Tomb Raider spotlights a super fit Alicia Vikander

Movie Title:      Tomb Raider

Grade:   B+

Rating: PG-13, 118 minutes

In a Nutshell: 
Based on the 2013 video game reboot, this origin story to the franchise shines a spotlight on the talented Oscar-winning Alicia Vikander who looks absolutely amazing.  

She does all kinds of ridiculous stunts, but they’re believable because she’s in such incredible shape.   Those abs!

The 2013 Tomb Raider video game won “Game of the Year.”  While this movie probably won't win any awards, it's fun family entertainment that I got a kick out of.

                                           

Tips for parents: 

• Some gross deaths
• Profanity, but no F-bombs
• Scary skeletons
• Some pretty violent fight scenes
• Guns and shooting
• Spiders.  EEK!
• A man gets drunk
• Perilous situations

Uplifting theme: 

• Family
• Good vs. evil
• Sacrifice for the good of others
• Female empowerment

                                       

Things I liked:

• Kristin Scott Thomas, Dominic West, and Walton Goggins join Alicia Vikander in rounding out the talented cast.
• This is the second time Dominic West has played Alicia Vikander’s father.  The first time was in the movie Testament Of Youth.
• There are some fun moments like in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark .
• They filmed in South Africa and England.  Of course, there  were also green screens, but they were well done.
• Some good stunts, although I hate the fake leaping antics.
• Suspenseful torm scene in the ocean.
• A few clever clues to figure out.  I wish there had been more.  I really enjoyed the mystery of The Da Vinci Code.
• The beginning of the movie had two good scenes to introduce Lara's feisty character and skilled athleticism: the boxing match and the bike race.

Things I didn’t like:

• I thought it was hilarious when they were down in the tomb and the team kept whipping out ladders, big lights, and other equipment, yet no one was ever carrying anything.  Ha ha
• Some silly jumps and scares that were super cliché.
• You don’t have to see this in 3D.  The original is just fine.
• Lara made some dumb choices that drove me nuts.
• Lara hangs by one hand.  A lot.
• The logo doesn’t make sense…the arrow line starts halfway through the title image.

Funny lines:

• “I’ll take two.” – Lara, when shown some guns

Want to compare this one with the Angelina Jolie's version?

        

Interesting lines:

• “Usually when I see you on this island, it’s you who disappears.” – Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West)
• “It’s almost impossible to get here, even harder to leave.” – Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins)
• “Some men like dangerous women.” – Lu Ren (Daniel Wu)

“Some men are foolish.” –Lara

• “All myths have foundation in reality.” – Lord Richard Croft
• “It’ll be an adventure.” – Lara

“Death is not an adventure.” – Lu Re

• “I haven’t seen you in a long time.” – Ana Miller (Kristin Scott Thomas)

“You’ve never seen me.” – Lara

• “Board rooms and business deals.  I’m just not that kind of Croft.” – Lara

                                       

@trinaboice

                       

The Light Between the Oceans will rip your heart out

Movie Title:   The Light Between Oceans

Grade:  B

Rating:   PG-13, 132 minutes

In a Nutshell:  DreamWorks Pictures brings the popular book of the same name by M.L. Stedman to the big screen.   With three strong leads and a story that will rip your heart out, this movie is not for the faint-hearted. 

Guys, this is a Chick Flick, but not for the reasons you might think.  If you watch this with a girl, her heart-strings will be tugging at her tear ducts and she won’t be able to shake the melancholy for a while.  I just want you to be prepared.

Light has long been a symbol for truth, so it’s interesting and appropriate that the story is centered around a lighthouse.

Uplifting theme: 

• “You only have to forgive once.  To resent, you have to do it all day, every day, all the time.  You have to keep remembering the bad things.  It’s too much work.” -  Frank Roennfeldt (Leon Ford)
• “People are responsible for their own actions and when they cross certain lines there needs to be consequences.” – Sergeant Vernon Knuckey (Anthony Hayes)
• People have long been irrational when it comes to their children.
• Sacrifice, family, parenting, love, loyalty, forgiveness, truth, choices, consequences.

Things I liked:

• Beautiful cinematography.
• I think Alicia Vikander is wonderful in everything she does.
• Michael Fassbender does a great job too and you really feel his tortured soul.  I did think he seemed too old for Alicia’s character though.  I can't wait to see him in Assassin's Creed!  Did you know he and Alicia Vikander are dating in real life?
• I’ve always thought it was interesting to see what people do for a living.
• Rachel Weisz is lovely and provides some depth to the story.
• I loved that there are no evil, malicious characters, just real people who are flawed and doing their best to live life and be happy.
• It addresses the very real emotional pain soldiers experience after war has ended.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s pretty slow-moving.
• There is a constant sound of crashing waves and wind.
• The ending is very choppy.
• Most of the movie is covered in shades of sadness and grief for various things.
• The subject of miscarriages is a particular sensitive subject for me.  I had several and it broke my heart each time.  A mother never forgets the pain, even after many years.  If you’re still suffering from a loss, you should probably skip this movie.
• There is really no humor or levity in the film to beak up the constant string of sad moments.

Interesting lines:

• “So, what do you wish for?”-  Isabel Graysmark

“Life.  That’ll do me, I reckon.” -  Tom Sherbourne

• “You make me feel…” – Tom
• “Sins catch up with you in the end.” – Tom

Tips for parents: 

• Children and teens will be bored and not be able to relate to the sensitive emotional coaster that is parenthood.
• Awkward sex scene where you see some flesh and hear some noises.  There is also another scene where you see a lot of Alicia Vikander’s mid-section.

@trinaboice 

Jason Bourne franchise still alive

Movie Title:     Jason Bourne

  

Grade:  B

Rating:  PG-13, 123 minutes

In a Nutshell:   If you’re a fan of the Bourne movie franchise, then you will want to see this movie, regardless of any critic’s review.  

I love Jason Bourne and Matt Damon, so I was looking forward to it, although I wondered what more the writers could possibly say or do to the story line.  The fact that it is “more of the same” is its strength AND weakness.

So, is this 4^th installment the last?  Who knows.  If this one makes any money, then you can bet there will be another one.   Who knew Robert Ludlum’s “The Bourne Trilogy” series would keep going?

Themes: 

• Personal rights vs. public safety
• Revenge
• “Privacy means freedom.” – Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed)
• Cyber security
• Family

Things I liked:

• I love Jason Bourne kicking bad guy butt.  Forty-five year old Matt Damon produced the film.  You see a lot of pictures and even clips of him in his younger days.
• Tommy Lee Jones can always be counted on to do a great job playing a good/bad Sherriff/Director/agent in any film.
• Alicia Vikander is beautiful to watch.  She started out with a bit of a British accent, but then it quickly toned down to a believable American one.  She’s actually Swedish and a very good singer!  She won the “Rising Star Award” at the 2010 Film Festival in Sweden and even won the role of a Danish queen in a 2012 movie without knowing any Danish.  Her career is definitely one to watch.
• It was nice to see Julia Stiles again.
• I wanted to beat the crap out of Vincent Cassel, who plays a brutal, vengeful agent with Jason Bourne in his sights…literally.
• The car chase scene down the famous Las Vegas Strip was pretty doggone impressive.  The most unbelievable thing about that scene, however, is that it is absolutely impossible to drive down Las Vegas Boulevard that fast.  I live in Vegas and can tell you that it is ALWAYS crowded and cars inch slowly along the road bumper to bumper.  Ha ha  At one point, cars crash into the Riviera Hotel, which no longer exists.  Las Vegas is the Capital of Implosions and just demolished the "Riv" in June.  Check out this clip from the real life implosion. 
• 
  
• 
  
• The film begins with some old clips from past movies in case you forgot what happened 9 years ago in the last flick.
• One thing I love about the Bourne franchise is that you get to travel all over the world in the movies.

Things I didn’t like:

• Does anyone actually like the “shaky cam” effect?  Every time there was a close-up, the jiggling around would begin.  That’s so annoying.
• Sometimes you have to read really fast to catch written words on computer screens or other documents.

·       At some point, almost every character in the movie says “Understood.”

·       The same flashback gets played over and over.

·       The same tense music and drum beats during almost the entire
         movie.
*       Some lines in the trailer weren't in the actual movie.

       

Interesting lines:

• “I remember.  I remember everything.” – Jason Bourne
•  “He’s seen things.  He knows things.” -  Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander)
• “What if he’s not coming for us.  What if it’s something else?”   Heather Lee
• “I know who I am.  I remember everything.” – Jason Bourne

“Remembering everything doesn’t mean you know everything.” – Nicky Parsons

“Tell me.”  - Jason Bourne

• “I volunteered because of a lie.” – Jason Bourne

“No, you volunteered because of who you are.” – Director Dewey

• “We’ve just been hacked.” – Craig Jeffers (Ato Essandoh)

“How bad?” – Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones)

“Could be worse than Snowden.” – Craig      - By the way, there is a movie about Snowden that hits theaters on September 9, 2016.

• “He is involved in this somehow.  I can feel it.” – Director Dewey
• “You don’t know the truth about what they did to you.” – Nicky
• “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” – Director Dewey
• “I’m trying to find another way.” – Jason Bourne

“And how’s that working out for you?” – Director Dewey

Tips for parents:   

• LOTS of shooting, killing, crashes, riots, and bloody hand-to-hand combat.  This is a very violent movie.
• Some profanity.

2016 Academy Award Winners

Hollywood's biggest night presented the following list of Oscar winners at the 88th Academy Awards:

• Best Picture – Spotlight

• Best Actress – Brie Larson, Room

• Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

• Directing  – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant

• Best Supporting Actress – Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

• Best Supporting Actor – Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

• Animated Feature Film – Inside Out

• Documentary Feature – Amy

• Foreign Language Film – Son of Saul, Hungary

• Adapted Screenplay – Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short

• Original Screenplay – Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

• Original Score – Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight

• Original Song – “The Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith

• Film Editing – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Production Design – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Sound Editing – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Sound Mixing – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Visual Effects – Ex Machina

• Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant

• Costume Design – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Makeup and Hairstyling – Mad Max: Fury Road

• Animated Short Film – Bear Story

• Live Action Short Film – Stutterer

• Documentary Short Subject – A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Man From U.N.C.L.E. is stylish fun

Movie:   Man from U.N.C.L.E

PG-13, 1 hour 56 minutes

Grade:  B+

In a Nutshell:    This stylish spy film from Guy Ritchie features eye candy for all tastes, and is based on an old espionage cult TV show of the same name.  It’s American CIA agent vs. Russian KGB operative.  It’s sexy and cool and fun.

While the plot isn’t deep, the one-upsmanship gag and evolving friendship between the two spies keeps the whimsy going and the audience happy enough to forgive its faults.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Friendship, loyalty, love, patriotism.

Things I liked:

·         OK, first off…Henry Cavill.  His gorgeous, sculpted face is worth the movie ticket, just so you can stare at him for two hours.  His suits are smart too.  He plays a suave American spy…I mean, a “specialist in complicated acquisitions.”  He couldn’t get any cooler.  His Superman vs. Batman movie hits the big screen next month.  That should be interesting...

·         You’ll remember Armie Hammer who played twins on The Social Network .  (Great movie.)  In this snazzy flick, he’s a Russian spy with some cool tricks up his sleeve and an fist coming out of it.

·         Much of the film takes place in beautiful Italy, Rome in particular.  It’s one of my favorite cities in the world.  Here’s a picture from my trip there a couple of years ago with "the guys" at the Colosseum.

·         Fashion divas will get a kick out of all the retro 60’s dresses, huge dangly earrings, floppy hats, long gloves, and chunky necklaces.

·         Everything was so stylistic from the movie to the sets, cars, street scenes, and split screens.

·         Elizabeth Debicki is such a gorgeous goddess in this film.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Alicia Vikander wears a lot of really fun outfits, but her white sunglasses are just silly.

·         It’s not the action-packed spy thriller that the Jason Bourne franchise is, but it’s still fun.

Funny lines:

·         “When you hear something like a gun shot, drive.” –Napoleon Solo

·         “Loving your work, Cowboy.” – Illya Kuryakin

·         You’re not very good at this subtlety thing, are you?” – Napoleon

·         “For a special agent, you aren’t having a very special day, are you?” – Waverly (Hugh Grant)

·         “Apparently, you put someone named Count Lippi  in the hospital.” – Napoleon

“He had soft bones.” – Illya

Things to look for:

·         I love all the lamp shades in Napoleon’s hotel room in Rome.

·         British actors Henry Cavill and Jared Harris have American accents in the movie, while American Armie Hammer plays a Russian, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander speaks German and European English,  and Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki speaks Italian and British English.

·         The beginning credits give audiences a quick overview of the Cold War through images. 

·         Be sure to read the hilarious ID cards about the spies during the rolling credits at the end.

       Yep, it looks like there will be a sequel.

Tips for Parents:

·         Napoleon is a playa.  You see the silhouette of a mostly naked woman getting out of bed with him.

·         As you can imagine in a spy movie, there is a high body count, lots of fight scenes, explosions, car chases, torture devices, and a man is on fire.
       Some profanity.

Want to learn more about the Man from UNCLE TV series? Check these out:

 


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