BIG special effects, small plot in Into the Storm disaster thriller

Movie Title:  Into the Storm

PG-13, 2 hours 10 minutes

Grade:  C+

In a Nutshell:   The theater lights fade and the tornado begins swirling immediately.  Cue the jiggly camera and body count.  This disaster movie’s strengths begin and end with the special effects.  They are truly amazing.  Unfortunately, the characters are forgettable and you almost don’t care who lives and dies because the script doesn’t allow time for you to become invested in them.  If you don’t care too much about plot, then this action thriller will be right up your tornado alley.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Live every day as if it were your last because some day it will be.”   -  Donnie (Max Deacon)
• Always carry a knife in your pocket for emergencies!
• Learn CPR!
• Be prepared!
• The high school students were asked to create a video time capsule to be watched in the future.  One student who survived the super storm says at the end of the movie “25 years?  It doesn’t matter, you know.  I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

Things I liked:

• I liked that each character was introduced with a little caption on the bottom of the screen as they appeared in the beginning of the movie.  I thought it was funny when Donk was first introduced and the screen said “Amateur Daredevil, 302 YouTube hits.”  He provides the comic relief for the story and is a complete idiot.
• I’m kind of obsessed with long, beautiful hair lately because I don’t have it.  The only two females featured in the film do: the intense Sarah Wayne Callies and the young Alycia Debnam-Carey.
• The aerial views that showed the epic devastation after tornados hit certain areas were fantastic.
• When the audience saw the inside of the “eye” of the tornado, there was an audible gasp:  aaaah!

Things I didn’t like:

• Predictable plot and dialogue.  But you came to see the cool CGI, right?
• The movie took itself pretty seriously.  There was some humor, but it didn’t have the nice blend of dramatic and comedic moments that were in Twister  It's hard not to make the comparison between the two movies.  While  Twister did a great job of including all the elements that make for a good disaster flick, the visual effects in Into the Storm make Twister look like the tornado in the The Wizard of Oz .

Did you notice?

• Donk’s friend uses a Flip cam to record everything.  They're the easiest video recorder ever.  I bought mine for $99 when they first came out.  You can still get them, but they cost a lot more.  Check out this one:
Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 4 GB, 1 Hour
• How convenient that everyone’s batteries were fully charged.  In this day of easy technology, almost every character in the film is filming something, using cell phones, professional equipment, and handheld camcorders.  You’re the audience of their productions, as well as of the movie itself.  YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and has allowed anyone with a camera to become a director.
• The name on Donk's truck was "Twista Hunterz"

Funny lines:

• “Me and the planet go way back.”  - Donnie
• “Grab a broom.  It’s like a zombie apocalypse out here.”  - Reevis (Jon Reep)
• “He’s really doing it!  I’m going to film this train wreck”, says Trey (Nathan Kress) as he watches Donnie awkwardly try to talk to the girl he’s been in love with for months.
• Gary (Richard Armitage) is disappointed that Donnie didn’t tell him where he was going and asks Trey “Why didn’t he just tell me?”  Trey answers sarcastically “I don’t know, Dad.  You’re so easy to talk to.”

Interesting lines:

• “It’s an instinct game.  And she ain’t got it.” – Pete (Matt Walsh)
• “I’ve studied storms all my life.  This one is bigger than has ever been.” – Allison

Did you know?

• Hail is one of the first signs that a tornado is coming.  I actually took a Skyarn class a year ago, because I thought it would be interesting.  I'm such a nerd.  It actually WAS interesting!
• Tornadoes have actually touched down in Los Angeles, Chicago, and even London.
• Tornado fires are rare, but they really do exist.
• The trailing winds on the back end of a tornado are even stronger than the front end.
• The guidelines for CPR have recently changed. 

Tips for parents:  The favorite word of choice in this film is “sh_t”…you’ll hear it a LOT.  Small children may be scared by the intense destruction and the image of people and things being sucked up by tornadoes.

If you haven't seen Twister yet, it's a winner:

Here's a survival knife I really like because it comes with a glass break feature and seat belt cutter for emergencies:

Is "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" worth the wait?

Movie Title:   Legends of Oz

PG, 1 hour 28 minutes

Grade:    C

In a Nutshell:   

The talented Lea Michele from Glee brings to life a Dorothy who has returned to Oz to fight another colorful villain and save the day.  The cast of legendary voices includes Martin Short, Patrick Stewart, Bernadette Peters, Dan Aykroyd, Oliver Platt, Jim Belushi, Kelsey Grammer, and Megan Hilty.  Unfortunately, the story doesn’t measure up to their tremendous talent, but offers a diversion for young children who want to see what’s on the other side of the marketing rainbow.

The sequel was written by the original author’s grandson.  I wonder what L. Frank Baum would have thought of it.  It had a Cirque du Soleil: The Mystery of Mystere feel to it, introducing new characters and throwing a spin on the old ones.  In a nutshell: harmless, but charmless.

Uplifting theme: 

• Loyalty, service to others, fighting evil, friendship
• Dorothy said “There will always be a rainbow when you need one most.”

Things I liked:

• I liked the visual details of the grass in between the yellow bricks.
• I got a kick out of the tree with pinecone earrings and the other one with the Reggae dreadlocks.
• Fireflies ARE magical.
• Nice design on Tugg’s sail.
• I LOVE details in animation.  China Princess had the most delicate little lips that quivered with emotion.
• There were some 3D gags which little ones will enjoy.

Things I didn’t like:

•  The songs aren’t catchy enough to convince young girls to stop singing the soundtrack from Frozen a million times a day.
• It doesn’t have the heart of the original The Wizard of Oz .
• It lacks clever wit and magical charm.
• The China Princess is not an endearing character that little girls should emulate.  Glenda, on the other hand, will do well in merchandising because she was so cute and sweet.
• I didn’t understand the airbrush checkered shirt on Wiser the Owl.  Why?
• Dorothy’s face looked too old, but I loved her cowboy boots!
• It was a strange mixture of cartoony animation and more sophisticated drawings.
• The rolling credits at the end included a gigantic list of names the film was dedicated to.  Doesn't that kind of water down the sentiment?

Funny lines:

• “You can’t make a person do that against his will.  Dancing is very personal.”  - Tin Man

Tips for parents:

• It’s a fairly harmless story with a villain who is more mean than scary.
• Keep watching during the credits to see the rest of the story unfold.