We seek the truth from within, not without.” – Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh)
• “Sometimes the law of man is not enough.” – Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz)
• “poison of deep grief”, healing, peace
• Revenge 
• Right vs. wrong and everything in between
• Truth

Things I liked:

• The period pieces and costumes of the 1930’s are beautiful.
• You don’t often see movies that take their time telling the story.  Both the time period and the style of movie-making seemed old-fashioned.  It was shot in 65 mm and really immerses you in the various environments.  The sets are incredible.
• The all-star cast includes the talented Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom Jr., Daisy Ridley and Derek Jacobi.  Kenneth Branagh was absolutely outstanding. You might wonder how old Judi Dench is…She was born in 1934, making her 82 years old.
• There was some humor, although the tone was a bit inconsistent, beginning with a very light feel and then remaining mostly dark for the rest of the film.
• There were some really great camera sequences.  One scene was shot from above the characters as they talked.  Another scene was shot from outside the train as it scanned the people walking down the hall through the windows.  You really feel the movement of the train and feel like you're on one.
• There is a reference to a murder on the Nile, possibly a sneak peek into a sequel, but definitely a reference to another one of Agatha Christie's books called Agatha Christie's Poirot: Death on the Nile.  Speaking of the author, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express was her best-selling novel.
• The movie begins at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem with some gorgeous vistas and a funny sequence.  One of these days, I'm going there.
• There are some beautiful vistas in Istanbul.  One of these days, I’m going there too. 
• Michelle Pfeiffer sings "Never Forget", which was co-written by director/actor Kenneth Branagh. Wow, he was really busy with this film.
• The photo of Katherine, Hercule Poirot's lost love, is actually Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh's real ex-wife.

Things I didn’t like:

• Some say it grinds to a halt, rather than get more intense.  Yeah, it's true.  The ending is anti-climatic.
• In the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express, the star-studded ensemble had equal moments of importance; whereas this version doesn't have much character arc and kind of fizzles.  A lot of movie critics are comparing it to the movie Clue which was able to develop characters much better.
• Daisy Ridley’s character is way too young for her character, who should be much older.
• Sergei Polunin is a famous ballet dancer in real life, but we don’t get to see him dance at all!  Instead, we get to see him beat up some people.
• All of the actors were great, but felt underutilized.  So much talent wasted.
• I heard a lady sitting near me say, “That mustache has to go!” Hercule Poirot’s double-decker mustache is ridiculous, but his mustache mask is even worse.  Ha ha   When the 1974 movie of Murder on the Orient Express  Agatha Christie was still alive and she commented on how much she didn't like Albert Finney's mustache on his Hercule Poirot's character.

Interesting lines:

• “Romance never goes unpunished.” – Hercule Poirot
• “To a man with a hammer, everything is a nail.” – Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley’s character is actually quoting Mark Twain.)
• “There is right.  There is wrong.  There is nothing in between.” – Hercule Poirot  (He learns about grey areas.)
• “Vice is where the devil finds his darlings.” – Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz) 

Funny lines:

• “Did we die?” – Hercule Poirot 

Tips for parents: 

• Young children may get bored, as it’s a “talking” movie that unfolds slowly.
• There are some subtitles when two people speak German.
• French is spoken, but there are no subtitles.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice