The Secret Life of Pets is fuzzy fun

Movie Title:      The Secret Life of Pets

  

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG, 90 minutes  

In a Nutshell:  This high energy family flick by Universal and Illumination is colorful and fun for all ages.  

Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, the visual gags, lines and chase scenes come at you non-stop with just the right touch of heartwarming “ahhs.”  It’s oddly therapeutic, like you’ve just been playing with your own pet for 90 minutes.  

Uplifting theme: 

• Friendship
• Love

Things I liked:

• I love the opening New York City scene.  You just can’t go wrong making a movie with the Big Apple as one of your characters.
• You’ll recognize Jenny Slate’s voice from the adorable Zootopia movie.  She has such a unique voice that she has a great future in animated family films.
• The animators clearly have pets.  They nailed the body movements and pet expressions.
• It’s fast-paced with humor that even parents will get a kick out of.
• The talented cast includes Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Albert Brooks, Steve Coogan, Dana  Carvey, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Bobby Moynihan and more.  I adore Jaime Camil in the popular TV sit-com “Jane the Virgin”, so I was happy to hear his melodramatic, over-acted Latino voice as Fernando in a telenovela that Gidget watches.
• I laughed out loud at the sea monkey's comment because I had thought the very same thing after buying some.
• The story about how dogs are descended from wolves.  Ha ha
• Cute and perky music by Alexandre Desplat.
• Keep watching after the first set of credits at the end.  At the very end, you hear Pops yell, “Alright, party’s over!”

Things I didn’t like:

• See it in 3D if you want to see dog drool flying towards you.
• It’s chaotic, so you'll probably want to take a nap with your dog afterwards. 
• Isn’t this story basically Toy Story with animals?  Think about it.
• Kevin Hart’s character Snowball screams during the entire movie, which can grate on your nerves. 
• The French animation studio, Illumination, really pushes the envelope for family entertainment, because this movie has violence, sexual innuendo, and a few jokes that are inappropriate for American sensibilities.
• You see most of the cute moments in the movie trailer within the first 10 minutes of the film.
• Snowball is a total psycho and the action sequences with him escalate into the absurd by the end.

Funny lines:

• “Where is Max?  Tell me!  Don’t look at him.  Look at me.” -  Gidget (Jenny Slate)
• “I feel heroic…and handsome…a little wet, but I look good.  I look good.” – Snowball
• “I’m your friend, and as your friend, I gotta be honest.  I don’t care about you or your problems.” – Chloe
• “We gotta take the secret route!” – Pops

“Ok, the secret route was death.” – Chloe

• “Nobody could ever love a cat like they love a dog.  I’m just saying.” – Max
• “Dog people do weird, inexplicable things like they get dogs instead of cats.” – Chloe
• “You’re not doing great, but you’re not drowning…and that’s something!” – Duke  (Eric Stonestreet)
• “You may have lots of time, but for me, every minute is a cliffhanger.” – Pops (Dana Carvey)
• “This is groundbreaking evil behavior, people!” – Snowball
• “Oh, great. You’re in love.  How gross for everyone.” - Pops

Tips for parents:   

• It will make you want to line the walls of your house with web cams to see what your pets really do when you’re gone.
• Because the target audience is young, plan on butt-sniffing, rabbit pooping, and nervous peeing jokes.
• Your kids are DEFINITELY going to want a pet after seeing this.

Finding Dory has the "Awwww" factor

Movie Title:        Finding Dory

  

Grade:   A

Rating:     PG, 100 minutes

In a Nutshell:   The feels!  The first line of the movie that you hear comes out of the sweet little mouth of Dory when she was a toddler, causing every female in the audience to gasp, “Awwwww!”  My teenage son leaned over to me and said, “This is going to be a long movie.”  Ha ha   Later, he admitted he really did like the movie, even more than he thought he would.

This heartwarming Pixar sequel is perfect for all ages. It’s risky to feature a supporting character from a previous movie (Finding Nemo), but it works great in this film.  Dory is adorable, lovable. and easily carries her own movie.  

One of the best parts of seeing this movie is watching the ADORABLE animated short before Finding Dory!  The animation is AMAZING!  Sooooo cute!  Awwwww!

Uplifting theme: 

•  “You can do whatever you put your mind to.”  - Jenny (Dory’s mom, played by Diane Keaton!)
• During the final credits, the screen says, “The film is dedicated to all our families – of every kind.  You keep us swimming.”    Families come in all shapes and sizes.
• “The best things happen by chance.” – Dory
• “There’s always a way.” – Dory
• We often don’t know who we are and what our talents are.  Let’s help each other by sharing kind words with one another.
• “Just keep swimming.” – Jenny (Dory’s mother)
• While the title makes you believe someone is trying to find Dory, SHE is the one looking to find someone…her parents.  On her journey, she finds herself.
• Mr. Ray (Bob Peterson) teaches the school children about instinct and describes it as “the song you always know.”  We all have a natural desire to go home.
• Respect for ocean life.

Things I liked:

• Ellen DeGeneres is wonderful as Dory.
• Keep watching during the post credits to see Hank doing silly things.  Then, keep watching until after ALL of the credits for a fun surprise.
• I love the last line of the movie and the song that follows.  Marlin looks out over the drop and sighs, “It really is quite a view.”  Dory agrees, “Yep.  Unforgettable.”  Then, the ridiculously talented Sia sings “Unforgettable.”  Perfect.
• Two of the “dads” from Modern Family voice characters in this film:  Ed O’Neill (Hank) and Ty Burrell (Bailey).
• John Ratzenberger is a Pixar icon.   
• Some of the small roles are voiced by BIG talents such as Eugene Levy, Idris Elba, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Willem Dafoe, and two SNL comedians -  Kate McKinnon and Bill Hader.
• You’ll never see sea shells in the ocean the same way again.
• Becky!
• It’s interesting that this film doesn’t really have a classic villain, other than the dangerous situations Dory and the characters find themselves in.  Nevertheless, it works. Very well.
• I love it when Dory talks in her sleep.  This time she says, “Give me the ratchet wrench.  I can fix it.”  It’s another insight into her character that she always wants to fix situations, despite her disability.
• The colors and textures are rich.  The movement under the sea is so realistic that you really feel like you’re in the ocean.

Things I didn’t like:

• I adore Albert Brooks as Marlin and was sad he wasn’t utilized more in the movie.  Still, he has some poignant moments.

· I cried in Finding Nemo.  I’ve seen the movie a bunch of times and still cry when I watch it.  SPOILER ALERT: The reunion moment should have had me bawling, but it ended so quickly that I hardly had a chance to tear up.

·  Did you notice the Coke product placement?  Do those every bug you?

Funny lines:

• "Nobody saw Dory?  That’s a lot of eyeballs doing nothing!” - Hank
• “Suck it Bypeds.” – Hank
• “Everybody does it.  Nothing to be ashamed of.” – Dory, after Hank “inks”
• “Follow me!” – Dory

“You’re in a cup…” – Hank

• “My life’s a rainbow!” – Bailey
• “I don't have a problem with crazy.” – Dory

“You know, I could see that.” – Hank

• “You lost a tentacle?  Then, you’re not an octopus; you’re a septimus. I can count.” – Dory
• “Cuddle party! I’m in!” – Dory
• “Hey dude, if you’re gonna hurl, could you do me a solid and head to the back of the shell and lean out and go for distance?” - Crush
• “We see the undertow and we say…” – Charlie (Dory’s dad)

“Let’s go!” – Dory

• “Righteous!” – Crush (Andrew Stanton, who is also one of the directors and writers of the movie!)

Tips for parents:   

• There is an awkward/funny “when 2 fish love each other” speech Dory begins to give to young children when she thinks she’s supposed to teach “that” class.
• Children (and parents) with any kind of disability will find comfort and inspiration as we watch Dory deal with her short-term “rememory loss.”  The topic is handled very respectfully in the movie.
• Very young children might be frightened by the idea that it’s so easy to get lost from your parents.  Watching the movie can spark an important conversation with your little ones about how to deal with separation, as well as emergencies.
• There is an important lesson for parents to let their children do things for themselves.

Concussion earns Will Smith a Golden Globe nod

Movie Title:    Concussion

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13

In a Nutshell:    Will Smith rightly deserves the Golden Globe nomination he earned from his role in this “David vs. Goliath” story.  His Nigerian accent is great and his depth of emotion superb.

This is not the typical underdog football story.   It’s based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, who tried to go head on with the National Football League when he discovered a medical link to brain damage and playing football.

The end of the movie mentions Junior Seau’s recent suicide.  I remember how traumatic that announcement was because Seau and his foundation had just given one of my sons a college scholarship.  We were heartbroken to hear the news.  I remember being shocked and wondered how someone who seemed to have everything would choose to end his life.  Now I understand a little better.  This film presents important information and does it in a very tasteful, interesting way.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Need is not weak.” – Dr. Bennet Omalu  (Will Smith)
• “You have to be the best version of yourself.  If you don’t know what that is, you pick something and fake it.” –  Dr. Omalu
• “If you know, you must come forth and speak.” – Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw)
• “When you have truth, the thing you are told you cannot do is the thing you must do.  Embrace that and nothing created by man can bring you down.” – Prema
• “The gift of knowledge is a great gift, a dangerous gift.” – Dr. Omalu
• Guilt, integrity, honor, respect

Things I liked:

•  I loved the imagery and use of hands throughout the entire movie.
•  Alec Baldwin makes me laugh, even when he’s in a dramatic role.
• I always appreciate it at the end of movies when they tell you what has happened after the movie left off.  The statistics presented are sobering.
• I thought it did a good job being sensitive to all the football fans out there.
• Albert Brooks was made to look like a balding, older man.  Young fans will recognize his voice from the huge Pixar hit “Finding Nemo.”  They’ll be happy to know that he still has a full head of hair.  He provides some much needed humor to this cautionary tale.
• I appreciated the respectful discussion about religion vs. science.
• Paul Reiser and Luke Wilson play roles, although small ones in the film.

Things I didn’t like:

•  You will see a lot of football collisions and crunches.
• Fans hoping to see a lot of football action will be disappointed. 
• It’s tough to say who the target audience is for this film and who will or can take action after seeing it.

Funny lines:

•  “I had quite a revelation tonight.  This body was made for dancing.  When they say dancing machine, I am what they mean.” – Dr. Omalu

Interesting lines:

• “All we have to do is finish the game.  If we finish, we win.” – Mike Webster (David Morse)
• “I am not interested in common sense.  I’m interested in science.  Science is knowing.” – Dr. Joseph Maroon  (Arliss Howard)
• “The NFL owns a day of the week.” –  Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks)
• “Everyone has been in the dark and you have turned on the light and given this Boogeyman a name.” – Dr. Julian Bailes  (Alec Baldwin)
• “Tell the truth.  Tell the truth!” – Dr. Omalu
• “There is no coincidence in this world.” – Prema
• “If you don’t speak for the dead, who will?” – Prema
• “You know, it is a mindless, violent game…and then it’s Shakespeare. I mean, to me, it’s like life that way.  I know you can’t see how exciting and beautiful all that is and I don’t blame you.” –  Dr. Bailes

Tips for parents:   

• There is some profanity.
• This is a serious, slow-moving “talking” movie that may bore young children.
• Discussion of suicide and miscarriage.