Acrimony shows you what UNHINGED looks like

Movie Title:      Tyler Perry's Acrimony

Grade:  C

Rating: R, 2 hours

In a Nutshell:  This is a Tyler Perry drama that’s being touted as a psychological thriller.  What they mean is that it features a total psycho.  

The movie trailer is misleading, probably intentionally, to make you think the film is going to go in one direction, but there’s a little switcheroo.

For what it’s worth, the more I thought about the movie, the more I liked it.  There’s a huge paradigm shift that’s pretty clever.  Maybe I’m giving Tyler Perry more credit than he deserves.  Maybe that’s just how I interpreted his intention for the movie.  Either way, it’s not that great of a movie, but it’s an interesting journey.

                            

Tips for parents: 

• Lots of profanity, including MANY F-bombs.
• You see the naked rear of a man several times.
• Sex scene with some skin.   
• You’ll read the definitions of words like acrimony, bewail, deranged, and nexorable.  The best word to describe what you see is UNHINGED.
• Infidelity, adultery, pre-marital relations.
• Serious anger management issues.                                                  

Uplifting theme: 

• Love and infidelity
• Revenge
• Forgiveness, Trust
• Persistence in reaching your dream.

Things I liked:

• Music of Nina Simone Her Greatest Hits.  Robert (Antonio Madison) says, “Her music is like going to church.”
• I like that you don’t know exactly what happens after the movie ends.
• A lot of reviewers on IMDB loved this movie.  A lot of YouTubers hated it.  It goes to show you that movie critics only give THEIR opinion and it should only be taken with a grain a salt.
• I really like Taraji P. Henson.  Unfortunately, she could only do so much with the material she was given in this movie, but she still did a great job.
  
• The film was shot in only 8 days.  Wow, that's impressive.
• Ajiona Alexus played the younger version of Taraji's character, just like in the TV show "Empire."  If you missed it, click here to see the Pilot of that award-winning TV drama.
• Maybe this movie will help young people look for the red flags that often show up in relationships.  When you see them, RUN!

Things I didn’t like:

• I didn’t like either of the main characters.  They both lacked integrity and had anger management issues.
• The acting was over-the-top and mediocre at the same time.
• Lots of screaming, fighting, and profanity.  It was like watching crazy people on Jerry Springer.  I can’t stand that.
• There were some really dumb things that happened.
• The dialogue is often completely ridiculous.
• Sometimes outdoor scenes are filmed on an obvious green screen.  Why wouldn’t the director just film outside?  
• Below is another version of the movie poster.  It came out first and was later replaced by the one above of Taraji Henson.  Maybe Tyler Perry thought it would give away the story too much?

                              

Interesting lines:

• “Have you ever asked me what I wanted?” – Melinda (Taraji P. Henson)
• “You cannot negotiate with crazy.” –  Diana (Crystle Stewart)  Ain't that the truth?!

                                   

              

                                            @trinaboice

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows better than the last one

Movie Title:       Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

  

Grade:   C

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 37 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Cowabunga!  Well, it’s not as bad as the last one!  That’s not exactly a favorable endorsement, now is it? 

You can read my movie review of their 2014flick here. 

It’s full of things prepubescent boys and true Ninja Turtle fans will love: action, bodily function humor, a hot chick, high tech gadgets, explosions, destruction, and more action.

Uplifting theme: 

• Teamwork, brotherhood
• Embrace who you are and be the best THAT.

Things I liked:

• The turtles are much less obnoxious and gangsta as they were in the last movie.  They feel and even sound more like teenagers this time around.
• Funny slow-motion action sequences.
• Cute transformer costume in the parade in New York City in the beginning of the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• An “exposition” scene is one where the characters have to catch the audience up to speed by having the characters explain what’s going on to each other.  Almost every scene in this movie was like that.  Fans will feel talked down to.  Other viewers might just feel annoyed.
• There aren’t very many true NINJA sequences.  There was a lot of action, but it felt more like par core.  Still, the action has that high octane Michael Bay feel to it.
• There’s nothing fun after the rolling credits at the end.
• Because the target audience is young boys, you are correct in your assumption that there are plenty of spit wads and farts.
• Tyler Perry?  Whose idea was that?
• For some reason, it was the first time that it struck me as ridiculous that the turtles wear masks to protect their identity.
• Your sons are going to want to buy a drone.  Heck, I want to buy a drone.
• It takes less than 5 minutes for Megan Fox to strip down to a short school girl skirt and tie her shirt up to her chest, revealing her awesome abs and legs.  Of course, if I were a guy, I’d be including that observation in the “Things I liked” list.
• The turtle brothers fight and bicker a LOT.  It’s not funny, nor charming.
• The plot isn’t very good and most of the characters don’t have developed motivations.

Funny lines:

•  “I got one of those.  I’m kind of a big deal.” – Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett)
• “You could live a normal life, like the rest of us.” – Rebecca Vincent (Laura Linney)

“Normal?  What fun is that?” – Raphael (Alan Ritchson)

• “I was looking for something worse.” – Donatello (Jeremy Howard)

“Like what?” – Raphael (Alan Ritchson)

“I don’t know.  Maybe a mustache or evil goatee.” – Donatello

• “I’m a nerd, not a geek.  Umm…It’s the difference between like “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” or TED Talks and ComicCon.” – April O’Neil (Megan Fox)
• “It’s pizza on my Nike!” – basketball player

“Welcome to New York!” – Referee

• “Why are you wasting time talking to a grumpy, old rat?  Go get ‘em!” – Splinter (Tony Shalhoub)
• “You’re bringing back the Mohawk.  Good for you.” – Leonardo (Pete Ploszek)
• “Woah!  This is awkward.” – Raphael as he stared at a real turtle

Tips for parents:   

• Some profanity.
• None of these characters are great role models for your kids. The ninja turtles are disrespectful to each other and police officers.  Even April O’Neil steals things and breaks the law.
• Krang (Brad Garrett) might scare very young children with his mucousy tentacles and pointed teeth.

Single Moms Club movie review

Movie Title:   Tyler Perry’s Single Mom’s Club

Grade:   C

In a Nutshell:   It’s a fact: women need each other, whether single or married.  We just do.  The women in the audience I joined laughed and loved this chick flick.  Were they single moms?  I don’t know, but they seemed happy to escape their own lives and celebrate the common and crazy threads that tie women together. 

Unfortunately, the acting was not very good and the plot was terribly predictable, but there were some powerful truths and gentle words of encouragement along the way for women who struggle with life in its many forms.

Uplifting theme: 

• No matter our different backgrounds, we all battle with problems and need one another to survive and thrive.
• There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love for her children.

Things I liked:

• Terry Crews is over-the-top funny in every movie.  The sign on his truck cracked me up: “Body & Booty by Branson.”
• I always enjoy outtakes at the end of a movie, especially comedies.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s both narcissistic and brilliant brand marketing that Tyler Perry puts his name in all of his movies.
• In most of the scenes, all of the moms wore super high heels.  As if.
• Zulay Henao is sexy and sultry, belonging more in a porn movie than one about moms.  Did Tyler Perry create this movie for moms or the men who would be dragged along to the theater with them?
• Struggling single moms don’t usually have such nice houses.  I’m just sayin…
• All of the single moms end up with a man.  Is that the message Tyler Perry really wants to tell women at the end of the day?
•  It felt a bit more like a sitcom than an actual feature film, and I won’t be surprised if we end up seeing a variation of this on the small screen next season.  

Funny lines:

• Looking at her son’s homework, she asks “Did you do your homework?  Is that right?”  - Lytia  (Cocoa Brown)
• There were actually quite a few funny lines, but many of them were too inappropriate to list here.

Inspiring lines:

• Hillary asks Lytia “How do you do it?  How do you be a single mom?”  Lytia answers “You can’t think about it or it’s overwhelming.  You take one snotty nose and one dirty diaper at a time.”
• “My grandmother used to say a woman’s purse is a reflection of her life.” – May.  It’s kind of true, but certainly doesn’t paint the whole picture.  It’s a glimpse of a woman’s priorities on-the-go.
• “Divorced 4 years.  We’re good people, just not good together.” – T.K.

Best line in the entire movie:

• “You don’t have to be good at starting over.  You just have to be good at letting go.” - Peter

Tips for parents:   Discussion about a daughter’s period, inappropriate sexual innuendos.