Hangman dies a quick death at the box office

Movie Title:    Hangman

Grade:  C

Rating: R

In a Nutshell: Al Pacino.  There’s THAT.  This is the eighth time he has played a police detective.  

The old-school child’s spelling game, Hangman, held promise for a good thriller, but the movie disappoints in a pretty mediocre paint by numbers who-dunnit.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “Sometimes finding out the truth leaves scars.” – Christi Davies (Brittany Snow)
• “Scars tell stories.” – bad guy (I don’t want to tell you who that is!)
• Revenge
• Friendship

Things I liked:

• It was refreshing to see Brittany Snow in a hard-hitting murder mystery, after seeing her in fluffy, fun movies like Pitch Perfect By the way, the 3rd Pitch Perfect movie hits theaters in 3 weeks!  I confess, the franchise is a guilty pleasure for me.
• Karl Urban plays Detective Ruiney as well as he does “Bones” in Star Trek Into Darkness , although "Bones" is definitely a more interesting character.
• I first noticed the beautiful, tough Sarah Shahi when she starred in Person of Interest: S1-5.  Her real name is Aahoo Jahansouz and she’s a descendant of a real Persian Shah.  Cool.  Unfortunately, she seemed too young to be cast as the captain of the police department.

Things I didn’t like:

• Typical bad guy monologue at the end.
• The cops never take the time to try to figure out what the hangman letters mean.  It seems like they could have plugged them into a computer to consider various options.  You get to see what the letters spell out towards the very end, but no one even mentions anything about it.  Missed opportunity there.
• Silly ending.
• The whole plot feels contrived and forced with annoying plot holes.

Tips for parents: 

• This is NOT a family-friendly film.
• F-bombs and other profanity.
• Lots of bloody, gruesome deaths.
• Naked chest of some dead women.
• Paintings of naked women.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Mr. Holmes is a must-see for Sherlock Holmes fans

                           ON DVD November 17, 2015

Movie:     Mr. Holmes

Rating:    PG

Grade:   A

In a Nutshell:    Super Sleuth Sherlock Holmes is retired and doesn’t live on Baker Street anymore.  This is not an action-packed Sherlock Holmes like we've seen done by Robert Downey Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch, but rather, a thoughtful drama that showcases Ian McKellen as an aging, grumpy detective who still has one more mystery to solve and something to learn.

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, this is a must-see film that will add even greater depth to your love of this timeless character.  I attended a walking tour in London all about Sherlock Holmes.  So, yeah...

Uplifting Theme:

·          “Logic doesn’t solve matters of the heart.” – Holmes

      -  "The understanding of facts doesn’t mean you understand their meaning." - Sherlock

·            There are 3 examples of life and death: Holmes' bees, Ann Kelmot, and Sherlock Holmes.  Ann later explains,  “The dead are not so very far away.  They’re just on the other side of the wall.  It’s us on this side who are all alone.”  – Ann Kelmot (Hattie Morahan)

·          

Things I liked:

·         I liked the musical score immediately.  Thank you Carter Burwell.

·         Ian McKellen does an outstanding job as Sherlock Holmes.  Who doesn't love the man who brought us Gandolf?  Did you know that he is the recipient of 6 Laurence Olivier Awards, a tony Award, a Golden Globe Ward, a Screen Actors Guild Award, 2 Academy Award nominations and 4 BAFTA nominations and 5 Emmy nominations?!  This film could easily add another nomination to his prestigious list.

·         Laura Linney’s accent is a bit off, but I have always liked her. It sounds like a mix of English, Welsh, and Scottish.  What is it?

·         Young Milo Parker plays Roger, the son of Sherlock’s housekeeper....a young star in the making.

·         Beautiful English countryside.  Look for the White Cliffs of Dover.

      You only see Watson's legs and hands.  Clever.

·        

Things I didn’t like:

·          It’s very slow-moving.  Then again, so is the elderly Sherlock Holmes.

        

Funny lines:  

·          “When you are a detective and a man comes to visit you, it’s usually about his wife.” – Sherlock

·         “I told Watson if I ever write a story, it will be to correct the million misconceptions created by his imaginative license.” – Sherlock

·         “Did you find what you were looking for in Japan?  The mysterious Ashley prick?” – Doctor

“The prickly ash.” – Sherlock

·         “Fiction is worthless!” – Sherlock

·          

Interesting lines:

·         “I think I was real once, until John made me into fiction and then after that I just had a choice: play the part as he had fashioned it or become its contradiction.” - Sherlock

·         “My study is my sanctum sanctorum…private place.” – Holmes

·         “I’ve never had much use for imagination.  I prefer facts.” – Sherlock

·         “Death, mourning, grief…they’re all commonplace.  Logic is more rare.  I dwell on that.” – Sherlock

·         “Her death made me see that human nature was a mystery that logic could not illuminate.” – Sherlock Holmes

  “Don’t say everything you think.” – Mrs. Munro

·          Tips for Parents:

·          This is not a fast-moving mystery that kids will get a kick out of, but more of a “thinking man’s movie” that might bore them.  The target audience is probably an older audience, and true Sherlock buffs.

·     Murrder, death and suicide are the prominent themes, which you may not want young children to watch..

·         Sherlock informs his simple housekeeper, “Exceptional children are often the product of unremarkable parents.”   

·         The bombing of Hiroshima is represented in a very sobering way.  Your kids may not be familiar with this aspect of history.

Sherlock Holmes movies to add to your collection: