Deadpool 2 is over-the-top with surprising depth

Movie Title:       Deadpool 2

Grade:   B+

Rating: R, 119 minutes

In a Nutshell:   Marvel is on a roll.  The X-Force team assembles under the guidance of the most disrespectful, irreverent superhero ever, Deadpool, played expertly by Ryan Reynolds.

As Ryan Reynolds says in the movie, “The Academy’s watching.”  The sequel is definitely bigger....is it better than the first?  Umm....probably not.  Did it make me laugh?  Definitely.  

                                    

Tips for parents: 

• Deadpool says in the beginning, “Believe it or not, Deadpool 2 is a family movie.”  Nope.  Not true.  This is a true rated R movie.  If you set filters on VidAngel to delete profanity, violence and gore, this would be a 20 minute movie. 
• Crude language and TONS of F-bombs.  I hate it when kids swear especially, which Julian Dennison does as Russell.
• Scoutmaster pervert joke.  Ouch.  I have 4 sons.
• Lots of severed limbs and brutal, gory deaths.
• Lesbians
• You see a bottomless little kid’s junk full Winnie the Pooh style and a man’s naked rear end.
• Super high body count, destruction, violence, crude gestures.
• Guns.
• Some fun music, but other songs with very crude lyrics.

Uplifting theme: 

• “We all need that sense of belonging.  We all need a genuine sense of home.” – Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds)
• “Kids – they give us a chance to be better than we are…better than we use to be.” – Vanessa (the beautiful Morena Baccarin)  
• Family
• Sacrifice for others
• “Pain teaches us who we are.” – Blind Al (Leslie Uggams)
• “No child is hopeless.” - Blind Al

Things I liked:

• The trailer was hilarious. I loved the crack about Superman’s mustache in the trailer, referring to when DC had to use CGI to remove Henry Cavill's mustache in the movie Justice League.   
• I got a kick out of the opening credits.  Most of the time, we just ignore them, but read them this time!
• This is the year of Josh Brolin as the evil villain.  He voices a fantastic Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War
• Great action sequences.  As Deadpool says, “Big CGI fight coming up.”  Yep, LOTS of them.
• Tons of fun jokes and visual gags, all lightning fast.  You’ll have to see the movie again in order to catch everything.
• We learn a lot more about Wade Wilson, making his character development more deep and grounded.
• You’re going to get a kick out of some new twists.
• Keep watching after the credits for a couple more fun scenes, but there’s nothing at the very, very end of the music.
• The Logan music box in the very beginning scene got the audience I sat with to immediately start laughing.  There is a running gag about Logan during the entire movie.  So funny.  For example, both films played the same music during the death scenes.  Ha ha
• Tony Robbins.  Love that guy.
• Wade and his girlfriend watch the movie Yentl  I always loved that movie and the music.  Deadpool points out that the song, “Papa, can you hear me?” is the same tune as Frozen’s “Do you want to build a snowman?” I never noticed that!
• X-Men – trainee!  Ha ha
• I like Dub Step too.  Ha ha
• Several Canadian jokes.  A lot of locations in Vancouver were actually used in the movie. 
• At the end of the movie, it says that 15,000 jobs were created to make the movie.  The stunt work was amazing.  Sadly a stunt woman, Joi Harris, died while filming one of the stunts on a motorcycle. Production stopped for two days.
• Tons of fun Easter eggs.  For example, Deadpool refers to Cable, played by Josh Brolin, as "One Eyed Willy", which was a character in the 1985 movie The Goonies which starred Josh Brolin.
• Tons of movie, song, and pop culture references.  One of the movie posters shows Deadpool in a Flashdance pose on a chair with bullets raining down on him.  He definitely takes a beating in this film.

                                                      

Things I didn’t like:

• This is the first Marvel film to NOT give Stan Lee a cameo performance!  Drats!  I always look forward to those little moments.  Instead, you can see him in a quick picture montage.  Definitely not as good.
• Sometimes trailers are deceiving.  In an earlier trailer for DEADPOOL 2, Deadpool says, "Pump the hate brakes, Thanos," referencing Josh Brolin's role as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, but in the actual movie, he's talking to two lesbians and he says, "Pump the hate brakes, Fox and Friends."
• I don't read the comic books, but Domino's character and alliances are much different there than in this movie, as well as her color and eye circle.  It certainly didn't bother me, but some fans might be annoyed.  Zazie Beetz did a fantastic job.
• SPOILER:  Have you seen The Terminator?  Yeah, that's this plot.

Funny lines:

• “Forgive me for being late.  I was busy gathering all the gluten in the world so it can not NOT hurt us.” – Deadpool
• “That is why the man bun is just the Millennial mullet.” – Deadpool
• “So dark.  Are you sure you’re not from the DC Universe?” – Deadpool
• “Mission accomplished?” – Dopinder (Karan Soni)

“Well, in a George W. sort of way.” – Deadpool

• “Every family film starts with a vicious murder…Bambi. Lion King. Saw 7.” – Deadpool
• “It’s time to get back on LinkedIn.” – Weasel (T.J. Miller)
• Vanisher….ha ha  IMDB shows his face listed as Brad Pitt!  The studio actually wanted Brad Pitt to play Cable, but he had to decline that role due to scheduling conflicts.
• “Never underestimate a man with a mustache.” – Deadpool
• “I have no idea what’s happening.” –  Blind Al

“It’s probably best.” - Deadpool

Interesting lines:

• “Family was always an F word for me.” - Deadpool
• “You are not your father.” – Vanessa
• “I fight for what’s right.” – Deadpool

                                           

                                           @trinaboice

Life straddles science fiction and horror genres

Movie Title:  Life

Grade:  B+

Rating: R, 103 minutes

In a Nutshell: This is an extremely suspenseful and entertaining film that tries to straddle both the science fiction and horror genres.  

It presents an interesting “what if” scenario that is fairly believable and realistic.

The outstanding cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rebecca Ferguson, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya. 

If you can’t get enough of aliens, you’ll be glad to know that Alien Covenant is coming out May 19 in the United States.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Its curiosity outweighs fear.” – Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare)
• Life, survival, sacrifice, loyalty, friendship, curiosity

Things I liked:

• The CGI is excellent.  It definitely doesn’t look like they put actors in front of a green screen.  Everything is really believable.
• Named after Calvin Coolidge, the alien first elicits “awww’s” from the audience and then “EEK!”  You get to see plenty of the alien.  My son’s name is also Calvin, named after his grandfather and great-grandfather, who were also aliens.  Just kidding…about the alien part.
• There is an extremely impressive shot that is very long without cuts, showing the space station and the people working inside.
• The book Goodnight Moon book takes on new meaning when read while circling around the moon.
• Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese also wrote Deadpool and were happy to work with Ryan Reynolds again, who has all of the snappy one-liners in the flick. He was going to play the lead character, but his schedule conflicted with his role in the upcoming movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard", so he had to take a supporting role instead.  This is also the second time Ryan Reynolds has worked with Director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House).  By the way, have you seen the special, short clip of Deadpool before the movie Logan plays on screen in theaters?  Hilarious.
• I’m always fascinated with how they make space movies and show actors almost swimming through the space station.  I love it when items float in the air, especially tears.  In the film you often see drops of blood float, symbolism the very essence of life.  By the way, the actors said that the best thing about filming a space movie is wearing a Onesie and socks all day.  ha ha

Things I didn’t like:

• There are some really disgusting moments and super gory deaths that made the audience I sat with groan and moan.
• I really like Jake Gyllenhaal and find him almost mesmerizing to watch in all of his movies, but his character in this film seemed underdeveloped and one dimensional. 
• Rumors have been swirling that this is a prequel for a future marvel "Venom" movie.  Nope.  Not true, although it would be a good back story.

Interesting lines:

• “We’re looking at the first proof of life before earth.” –  Hugh Derry
• “What I feel is not rational.  It’s not scientific.  I feel hate.” – Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson)
• “No life support, no life.” – Hugh
• “Life’s existence requires destruction.” – Hugh
• “Calvin doesn’t hate us, but he has to kill us in order to survive.” – Hugh
• “I can’t stand what we do to each other down there.” – David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal)
• “It’s hard to watch people die…like fireworks.” - David

Funny lines:

• “Woo!  Cue Instagram!” – Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds)
• “This is some re-animator shxx!” – Rory

“That’s some kind of obscure reference!” – Miranda

“Not if you’re a nerd.” – Rory

• “Control, if you’re listening and I know you are because you’re creepy that way…” – Rory
• “Seriously, that kid had blue eyes.” – Rory
• “It was all going so well.” – Hugh

Tips for parents:

• Profanity, including F-bombs
• Bloody, violent, gruesome deaths.
• The alien itself isn’t that scary looking.  It kind of looks like an octopus in the end.

Self/Less asks what legacy will you leave

Movie:    Self/less

PG-13, 1 hour 57 minutes

Grade:    B

In a Nutshell:    The talented Ben Kingsley plays a dying real estate tycoon who buys a younger body, that of Ryan Reynolds.  Nice choice.

Critics have been pretty negative about this movie, claiming that it didn’t dig deep enough.  While that may be true, I still enjoyed the ride. I love movie titles that have double meanings and this one gives cause to reflect.  When is someone else's life more important than your own?  What makes you, YOU?

Uplifting Theme:

·         “Every medical advance has a cost.” – Albright

·         What would you do with your life if you could do it over again?

·         Every one of us is going to die.  What will be your legacy?

Things I liked:

·         Fans of Downton Abbey Season 1-3 will be happy to see Michelle Dockery as Claire.

·         Fans of Natalie Martinez will enjoy watching her play Madeline.  I first saw her in the Stephen King thriller Under the Dome: Season 1 .  It held my interest for the first season, but then I moved on.

·         I loved watching the water jet pack sport Ryan Reynolds' character did.  Awesome.  I found a company near my house in Las Vegas that offers classes!  Check out www.JetpackAmerica.com to find locations where you can actually do it!

·         Wow, that New York City view from the older Damien's dining room!

·         It was nice to see a vibrant New Orleans scene.

·         Matthew Goode just a great job as the ice cold handler behind the science.

·         Little Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen is adorable as Anna.

Things I didn’t like:

·         I love Ben Kingsley and think he’s an excellent actor.  I remember the moment when he won an Oscar for Gandhi .  I thought his New York accent was spot on in this movie, but it just didn’t seem to match his look.

Funny lines:

·         “So much for wisdom and experience.” – Martin (Victor Garber)

·         “I understand you’re disappointed.  You thought you were buying a new car, but instead, you got one with a few miles on it.” – Anton (Derek Luke)

·         What’s that?”   Damien

“It’s something to stop your heart.” – medical worker

·         “I have the physical dexterity of a toddler.” -  Young Damien

Interesting lines:

·         “I’m the only one standing between you and oblivion.” – Albright

·         “Just think of all the great minds we lost, simply because their bodies were failing them:  Edison, Einstein, Steve Jobs.  Imagine what he could have accomplished if he had another 50 years left.” - Albright

Tips for Parents:

·         You see Ryan Reynolds shirtless and bedding a LOT of young women in a “I’m young and hot again” montage.

·         1 F-bomb and other profanity.

·         Some car crashes, blood, and fight scenes.

The Age of Adaline moves slower than her years

Movie:   The Age of Adaline

PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:   So, staying young and gorgeous forever is a problem?  It's hard to feel very sorry for the protagonist in this story. I suppose this movie is about every woman's true fantasy: to stay 29 forever while man after man falls in love with you. It’s kind of embarrassing how predictable chick flicks can be.  Still, we women love them.

Uplifting Theme:

* Don't just live each day, but live your life.  

* Create the life you really want to live.

* Life passes by quickly; enjoy every minute.

Things I liked:

·         First of all, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively is gorgeous.  Did you know she’s married to the handsome Ryan Reynolds?  This age-less  movie doesn’t have the charm that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button had, but it was still fun to just watch Blake Lively do anything.

·         The narrator gives a quasi-scientific explanation of why Adaline survived the car crash.  It's related in such a serious, magical tone, but it is mostly amusing to see how the writers decided to try to make the story believable.

·         Ah, Harrison Ford.  I love pretty much anything he’s in.  This film takes a better, dramatic turn when he shows up in it.

·         I’m glad to see that Adaline spent some of her many years learning languages.  It’s fun to imagine having that much time to develop talents, skills, and knowledge.  
*    There is some humor, but not enough to include my regular section entitled "Funny Lines".

Things I didn’t like:

·         I’ve always thought one of the worst ways to die would be to crash into a cold lake.  Of course, if that resulted in my looking like Blake Lively and never dying, I wouldn’t be so afraid of it.

·         The movie is pretty slow-moving…kind of like Adaline's aging.

·         Blake's  surname seems ironic, given her almost stone-faced performance.  (Beautiful stone though)
*    There could have been so much more depth to Adaline because of all her life experiences, but we only get to see an evolving wardrobe and hairstyles, mixed with a little sadness and cynicism.
*    SPOILER ALERT: I'm imagining the future, awkward family dinner conversations as the movie ends...

Interesting lines:

·         “It’s better this way.” – Adeline

“No, it’s not.” – Ellis  (the scruffy Michiel Huisman)

·         “Tell me something I can hold on to forever and ever and not let go.” – Adeline

“Let go.” – Ellis

·         “If I had your looks and energy, I’d fall in love tomorrow!” – Flemming (the lovely Ellen Burstyn)

·         “She was an amazing woman.” – William

“It runs in the family.” – Ellis

Tips for Parents:  
* There is a pre-marital sexual encounter.
* You get to see Michiel Huisman shirtless.  Oh....clears throat...there is a scene where an actor isn't wearing a shirt.
* Teenage girls will think the film is romantic, but young children will be pretty bored.

If you love time-travel themes in movies like I do, you'll probably like these movies too:


    

Can't get enough of Blake Lively?  See her in:

The Woman in Gold has heart, humor and history

Movie:  The Woman in Gold

PG-13, 1 hour 50 minutes

Grade:  A-

In a Nutshell:  This is a fascinating, true story about a woman’s and nation's journey toward justice and peace after the Holocaust.   The film has heart, humor, and history as the David vs. Goliath story unfolds.

Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds demonstrate a quirky chemistry as two Americans with unique and prestigious roots in Austria.

The value of art is not monetary, but about the feelings it evokes when we experience it.  Great art should stir our humanity, don't you think?  Film is art too and this one does just that very well.

Uplifting Theme:

·       “Your only enemy is fear.” – Adele

·         Maria wants restitution and defines it as: “to return something to its original state.”  She learns that we can never be the same after life’s experiences.
*  "Remember us."  - Maria's father.    We need to never remember what happened to the world during the horrific Holocaust so that we don't repeat it.  We also need to see some of the atrocity's that are still happening in the world today and stop them.

Things I liked:

·         The woman in gold may actually be the talented Helen Mirren, winner of the prestigious golden statue named Oscar.  She always brings grace, elegance and wise maturity to any role.  I simply adore her.  She’s believable as a moody Austrian who struggles with pain and pride.   

·         I loved that Casting found an actress (Antje Traue) who very closely resembles the real Adele Bloch-Bauer who was portrayed in Gustav Klimpt's famous painting “Woman in Gold.”  Maria learns that Adele’s name was removed from the title of the artwork by the Nazis to hide the fact that she was Jewish, exclaiming “Her identity was stolen as well.”

·         The plot may be simple, but it’s still a remarkable story.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Helen Mirren wears dark contact lenses to make her look more like the real Maria Altmann.  I wasn’t bothered by it, but some people say they were distracted.  Whatever.  If that’s the worst thing you can say about her performance…

·         The court scenes didn't quite reach the status and thrill of To Kill a Mockingbird , but they're still inspiring.

·         Katie Holmes is sleepy in bed during most of her scenes in the movie.  They could have cast me in that role. 

·         Sadly, there was no one in the audience under the age of 50 when I watched this movie.  All you young ones out there may feel the need for more speed, but you’re missing a little gem in this film.  Wow, that sentence made me sound so old.

Funny lines:

·         “Against my better judgement, I think I like you.” – Randy

·         “Smile Maria.  It’s good to exercise your facial muscles once a year.” – Maria’s father

·         “My sister finally decided to move in with me.  The only problem is she didn’t do it until she’s dead.” – Maria

·         “This is like a James Bond film and you’re Sean Connery.” – Maria to Randy

·         “I want to go to Austria with my daughter some day.  She loves kangaroos.” – Dumb clerk

Interesting lines:

·         “I have to keep these memories alive, you see, especially because the young forget.” – Maria

·         “What’s in it for you?” Randy

“Let’s just say it’s a very particular brand of patriotism.” – Austrian journalist

·         “It’s hard to believe Hitler applied to be an art student here.” – Randy

“I wish they had accepted him.” – Maria

Tips for Parents:

·         Children may be bored with the legalese in court scenes and the slow drama.  The subject matter of the Holocaust is dark, although the film doesn’t show some of the horrors of the time like other Holocaust movies do.

·         1 F-bomb, but very little “other” profanity.

Want to know more?

I studied abroad in Spain and traveled to Vienna back in the 80’s before the Judenplatz Holocaust memorial was built.  It is a somber, haunting structure that makes you feel uncomfortable intentionally.  It honors the 65,000 murdered Austrian Jews during WWII.
                               

If you’re fascinated by the history of artwork stolen by the Nazis during WWII, you’ll enjoy learning more in the film The Monuments Men   You can read my review of that movie here.   The Rape of Europa can be watched for free on Netflix right now!

       

To learn more about the artwork of Gustav Klimt, check out the following:

Little Tykes will love Turbo

Turbo is an example of a trailer that didn’t make the movie look as good as it is.  I mean, a movie about a fast garden snail?  Unlike Ryan Reynold’s other movie released this weekend, R.I.P.D., this fun flick is sure to please the whole family.  It has heart and illustrates the feel-good message that all you need is one good friend to believe in you in order to succeed.  No dream is too big and no dreamer is too small.  Sweet.

Voice and acting talent Paul Giamatti plays Chet, Turbo the snail’s best friend and brother, but it’s Tito (Michael Pena) who first believes in Turbo’s dream to race in the Indianapolis 500.  Tito and his brother own a taco shop called “Dos Bros Tacos” when Tito discovers the quick escargot and hopes to create a “tacovolution” that will draw more hungry customers to their little restaurant.

The unmistakable voice of Samuel L. Jackson brings “Whiplash” to life, another fast snail who befriends Turbo and helps him reach his goal.  “Smoove Move” embodies Snoop Dogg’s snail persona, complete with a pair of dice swinging from his slender, snaily neck.

You’ll also hear the voices of other fan favorites such as Michelle Rodriguez (Paz) and Ken Jeong (Kim Ly), who both own shops in the same small strip mall as Dos Bros Tacos.

This is the first project of director and co-writer David Soren, who pleases young audiences with colorful characters, an underdog story, and lots of silliness.  Kids aren’t too hard to please, after all.  Adults will be amused, however, by a few clever lines and gags.  Watch for the funny mean kid on the Big Wheel, the mustache made out of grass, Taco Man and his sidekick “Churro”, “Snail up!”, “Snailed it”, and the label on a hot sauce bottle that says “Product causes death.”

It’s amazing how a good animation team can create such detailed facial expressions on slimy insects, but they succeed.   It’s not worth the extra money to pay to see it in 3D.   The language is clean, although there are a few risqué jokes that should fly over most little one’s head.  “Your trash talk is needlessly complicated” is a funny line geared towards adults, but still evokes a laugh out of kids for reasons they don’t even understand.

Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the fast ride with your kids and a bucket of popcorn.  Not in to insects?  Go see Monsters University instead.

Grade = B

May R.I.P.D rest in peace

 
Think Men in Black, Ghostbusters, and Ghost all mixed together.  Add in Jeff Bridges as a crusty old law man from the 1800’s (Roy), Ryan Reynolds as a rookie cop who is killed before he can right a wrong, and a go-go boot wearing Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker) somewhere in limbo and you’ve got R.I.P.D.   Oh yeah, and Kevin Bacon.  We’re always only 6 degrees away from Kevin Bacon.

R.I.P.D duals the “Rest In Peace Department” against the “dead-os” in this CGI-filled comedy action film that takes place in modern-day Boston.  The dead-os have a cartoony feel to them and the film falls short of the magic found in other movies where earthlings are oblivious to the supernatural threats around them.

Kind of a “universe protection program”, the R.I.P.D mission is to capture dead-os and send them where they belong.  Nick (the corrupt cop who dies) is taken to a sterile afterlife police department where Steely Dan is always playing because “it relaxes people.”  From there he is sent back to earth to bag dead-os.  These undead hardly compete with their counterparts in this summer’s blockbuster World War Z. 

Jeff Bridges’ old coot character has some fun lines like “She billy-goated me” when Mary-Louise Parker bites his gruffy beard, calling his Asian helper “Panda Express”, and “Boody Hoo” when he’s trying to get his young partner to man up, but his mouth sounded like it was full of chewing tobacco the entire time and I wished he would just spit and get it over with. 

Fenway Park, the Boston Commonwealth, and Boston’s Finest in uniform were proudly shown off, as well as cannolis from Mike’s Pastry shop, a popular bakery I visited a couple of years ago when I was in town.  I absolutely love Boston.  How does that merchandising work anyway?  A bottle of Fresca almost overshadowed Mary-Louise Parker in her introductory scene.  And what about all that cumin?  It was Indian food and spices which transformed the dead-o’s from regular-looking citizens into Saturday morning monsters.

One of the running gags in the film is that living humans perceive Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds to be a gorgeous blonde and an old Asian man.  The audience laughed every time at the ridiculous duo, but they were also looking at their cell phones and watches as the movie slugged along for 96 minutes.  Mary-Louise Parker's Botox is still full strength in Red 2, but she steals some scenes in that fun flick.

This supernatural movie is rated PG-13 for violence (mostly bloodless) and a heck of a lot of potty-mouths, mostly Jeff Bridges’.   The movie had its amusing moments, but my mind often wandered and thought my long laundry list of things I needed to get done as soon as the movie was over.  May this movie R.I.P.

Grade = C+