Wonder Woman is wonderful

Movie Title:  Wonder Woman

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG-13, 141 minutes

In a Nutshell: I used to watch Wonder Woman on TV back when I was a little girl.  I loved it.  I thought she was beautiful, kind, and strong.  As a little girl, it made me feel like I could do almost anything. Yep, this superhero movie is about female empowerment, but it has a lot more than that.

I don’t know why it has taken this long to bring Wonder Woman to the Big Screen.  Maybe we were waiting for the perfect Gal Gadot.

This fun action flick has just the right amount of humor and Justice League magic.  Warner Brothers gives us an extremely entertaining summer popcorn blockbuster that gives Marvel a run for its money.  It’s part of a set up for Justice League and a planned trilogy for Wonder Woman.

Uplifting theme: 

• “If you see something wrong happening in the word, you can either do nothing or you can do something." - Steve Trevor (Chris Pine)
• “What one does, when faced with the truth, is more difficult than you would think.” – Diana/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)
• “It is our sacred duty to defend the world.” –  Diana/Wonder Woman
• "Everyone is fighting their own battles, Diana, just as you're fighting yours." - Sameer
• “A promise is unbreakable.” - Diana
• "Only love can truly save the world." - Diana
• Love vs. hate, peace vs. war, humanity

Things I liked:

• Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are both gorgeous and awesome.  As Chris Pine’s character explains, “I am above average.”  Gal Gadot has the perfect accent to sound exotic.  As Sameer says about her, “OMG, that is a work of art.”  Eye candy for everyone.
• Great female stunt work.
• Some cool and fun slow-motion, as well as sped-up action sequences.
• Female director Patty Jenkins was going to film Wonder Woman back in 2005, but she became pregnant and the project was put on hold.  She said she was thrilled to be able to pick up the project again, because it was the movie she had been wanting to make her whole life.  She’s the first woman to direct a superhero film with a female protagonist.  We haven’t seen a female superhero since Electra in 2005.  It’s about time, right?
• Most of the CGI is very good, although it becomes a bit heavy towards the end.  Gal Gadot was actually 5 months pregnant during some of the filming, so they put green screen on her belly so they could remove the baby bump during post-production.
• I love it when the directors and producers put themselves in small cameo performances in their own films.  In this case, producer Zack Snyder shows up as a World War I soldier.
• Did you know this movie has been banned in Lebanon?  Gal Gadot is Israeli and even served in the military.
• Ah, romance.  I love that both Diana and Steve learn from each other and make one another better.
• I wish I had one of those truth lassos.
• It was cool to see the symbolism of light and color illustrated in man's world and that of Themyscera.
• The soundtrack was noticeably good.

Things I didn’t like:

• There are a couple of long, explanatory scenes to help you understand what’s going on.
• I wish Lynda Carter, the first TV Wonder Woman, could have made a cameo performance.  Apparently, she sings in cabarets and couldn’t fit it into her schedule.  She definitely should have made the time for her fans.
• The villain was pretty weak.

Interesting lines:

• “You let this little thing tell you what to do?” – Diana/Wonder Woman talking about Chris Pine’s watch.
• “You know that if you choose to leave, you may never return.” – Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen)

“Who would I be if I stayed?” – Diana

• “What kind of weapon kills innocents?” – Diana

“In this war, every kind.” – Steve Trevor
* "I believe in love." - Diana

Funny lines:

• “How could a woman ever possibly fight in this?” – Diana

“Fight?  We use our principles.  Although, I’m not opposed to using fisty cuffs, should the need arise.” – Etta (Lucy Davis)

• “Please put down the sword.” – Steve

“It doesn’t go with the outfit.” – Etta

• “Welcome to jolly ‘ole London!” – Steve

“It’s hideous!” – Diana

“Yeah, it’s not for everyone.” – Steve

• “You’re a man.” – Diana

“Yeah. I mean, don’t I look like one?” – Steve

• “Stand back!  Or maybe not.” – Steve
• “I’m both frightened and aroused.” – Sameer  (Said Taghmaoui)
• “You should be very proud!” – Diana after she tastes a vendor’s ice cream.  I feel that way about great ice cream too.
• “May we get what we want.  May we get what we need. But may we never get what we deserve.”  - men's toast at campfire

Tips for parents: 

• I love that the heroine is good.  She's someone I wouldn't mind my daughters emulating...if I had daughters.  I guess she's someone I wouldn't mind my sons marrying.  :)
• You see a LOT of Chris Pine…bare naked after a bath while he covers his junk with his hands.
• A man and woman close the door and a sexual romp is implied.
• Lots of violence, destruction, and explosions.
• At 141 minutes, it’s a long movie that a lot of little ones won’t be able to sit through.
• In the comics, the war is WWII, but the director chose to highlight WWI in the movie.  Parents might need to explain the differences between those two wars.

Maze Runner sequel surprises with zombies

Movie  Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Grade: B

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 9 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Zombies?  I didn’t know this movie had zombies!  The trailers did a great job of not revealing the story line and fun surprises in this sequel to the Maze Runner series.  It’s action-packed and leaves you wondering who is really on the right side. 

Although my friend, James Dashner, wrote the book that these films are based on, I embarrassingly admit that I’ve never read them.   Apparently, the sequel veers from the original source material quite a bit.  He and I did a book signing together many years ago when we were both nobodies.  While he has made it big time, I’m still a nobody.  (weak grin)  Here is a picture of us when we both were speakers at the LDStorymakers Conference several years ago.  I’m so happy for him and his success!

To see my movie review of the first Maze Runner movie, click here.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Run!

·         Friendship, loyalty, trust.

Things I liked:

·         The special effects were very good.  I’d like to see a director make a riveting movie out of one of my non-fiction books.  Ha ha

·         The cast does a great job.

·         The scale and scope are much larger than the first Maze Runner.
-     The sets, green screens, and backdrops are impressive.

Things I didn’t like:

·         There was way too much running around in the dark.  I had a hard time seeing what was going on, even on the big screen! 

·         The cliff-hanger at the end was pretty predictable.  Even some of the lines were predictable.  It was still entertaining though.

·         This is not a stand-alone film.  If you haven’t seen the first movie, you’ll be lost.
-     This film feels like it’s the bridge between two better films.

·         There weren’t any memorable funny lines.

·         My teenage son described the movie as “A bunch of Abercrombie & Fitch models running around in the desert.”  Kinda true.

·         You don’t learn much more about these teenagers, nor what’s really going on.  The plot wasn’t as deep as I had hoped.  One of the best questions dystopian movies should ask is what happens when civilization crumbles.  What morality is left?  We're still waiting for those answers after the final credits roll.

·         The film isn’t available on IMAX and PLF screens this time around, like the first one was.  The really big screens are being reserved in theaters for the opening weekend of the remake of Everest .

Things to look for:

·         You’ll miss it if you blink, but Teresa (played by Kaya Scodelario) puts a blanket over the broken glass when Thomas throws a chair through a window.   That’s a good emergency preparedness tip to remember in a survival situation!  It’s also what you should do if you’re trying to get over a jagged fence or barbed wire fence.
-      See if you can count how many times the teens pose.  It's almost as if every screen shot could be turned into a movie poster for tween fans.

Tips for Parents:

·         Thomas (played by Dylan O’Brien) flips the bird.

·         The zombies that chase the kids are pretty scary because they run FAST and climb anything, unlike the ones in the hit TV show The Walking Dead: Season 1 .

·         Some profanity, an icky vomit moment,  and a high body count, sometimes bloody.

·         Kids will love it because it features kids outsmarting adults. 
·         Thomas and Brenda spend some time in a dystopian kind of den of iniquity with a bunch of druggies and boozers.

To get prepared for the sequel, start with these:

 

 If you can't get enough, check out the prequel and more!

 

Do we really need another Terminator movie?

Movie:    Terminator Genisys

PG-13, 1 hour 59 minutes

Grade:    B-

In a Nutshell:   Fun for The Terminator fans, but not necessary for others.   I mean, do we really need a reboot of this James Cameron franchise?  This is supposedly the first of a new trilogy.  Yikes.   Don’t get me wrong…I really like The Terminator movies.

My biggest gripe about this film is that I just don’t care anymore.  It’s hard to feel invested in a story that will probably be redone AGAIN in another sequel or prequel.  I just didn’t care if any of the characters lived or died, because I knew that a future movie might completely reverse what happened in this film anyway. 

There is a lot of time traveling that will make your brain begin to hurt if you try to figure it all out.   It’s not exactly logical, but it’s sure going to make the studio a lot of money….because, as Arnold says…”I’ll be back”.

Good for Arnold Schwarzenegger for keeping his acting career going.   We all love to watch him kick bady-guy butt.   (Forget he told us he was going to retire.)  As his character, Terminator/”Pops” says in the movie, “I’m old, not obsolete.”

Uplifting Theme:

·         “There is no fate, but that which we make for ourselves.” – John Connor (Jason Clarke)

·         “Straight line.  You just go and you don’t look back.” – Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) , Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke)

·         “One thing we know for sure…the future is not set.” - Kyle

Things I liked:

·         The best moment in the movie for me was watching the young Arnold Schwarzenegger fight the old one.   Epic.

·         I loved traveling back to 1984 with punk rock hair do’s and Velcro-strapped shoes.

·         They poke fun at 2017 Americans who can’t live without their cell phones.  True.

·         The script explains away Arnold Schwarzenegger’s older look by saying that the machine has human skin over it, which ages.  Oh, ok.  That works for me.  It’s a good thing Arnold doesn’t have to do much running; The Terminator always walks slow and determined.

·         The jail scene is hilarious.  Bad boys, bad boys!

·         J.K. Simmons (Detective O’Brien) is such a likeable guy. 

·         Lots of action scenes.  Lots.

Things I didn’t like:

·         This Sarah Connor (played by Emilia Clarke) is cranky and barks at everyone during the entire movie, allowing very little time for us to like her.  She’s not vulnerable and endearing like Linda Hamilton in the original The Terminator

·         The T-1000 liquid metal, shape-shifting terminators are extremely cool, but it’s not anything we haven’t seen already before.

·         If you haven’t seen the original, you won’t appreciate the nuances of how the story has veered off in different directions.

      It's so hokey when they change the spelling of a word to make it seem cooler.  (Genesis)

Funny lines:

·         “Bite me!” – Sarah

“That is a very immature response.”  - Terminator/”Pops”

·         “We have approximately 35 seconds.” – Terminator/”Pops”

A bad guy crashes through a window and the Terminator says “One less.”

·         “Can you stop him talking like that?  Is there a switch or something?” –  Kyle  (referring not only to the Terminator’s content, but Austrian accent)  ha ha

·         “We’re not even sure he speaks English.” – random cop in the jail scene   (another funny poke at Arnold’s Austrian accent)

·         “We’re here to stop the end of the world!” – Sarah Connor

“I can work with that.” –  Detective O’Brien

·         “I read about this on GunsandAmmo.com” – The Terminator/”Pops”.   Hilarious.  It’s a real web site.

·         “I thought you were dead.” – Sarah

“No, just upgraded.” – The Terminator/”Pops”

Overly dramatic lines:

·         “We take it tonight or there is no tomorrow.” – John Connor

·         “Come with me if you want to live!  Now, soldier!” – Sarah Connor

·         “We’re exiles in time.” – Reese

·         “You are nothing but a relic from a deleted time line.” – John Connor

Tips for Parents:

·         Like in the other The Terminator movies, you see Arnold Schwarzenegger naked (from the rear) as he transports through the time traveling machine.  A few other people travel through it naked as well, but you don’t see too much.

·         1 F-bomb

·         “Mild” profanity, intense fighting.

       Some of the terminator skeleton robots may be too scary for young children.

Need to catch up on the films in this futuristic franchise?