Breaking In is timed perfectly for Mother's Day

Movie Title:     Breaking In

Grade:  C-

Rating: PG-13, 
     88 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Just in time for Mother’s Day, Gabrielle Union does a good job showing us what any mama bear will do to protect her cubs.  

Unfortunately, the action-thriller movie is predictable and even toned down to earn the PG-13 rating.

Tips for parents: 

• While I was glad there weren’t a lot of F-bombs (there is 1), it was a bit odd to hear one of the bad guys use the word “friggin.” The intensity of peril at that point becomes laughable.  There is some other profanity.
• You see two people get run over by a car.
• The teenage daughter’s boyfriend makes her a playlist full of sex songs, but the mom brushes it off like it’s nothing worth talking about.  Parents, please talk to your kids about the consequences of sex as a teen.
• Teach your kids how to pick a lock.  Just sayin…
• Attempted rape, although you don’t see anything.  I would have gone full psycho revenge on that bad guy for that one act alone.
• Violence and deaths.

                                     

Uplifting theme: 

• Family
• Motherhood
• Tenacity

Things I liked:

• Gabrielle Union is the capable protagonist, as well as one of the producers of the movie.
• It’s refreshing that most of the decisions made were smart, rather than the usual dumb choices characters tend to make in this genre.
• Richard Cabral’s character is crazy bad, giving us the only real sense of urgency and peril that we want to see.
• Ajiona Alexus has such beautiful eyes.

Things I didn’t like:

• While I enjoyed the other action thrillers that writer Ryan Engle created, like Non-Stop and The Commuter (I'm a Liam Neeson fan), this film doesn’t bring anything new to the genre.
• The talented director of V for Vendetta, James McTeigue, doesn’t give us a clever, deep movie that we know he’s capable of; that movie was a masterpiece.
• Billy Burke’s character comes off looking bored during the entire movie.
• The characters were not really developed.  You never learn much about any of them.  One character shows up towards the end of the movie and you’re like, “Wait!  What?  Where did He come from? I thought…."
• A lot of the scenes are in a dark house or at night, so this movie might be hard to watch on a TV or computer monitor when it QUICKLY goes to the cheap DVD bin at Wal-Mart or online streaming.
• Lots of scampering around the house scenes.
• You’d think that if the dad built all of those security measures into the house that he would have hidden some guns somewhere.  Just sayin…
• "Payback" in the movie poster isn't quite the right word for what happens in the movie.  The mom gets mad and just wants to protect her kids, but she doesn't get crazy or seek revenge, like the movie poster promises.

Interesting lines:

• “Fear I can manage.  Desperation is a whole other thing.” – Eddie (Billy Burrke)
• “Moms don’t run (away).” – Eddie
• “You’re an impressive woman.” – Eddie

“No, I’m not.  I’m a mom.” – Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union)

A better movie in the same genre is:

                  

                                         

                                              @trinaboice

Mother's Day movie filled with cliches and estrogen

Movie Title:      Mother’s Day

  

Grade:   C

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 58 minutes

In a Nutshell:    Full of sappy clichés, but if you have estrogen, you might still cry. The movie showcases all kinds of mothers.  

Mother’s Day can be a very difficult day for many mothers and this film shows that very well.

Is director Garry Marshall going to make a Father's Day movie?  Would anyone see it?

Uplifting theme: 

• You better do something nice for your mother on Mother’s Day!  Just kidding…the film didn’t really preach that.  I’m just sayin…
• Mothers come in all forms.  Whatever shape or size, season or situation, motherhood is a sacrifice and act of love like no other.

Things I liked:

• The cast is full of big names: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Garner, Jon Lovitz, Britt  Robertson, and more.
• Kate Hudson is gorgeous and in amazing shape.   Have you seen her newest business venture?  She co-founded Fabletics, a lifestyle athletic wear brand and store.  One of her stores just opened up near me.  I'd buy everything in the store if it would make me look like her.
• Sandy and Bradley meet in Sprouts Farmers Market store.  Have you ever been there? 
• The movie features a cute song by Meghan Trainer appropriately entitled “Mom”.
• There are some cute outtakes during the rolling credits at the end.

Things I didn’t like:

• What town on earth has a Mother’s Day parade?
• It’s hard to feel sorry for these beautiful women with hard bodies and beautiful houses.
• Margo Martindale is always delightful, but in this movie she plays a truly insensitive, judgmental mother.
• The situations and lines are painfully contrived and predictable.

Funny lines:

•  “There’s no texting in soccer.” – Bradley (Jason Sudeikis)
• “You don’t go into marriage thinking you’ll get a divorce, but life happens, and when it does…you get more closet space.” – Sandy (Jennifer Aniston)
• “A pox on your whistle!” – Bradley's daughter
• “His eyes have cataracts.  Mine have hope.” – comedienne in bar 
• “And I put on a bra for this?” – Flo (Margo Martindale)
• “I don’t get that joke, but it sounds racist…and funny.” – Sonia (Anoush Nevart)
• “You look just like me…in the summer time.” -  Flo to her little brown grandson.

• Tips for parents:   
• 1 F-bomb.
• Most kids will be fairly bored.
• Pre-marital sex, two lesbians, some racist jokes.