Isle of Dogs displays style and detail in a stop-motion treat for dog lovers

Movie Title: 
      Isle of Dogs

Grade:   A-

Rating: PG-13, 101 minutes

In a Nutshell:  I went to Japan with my family last summer for the first time.  It was so amazing that I know it won’t be the last time.  I absolutely loved it. 

The ground crew at the airport in Tokyo actually bowed in unison to all of the passengers on our airplane right before we took off.  I mean, how could you not love a country that does that?

My kids went crazy for Japan too.  It’s an incredible country with so much to offer, so I really got a kick out of this movie’s story and Japanese-influenced style.  

This stop-motion film is fresh, different, and extremely entertaining.  Some might even call it a work of art.

                                              

Tips for parents: 

• Your kids are probably going to want to adopt a dog after seeing this movie.
• This is only the 3^rd stop-motion in the USA that is rated PG-13.  While this is an animation, the movie is really geared more toward adults.  That's not to say there is a lot of profanity or suggestive material; there isn't.  The humor is just more sophisticated and subtle.

Uplifting theme: 

• Loyalty
• Friendship
• Pet ownership

                                                  

Things I liked:

• The talented voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Live Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Greta Gerwig, and Koyu Rankin. Most of those actors are either Oscar winners or nominees.  Pretty impressive.
• Director Wes Anderson showcases his talent for detail.  Sooo much detail.  I love detail.
• The introductory back story was hilarious.
• The locations were so full of depth.  Each trash zone area was unique and named according to what happened there. For example, "Spots’ Landing,”  “Drone Beach” and “The Crash Site.”
• Clever humor.

Facts that showcase the craft in this movie:

• Many of the newspapers seen in the film include real articles that have been translated into Japanese.
• All of the shots from the dog’s perspective don’t have red or green in them since dogs can’t see those colors.
• Spoken in English, “Isle of Dogs” sounds like “I love dogs.” 

Things I didn’t like:

• A lot of Japanese is spoken with no subtitles, so you have to assume dialogue based on context. There is also a lot of written Japanese.  I wish I could have read it.
•  Some of the cleverness turns into smugness.

Funny lines:

• “Da## it.  I’ve got a crush on you.” – Foreign exchange student Walker 

                                                      

                                          @trinaboice

Silence is Martin Scorsese's final testimony of faith

Movie Title:    Silence

Grade:  A-

Rating:  R, 161 minutes

In a Nutshell: 
Based on Shusaku Endo's novel, legendary director Martin Scorsese offers a passionate look at faith and devotion, which he said was twenty years in the making.

This is not your typical Christian movie.

Christianity in Japan in the 1600’s was illegal and dangerous.   I’m going to Japan this summer and am grateful that I will be welcome there, along with my religious convictions.  

Uplifting theme: 

• “Christianity brought love.” – Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield)
• “My love for God is strong.  Could that be the same as faith?” – Mokichi (Shin'ya Tsukamoto)
• “What have I done for Christ?  What am I doing for Christ?  What will I do for Christ?” – Father Rodrigues

Things I liked:

• The film asks very profound questions about religious conviction and faith.  How much would you still believe after you had been broken?  When do you stop fighting for your beliefs and just resign to being silent? What do you do when God himself remains silent?  The story and questions are both complex and challenging.  The film is not just a persecution allegory about what once happened in a time and place long ago, but it still has application to today.
• Adam Driver’s Portuguese accent is very good and believable, but Andrew Garfield’s is terrible.   Sorry The Amazing Spider-Man  Otherwise, both of their performances were really great. Despite all of his character's struggles in the film, Andrew Garfield's great hair remains.  ha ha  What an amazing year Andrew Garfield had in the movies this past year!  His starring role in Hacksaw Ridge  
• The production value is excellent.  While the target audience is predominantly either Christians or Scorsese fans, this movie is unlike any other Christian movie you have seen.  
• Fantastic title.  I love titles of movies that have multiple meanings.
• I liked the effect that the loud crickets had when they suddenly stopped in the very beginning and end of the film.
• Some of the faith demonstrated by the Japanese Christians was truly inspiring and absolutely heart-breaking.
• The direction was impressive, especially considering many of the scenes were shot in tiny spaces.

Things I didn’t like:

• The movie poster is misrepresented.  You think you're going to get to see a movie starring Liam Neeson, but he has less than 10 minutes of screen time.
• This is a VERY long movie that makes you relate a little bit to the LONG suffering experienced in the film.  The powerful message could have been delivered in much less the time.
• Deep spiritual questions are raised, but not often answered. The audience is left wondering what Scorsese's true message is.
• It's hard and painful to watch.  You just want the suffering to end.  Either that or you just want to kick the Old Samurai Inquisitor's butt.

Interesting lines:

• “Garupe and I have absolutely no luggage to bring to Japan except our hearts.” – Father Rodrigues
• “Feed my lambs.  It fascinates me.” – Father Rodrigues
• “But Christ did not die for the good and beautiful; that is easy enough. The hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt.”  - Father Rodrigues
• “God sends us trials to test us, and everything He does is good. But why must their trials be so terrible?  And why, when I look into their eyes, must my answers to their questions be so weak?” – Father Rodrigues
• “I’m sure God heard their prayers as they died, but did He hear their screams?” – Father Rodrigues
• “Where is the place for a weak man in a world like this?” – Interpreter (Tadanobu Asano)
• “Why do they have to suffer so much?” –Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield)

Funny lines:

• NONE.  This is a very serious drama.

Tips for parents: 

• You see decapitated heads on stakes at the very beginning just to warn you that you’re watching a Rated R movie.  It gets much, much worse.
• Brutal torture of Christians, including burning people at the stake, beheading, hot water torture, drownings, and beatings. Like most Scorsese films, it's violent and cruel, definitely not family-friendly fare.

@trinaboice 

The Forest addresses suicide and paranormal activity

Movie Title:      The Forest [Blu-ray] 

Grade:   C-

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 35 minutes

In a Nutshell:   This is the classic “January Junk” horror movie.  This will be a movie your teens will have playing in the background while they do something else.

I’m a twin.  So, there’s that…

Uplifting theme: 

•  Do not leave the path.
• If you’re sad, you’re more vulnerable.
• Don't go to Japan to kill yourself.  Try the sushi instead.

Things I liked:

• You get to see a little bit of Japan.
• The Aokigahara forest is a real place in Japan.  People really do go there to commit suicide, so much so that there is a sign at the entrance that encourages people to think of their families and call the suicide prevention hotline.  It’s the third most popular place in the world to commit suicide.   How sad.
• Fans of Game of Thrones and The Tutors will enjoy seeing Natalie Dormer play twins.
• Some creepy moments.
• Sara says her twin sister’s favorite poem by Sara Teasdale was “There will come Soft Rain”: “Not one would mind, not bird nor tree, if mankind perished utterly.  And Spring herself , when she woke at dawn, would scarcely know that we were gone.”  It’s an especially sad poem when you learn that Teasdale committed suicide.

Things I didn’t like:

• You’ll be watching a scary scene and then it turns into a dream.  Lazy writing.
• Cliched jumps and scares.
• A LOT of dumb “what’s behind that door?” moments
• It could have gone somewhere interesting, but didn’t.
• Super lame ending.

Interesting lines:

• “I kept my eyes closed, but she saw it all.” – Sara (Natalie Dormer)
• “If you see anything bad, anything strange, it’s not real.  OK. It’s not there; it’s here.” (pointing to his head)  - Michi (Yukiyoshi Ozawa
• “How’s it feel to be in the forest where she disappeared?” – Aiden (Taylor Kinney)

      “It feels… necessary.”  - Sara

Tips for parents:   

• Some profanity.
• Blood, maggots, stabbing
• Lots of talk about suicide.

Godzilla proves to be a monster at the Box Office

Movie Title:  Godzilla [HD]

PG-13, 2 hour 3 minutes

Grade:    A-

 

In a Nutshell:   I love it when a movie trailer doesn’t reveal major plot points in an upcoming movie so that you’re pleasantly surprised.  Godzilla [HD] has all of the intensity, stunning visual effects, impressive sound design and suspense you’ve been wanting from this franchise for years.  Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the monstrous fun.

Box office sales proves that, just like Godzilla, this movie franchise won't die.

Uplifting theme: 

• There are good monsters and bad monsters.  Humans too.  Awww.
• There are nice examples in the flick of heroism, loyalty, sacrifice, and honor.

Things I liked:

• Disaster movie lovers will get a kick out of watching Las Vegas and San Francisco get destroyed.  Great special effects.  I loved the TV ticker line “Breaking News: Live Terror in Vegas!”
• The movie makes it current by including present-day concerns about compromised Japanese nuclear power plants being a danger to nearby communities and beyond.
• I liked how it tried to wrap the story around the 1954 Godzilla movie’s fear of the atomic age.
• Bryan Cranston makes everything better.
• Monsters Director Gareth Edwards is great at creating chaos and pandemonium.
• I watched it in IMAX 3D, which offers some moments when I really felt inside the movie.  At one point, I thought an audience member was standing in front of me and I almost asked him to move, but then realized it was the 3D effect.
• Go Army!
• (SPOILER ALERT)  I loved it when a “certain” monster glowed with fire inside.  Godzilla spews cool blue fire.
• I loved the scene where the skydivers dropped from the clouds, trailing red flares.
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson conveniently arrives in the right place at the right time to offer the ongoing thread that keeps the human story running alongside the monsters.  He’s likeable enough to get the job done as hero and provides another shout-out to the real everyday heroes in today’s U.S.Army.  My oldest son is an officer in the Army, so can I get a “Hooah!”?
• It was clever to show old movie clips in the beginning to bring newbies to the Godzilla franchise up to speed.
• One of the few funny moments of the flick featured some Japanese parents in an airport getting annoyed at their Emo kid.
• I loved seeing the city and aerial views of Tokyo.
• One of the best lines in the movie was when a Japanese doctor gets to say “We call him… Godzirra.”
• There are a few scene transitions that made the audience laugh out loud because they were expecting to see a real monster, but instead, saw a pet chameleon and a toy dinosaur.

Things I didn’t like:

• Audiences can’t help but compare this film to last summer’s blockbuster Pacific Rim .  They’re both fun, but Pacific Rim had some fresh elements that Godzilla [HD] can’t compete with (uber cool, digital kaiju, gigantic robot soldier fight scenes).  Click here for my review of Pacific Rim.
• While the 1998 Mathew Broderick version felt more like a cartoon, this one is full of drama.  In fact, it needs a touch of humor to offset the fact that it takes itself so seriously.
• The back story provided some meat, but was a bit contorted at times.
• Not nearly enough monster fight scenes.  Not nearly enough Godzilla.  He almost plays a supporting role.
• Dr. Ishiro Seriwaza does two things well in the movie: utter profound statements about Godzirra, and stare in disbelief with his mouth open.
• Thanks for the uncomfortable reminder that I live near Yucca Mountain...

Interesting lines:

• “The arrogance of man is thinking nature is under our control and not the other way around.” – Dr. Ishiro Seriwaza
• “The king of monsters is the savior of our city.”
• “Nature has a power to restore its bounds.  I believe he is that nature.”  - Dr. Ishiro Seriwaza

Tips for parents: 

• Loving married relationships instead of sexual content is refreshing.
• Very mild profanity that’s hardly noticeable because so many other things are going on.
• Lots of destruction and monster violence.  That's what you came to see though, right?

Does the new version of the 47 Ronin add or detract from the legend?

Movie Title:  47 Ronin

Grade: B

In a Nutshell:  It’s as if this long movie couldn’t decide which one it wanted to be: epic war history or CGI action fantasy.  I love Keanu Reeves and wanted this movie to be legendary for him, but it just falls short of being very memorable.  It prides itself as telling a true Japanese story, yet it mixes in modern CGI villains that spoil the authenticity.  The movie takes itself very seriously, but has a few humorous moments, such as when a pudgy Ronin tries to cut a branch with Keanu’s sharp sword.  (Is Ronin plural?  What’s one Ronin called?  Roni?)

In case you didn’t know already, a Ronin is a masterless Samurai and the film is a remake of others made in 1994 and 1941.  While many critics have been quite rough on this version, if you’re interested in Japanese lore, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here.

Uplifting theme: I thought the ceremony with bloody thumbprints on paper was powerful.  Oishi inspires with this short speech: “We will leave this record of courage so the world will know who we were and what we did.  Tonight, we will regain our honor and avenge our Lord.  None of us knows how long he shall live or when our time will come.  But soon, all that will be left of our brief lives is the pride our children feel when they speak our names.”

At the end of the movie, the narrator explains “the memory of the 47 Ronin who put duty and justice before their fear of death has lived down through the centuries as one of the greatest examples of loyalty and honor in Japanese culture.”  The screen then shows text, telling the reader that each year, on December 14^th, thousands of people from around the world visit the graves of the 47 Ronin to pay their respects.  This film was inspired by their story.”  That statement alone made me want to learn more about the true tale.

Things I liked:   I love symbolism and the movie provides a few touches, such as the candles blowing out when one of the Samurai dies or when the Ronin wear white robes to show purity in obedience, surrounding a white tree in the middle, representing the pillar of tradition.  I also love it when Keanu calmly tells someone he’s going to kick their butt.  Rinko Kikuchi gave a sexy and bewitching performance.

Things I didn’t like:  The boy who plays Keanu’s character (Kai) when younger speaks with a British accent, but the older Kai does not.  Someone should have caught that little inconsistency.  The prejudice against Kai, the “half-breed” seemed a little too familiar and tired for a movie theme, although certainly experienced in many societies still today.  Maybe I’m just tired of ignorance.

Funny lines:

• “I knew it was you.  I saw your belly sticking out from behind the tree.”  - Kai
• “I knew you’d come for me.”  - Mika  (Wow, how many times have we heard that from melting starlets?)
• My niece lived in Japan for a year and a half and told me oishi means “delicious”, so I thought it was interesting that one of the character’s names was Oishi.

Inspiring lines:

• “Mountains of corpses will not stand in our way.” - Witch (Wow, that’s dedication, eh?)
• “What I propose ends in death.  Even if we succeed we will be hanged.”  - Oishi  (It’s hard to inspire people with a speech like that.)
• “A Samurai does not take credit for victories of others.”  - Oishi
• “I will search for you to a thousand worlds and a thousand lifetimes until I find you.”   - SPOILER ALERT  - Kai  (Now that’s romantic, right?)
• When a crime goes unpunished, the world is unbalanced.  When a wrong is unavenged, the heavens look down on us in shame.” – Oishi
• “My father told me that this world was only a preparation for the next.  All we can ask is that we leave it, having loved and being loved.”  - Mika

Things to look for:

• wooden Japanese shoes worn by the King Lord guy
• Samurai wear 2 swords
• Did you know Keanu Reeves is half-Asian?  He really is!

Tips for parents:  No profanity and mostly bloodless fighting.  It features honor and loyalty, but also revenge.  It’s certainly an opportunity to discuss those values as a family.  Young children may get a little bored.  

If you saw this movie, I'd love to hear what you thought about it!

In case you're interested in learning more about this famous Japanese story, check out these other versions of the retelling.  One of the most popular ones is Inagaki's Chushingura" Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki (1962).

The Wolverine shows summer movie-goers what a fun superhero movie should look like

Don’t you just love Hugh Jackman?  He’s like an action figure that can sing and dance.   The Wolverine is a journey into one of X-Men’s most conflicted and developed characters on screen.  If you love Wolverine, you’re going to love this movie.  If you’re not familiar with the famous steel-taloned superhero from the comic books, you’ll still be entertained.

Within the first ten minutes of the show, the audience is treated with some background story, amazing CGI of the blast at Nagasaki and a close-up view of how a superhero recovers from atomic burns.  Wolverine saves a young Japanese soldier from the bomb, who later wants to repay his kindness before dying as an old man…a rich old man.  Most of the film takes place in Japan, combining ancient Japanese tradition with the ageless history of Wolverine.

For the ladies, Hugh Jackman is often topless, revealing an impressively sculpted body and evidence of a hard-working actor.  Movie critic Roger Ebert calls him a “metal-clawed mountain of muscle.”  For the guys, Jackman shows off some cool action moves and quick fighting sequences, enough to match skills with the most awesome of ninjas.  And yes, there ARE ninjas in the movie.  Who doesn’t like a good ninja?  Well, unfortunately, the ones in this movie are all bad.

The Wolverine battles with lots of bad guys in this movie, as well as himself, as he decides what is worth living for in his immortal life or what is worth dying for.  Logan must decide whether or not to accept the gift of mortality from his old friend, Kenuichio Harada who is now a billionaire and head of a technology company that can help the Wolverine get the thing he wants most: death. 

Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold worked together before in Kate & Leopold.  The writers provide Logan with lots of flashbacks and moments to reflect, sometimes making you want to yell at the screen “Just snap out of it already and be awesome!”

Rila Fukushima plays Yukio, a young Manga-inspired body-guard, complete with red hair, rockin black boots, and admirable loyalty.  Tao Okamoto plays Mariko, the grand-daughter of Harada and heir to his fortune. While Wolverine struggles with guilt from his lost love, Jean, he carefully falls for Mariko and is sworn to protect her.

Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova plays Viper, a mutant doctor who wears ridiculously sexy outfits to hold the audience’s attention, yet doesn’t have much depth to her character.  Maybe in a sequel we’ll learn more about her?  While she gets lots of cute fashion ensembles, Wolverine is either topless or sports a wife-beater t-shirt a la Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies.  I like the way his hair tweaks out on the sides to make him look like the comic book figure.

The bath tub scene is pretty cute where some female Japanese servants help transform the scruffy Logan from a cave man who hangs out in the wilderness into a clean superhero.     Another funny scene is when the Minister of Justice gets thrown out of a window wearing red underwear.

The impressive fight scene atop a bullet train in Japan makes the recent Lone Ranger train scenes pale in comparison.  Unfortunately, the ending was a bit cheesy, as well as a few lame lines like when Wolverine says “Don’t hit my friends” or when he answers the question “What kind of monster are you?” with “The Wolverine.”  Since I’m a mom of 4 boys, I hate it when the hero has to drop F-bombs to make an impact, like when he says “Go F___ yourself, Pretty Boy.”  Yeah, the audience laughed, but surely the writers could have come up with something more witty and appropriate for young boys everywhere to mimic for weeks after watching the film.

The end of the movie presents a Pacific Rim Samurai version of a robot that is kind of cool.   A line often repeated by Rila Fukushima in the movie describes it well….”interesting.”  Hamada calls Logan a “ronin”, a Samurai without a master.  Interestingly, before the movie began a trailer played for an upcoming movie entitled “47 Ronin” which should offer some impressive fight scenes that even the Wolverine would want to join in on.

PG-13, 120 minutes.

Grade = B+