Just Getting Started never quite gets started

Movie Title:    JUST GETTING STARTED

Grade:   D

Rating: PG-13, 1 hour 31 minutes

In a Nutshell:   With a promising beginning, this lazy comedy just doesn’t get started.   It’s a disappointing waste of talent and time.

Surprisingly, this is the first time that Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman have worked in a film together.  I love them both.  

The movie features a playful rivalry between the two as they battle it out for the Alpha male position at a retirement village with Rene Russo as the prize.  Morgan Freeman’s character challenges, “You and I…just getting started.”  Their chemistry is good, but the writing is inconsistent in what could be an entertaining war between the two.

The cast includes other delightful, aging actors, but the star power is much greater than the plot and storytelling.  It’s mostly funny for people aged 60 and over.  Make that 70.

Morgan Freeman’s character sums up his goals, philosophy and this movie when he states, “Sex, booze, golf, and then you die.”

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “Happiness is not a condition.  It’s a choice.”  - Duke (Morgan Freeman)
• Friendship

Things I liked:

• Given that everyone in the audience I sat with probably has some cans of Ensure in their kitchen pantry, I think it’s funny that the movie is produced, in part, by Endurance Media.  Ha ha
• Christmas in Palm Springs includes Santa Claus in board shorts and flip flops, Christmas trees on golf carts, and carolers singing to people in hot tubs.
• Fun cameo performance by Johnny Mathis
• A shout-out for the navigator app “Waze.”  I love that app!  When Google’s navigator got me lost in Panama, Waze saved the day.  True story.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s just not that funny.  I was so bored that I kept looking at my watch.  Well, I don’t actually wear a watch, but you know what I mean.
• I was surprised that all of the big name stars in the movie would go for such a dumb script.
• If you want to see a better Morgan Freeman “twilight years” movie, rent The Bucket List
• Lots of pointless, boring scenes.
• Sadly, this is Glenne Headly’s last movie.  She died on June 8, 2017.
• Jane Seymour is such a lovely, graceful beauty, but in this movie she plays an over-the-top mob wife who actually looks old and ridiculous.
• You hear the snotty words “Shut up!” MANY times by quite a few characters.  Once might be funny, but over and over is just sloppy writing and makes all of the characters look equally mean spirited.
• Morgan Freeman’s cronies were played by Joe Pantoliano, George Wallace, and Graham Beckel.  Sadly, their talent didn’t add much to this lame comedy.

Interesting lines:

• “A lot of trees have flaws.  So do people.  You can put the bad side of trees against the wall.  What do you do with people?” – Duke Diver (Morgan Freeman)

“That’s deep.” – Jimmy (Nick Peine)

“Write it down.” - Duke

Funny lines:

• “If she falls for a drunk Santa Claus, I badly misjudged her character.” – Leo (Tommy Lee Jones)
• “I need a cup of coffee.” – Duke

“You need a new liver.” – Leo

• “I’m exploring my feminine side.” - Leo

Tips for parents: 

• Tons of jokes about sex.   
• The trio of old women who are included for comic relief constantly throw themselves at the men and are always seen with a glass of alcohol.  Trio of lushes.  Is that like a gaggle of geese?
• Some profanity, including one F-bomb.
• Guns and shooting
• Kids will probably think it’s stupid and just think it’s a movie of a bunch of “old farts.”  Surprisingly, no one actually farts in the movie.

@trinaboice 

The Intern is sweet, but safe

Movie:    The Intern

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 1 minute

Grade:   B

In a Nutshell:   Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway are some of my faves .  Other faces you’ll enjoy seeing are the beautiful Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, and Andrew Rannells. 

While the premise of this comedy is very sweet with great comic potential, the writing doesn’t reach very far. It’s pleasant, but bland; sweet, but forgettable.  Director Nancy Meyers charms, yet plays it safe.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Everyone wants to feel wanted, needed, and relevant.

·         “You’re never wrong to do the right thing.” – Mark Twain

·         Men, always carry a handkerchief.   You’ll look classy and be a hero to someone someday.

Things I liked:

·         I loved Ben Whitaker’s (Robert De Niro) video application and the fact that he admitted that he had to call his 6 year old grandson to find out what a USB port was.  Ha ha

·         I liked the way Jules’ (Anne Hathaway) office worked.  For example, the receptionist was really personable and friendly.  I like the idea of ringing a bell and offering applause whenever someone in the office does something well.

·         Anne Hathway has such a beautiful smile.

·         Rene Russo is aging so beautifully.  I take that back….she’s not aging at all.

·         I loved how Ben saw a problem and fixed it without fanfare (when he cleans up the giant mess on the company junk desk).  Years ago I worked for a Congressman in Washington DC, hoping to make big contributions in American politics. One day, I cleaned the office kitchenette, because, frankly, it was disgusting and no one else was doing it.  While I had wanted to save the world, the thing that everyone praised me the most for was being the one who actually took the time to clean the messy kitchen area.  Ha ha   If you want to stand out, do something that others aren’t willing to do.

·         Overall, it’s a clean date movie, which is refreshing in the wake of trashy movies like Trainwreck 
-    If you enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada , Anne Hathaway's character in this movie will feel familiar, as if Andy grew up and started her own fashion business.

Things I didn’t like:

·         It’s pretty predictable.  No big plot twists or surprises.

·         Robert De Niro’s character is a little one-dimensional, with a goofy grin on his face most of the time.
-    A few amusing scenarios, but nothing laugh-out-loud funny.

·         The movie preaches about having it all.  Can you really have it all?  Years ago I attended the Governor’sConference for Women in California (fantastic event) and that very question was asked of several high-powered women on a panel.  They all chimed in about how you CAN, until finally, Meg Whitman (CEO of Ebay) honestly said it wasn’t true.  She explained that you can’t have it all….at the same time.  For example, one day you can be the best business woman in the world, but then the house work is going to slide or else you’re too exhausted at the end of the day to carry on a meaningful conversation with your spouse.  Another day you can be Super Mom, but then you won’t have time to exercise or pay your bills.  Ultimately, there are only so many hours in a day and something usually has to give.  I appreciated the honesty of that answer and it has always helped me to set more realistic expectations about my day.

Funny lines:  

·         “What did you major in?  Do you remember?”  - ATF Interviewer #1 (Wallis Currie-Wood)

·         “Grey is the new green.” – Jason (funny man Adam DeVine from Pitch Perfect )

Things to look for:

·         In the beginning of the movie when Jules rides her bicycle through the office, they had to have her ride extra slowly so the two girls could get all of their lines out during the scene.

·         Ben’s closet is pretty awesome.

·         Here is a question for you:  If you knew someone was having an affair, would you tell the spouse?  Is it your place to?  Would it help them or hurt them?

Tips for Parents:

·         Jason hands Ben a newspaper to cover up his private parts when he’s getting a massage.

·         Two F-bombs, but they’re both mouthed and so you can’t hear it.  Someone flips the bird.

·         Jules and Ben watch the movie An American in Paris , which your kids probably haven’t seen.  It’s a classic you should introduce to them!  (On second thought, was it a clip from Singin' in the Rain ?)  
·         Pre-marital relations.

Another cute intern movie featuring "older" interns is The Internship .

Thor gets hammered by movie critics

Movie Title:  Thor: The Dark World

In a Nutshell:  More Thor.  More Chris Hemsworth. More muscles and awesome abs. More beautiful Natalie Portman.  Thor has to save Earth and the Nine Realms from another evil enemy who looks like he stepped off the movie set of Star Trek.  All of Asgard’s soldiers look like they’d be good buds with the characters in the Lord of the Rings.  It feels a bit like a summer popcorn movie where yet one more superhero saves not just the helpless people of a doomed city, but the entire universe.

A lot of movie reviewers have criticized the sequel for various reasons, but if you love Thor or Chris Hemsworth, you’ll be entertained for almost two hours.

Things I liked:  The background story at the beginning is a quick refresher if it’s been awhile since you saw the first Thor movie or are unfamiliar with the comic books. Several fun twists will keep you guessing. I love the high-tech gold lace wall that keeps prisoners in their cells, as well as the barrio that rises up and around the king’s castle to protect it from incoming flying intruders.

I admired the Queen’s (lovely Rene Russo) regal bravery and (SPOILER ALERT) thought the funeral scene was touching and stunning.  Young actress Kat Dennings plays the snarky comic relief that she is known for on “Two Broke Girls” and even a recent Lipton tea commercial she was featured in. I love Heimdall’s fierce loyalty to protect Asgard, reflected in his intense eye color, as well as the cool, shimmering bridge he watches over.  Tom Hiddleston plays a deliciously conflicted Loki.

Things I didn’t like:  It’s hard to take bad guys seriously when they’re wearing the lovable Jabbawockeez dance crew face masks and beautifully intricate hair braids. It’s such a contradiction to see Asgard possess such advanced technology in one scene, along with relics from Medieval ages, such as sophisticated laser weaponry next to swords.  Another example is the futuristic medical table where nurses attend to Jane Foster, yet they aren’t able to heal a sword wound on another person.  Was it intentional that both Jane (gorgeous Natalie Portman) and the hopeful love interest (Jaimie Alexander) looked alike, including facial beautiful marks?  I wish there were more chemistry between Thor and Jane…their kiss and embraces fall fairly flat. What’s holding up King Odin’s eye patch?  Svartalfheim…really?

Uplifting theme:  Good conquers evil. Yay.  The King of Asgard (wonderful Anthony Hopkins) worries about his legacy and Thor tells him “I shall try to live with honor…is that not legacy enough?”

Funny line:  Dr. Erik Selvig is seen either nude (naughty parts blurred out) or wearing only underwear in most of his scenes.  When the danger heats up, he snaps out of his exhibitionist funk and says “I better get my pants.”  An amusing image is of Thor walking onto a modern-day subway train in London’s famous Tube and asks “How do I get to Greenwich?” sending the female passenger next to him in a smitten trance.

Things to look for:  -  Stan Lee’s cameo performance when he says “Can I have my shoe back?”  I love that he is spotlighted in every Marvel film. 

-        Digestive crackers on a table.

-        Captain America even makes an appearance.  Cute scene.

-        Harry Potter-looking book with moving images

-        Thor hangs up his hammer on a coat rack when entering an apartment.

-        Soldiers using rocket launchers next to sword fighters

-        Giant bowls of spices

Tips for parents:  You can’t expect to see a Superhero battle evil without some violence, although you don’t see gruesome blood.  (SPOILER ALERT) Thor’s hand gets cut off, but it’s a pretty sterile slice.  The kissing is also pretty sterile. No bad language. 

Grade: B+