Max 2: White House Hero is meh

Movie Title:  Max 2: White House Hero

Grade:  C

Rating:  PG, 1 hour 25 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This family-friendly flick is DOGGONE harmless fun for the kids.  It's somewhat of a sequel to the 2015 Max (2015), produced by Warner Brothers and MGM. 

At the end of the movie, you get to see a bunch of cool pictures of U.S. presidents with their dogs.

Uplifting theme: 

• “There is no reward without risk.” – Alex (Francesca Capaldi)
• Keep your promises.
• Obedience, bravery
• Family, friendship

Things I liked:

• I love Washington, D.C.  The images of those epic buildings strike patriotism into every American’s heart.
• Max is a great dog.  When I was growing up, everyone had a German Shepherd.  You just don’t see them as often anymore as family pets.
• Alex, the little Russian girl played by Francesca Capaldi, is super cute.
• Beautiful countryside scenes during the river rafting trip.
• I love twists, even if they’re expected.

Things I didn’t like:

• None of the original Max cast or crew were involved in this sequel.  That’s pretty unique for a sequel…and weird, right?
• A lot of the acting is really bad, like....most of it.
• I have a hard time believing that a child of the president wouldn’t think it was the coolest thing ever.  The First Son does a lot of whining.  It’s pretty hard to believe he’d be sent with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on his first day of public school.  Both seem extremely unlikely.
• Max only does a few heroic acts; otherwise, he rolls around and gets pet a lot.
• As is typical for kids’ movies, the children are smarter than all of the adults.
• Unimaginative dialogue.
• Older kids and parents might get bored.
• The script is pretty dumb.

Funny lines:

• “I hope she looks good in orange.” – TJ Bennett  (Zane Austin)   Parents might need to explain the prison uniform reference to their kids.

Tips for parents: 

• No profanity whatsoever.  Yay!
• You might need to explain American-Russian political relations.  The Russian president in the movie is a version of the manly Vladimir Putin.
• People fall out of a river raft and are caught in peril.
• The children are disobedient.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

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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