Avengers: Infinity War packs a punch in Marvel's longest movie to date

Movie Title:    Avengers: Infinity War

Grade:  A

Rating: PG-13, 156 minutes  (the longest Marvel film to date)

In a Nutshell:  Starring…well….EVERYONE!  All of your favorite Marvel superheroes get spotlighted, a difficult task that the Russo brothers capably tackled.

As the 19^th film released by Marvel Studios in the past 10 years or so, with more to hit the Big Screen next month and into the summer of 2018, clearly, Marvel is the big boy at the Box Office.

I've been looking forward to this movie for a long time and I don't want to include a bunch of spoilers here, so this review will be, surprisingly, quite short!  I want you to be able to experience all of the fun excitement and heartbreaking drama for yourself. 

The one word that truly describes this movie is EPIC.

                                            

Uplifting theme: 

·    Hope and desperation

• Sacrifice for others
• Revenge
• Love
• The price of war
• Friendship, forgiveness, mending old wounds
• Genocide

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, but no F-bombs.
• LOTS of violence, sometimes with bloody, brutal deaths.  Super high dead body count.   
• LOTS of destruction and people in perilous situations.
• Some characters we have come to know and love actually die in this movie.  Your heart will break.  It’s a bit surprising and especially sad for people who really love these characters.
• Some creepy, scary monsters and characters.

                                                         

Things I liked:

• I loved it when the superheroes met each other for the very first time. The audience I watched the movie with especially howled with laughter when the Guardians of the Galaxy (my favorite Marvel characters) meet Thor.
• Josh Brolin as Thanos is awesome.  Thanos is a truly evil villain because of his motivation.
• The humor is perfect.  The characters play off each other really well with extremely entertaining banter.
• I’m not a fan of the “shaky cam” technique, so I was grateful that the Russo brothers were careful not to use it much.  There is, however, a LOT of action, so you'll want to sit towards the back of the theater in order to see it all without getting dizzy.
• Marvel’s storytelling has an unpredictability to it that makes it even more fun for viewers and fans. You just can't always predict what's going to happen.  
• Keep watching after the rolling credits for a final scene that hints at what’s to come.  The good news is that there is more to come! 
• I love it when Marvel gives Stan Lee a cameo spot.  It’s always so fun to see where they put him in the movies.
• Iron Man’s new nano-tech uniform was super cool.
• I adore Paul Betany and loved seeing him “not” red for a short time.
•  Fantastic fight and action sequences.
• Impressive CGI.  It's truly amazing what they can do in film nowadays.

Things I didn’t like:

• When you mix that many bigger-than-life characters, the film is bound to be crowded, busy, and uneven in tone.
• The ending is a bit vague and unfinished.  We don’t quite know what happened, but one thing is certain…there will be a grand finale!  It kind of feels like the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which was good, but somewhat unsatisfying because you knew you’d have to wait another year for the rest of the story.
• Quite a few Avenger-related characters were not present.
•  You really need to have seen all of the recent Marvel movies in order to understand the back stories of the characters and appreciate the many Easter eggs and jokes.

Funny lines:

• “Fun isn’t something one considers when balancing the universe, but this does put a smile on my face.” – Thanos (Josh Brolin
• “Hunk a Hulk of burning love is our favorite.” – Wong (Benedict Wong)
• He’s not a dude.  You’re a dude.  He’s a man.  A muscular man.” – Drax (Dave Bautista) talking about Thor.
• “It’s like a pirate had a baby with a angel.” – Drax talking about Thor
• Kevin Bacon joke.  Ha ha Love it.
• “I seriously don’t know how you fit your head into that helmet.” – Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.)
• “You speak Groot?” – Rocket (Bradley Cooper)

“Yes, they taught it on Asgard.  It was an elective.” – Thor (Chris Hemsworth)

• “We do not want another single pop culture reference out of you during this trip.” – Ironman to Spiderman

Interesting lines:

• Why would I lie?” – The Collector (Benicio Del Toro)

“I imagine it’s like breathing for you.” – Thanos

• “Reality is often disappointing.” – Thanos
• “You’ve got some nerve.” – Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt)

“You could use some of that right now.” – Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson)

• “If life is left unchecked, life will cease to exist. It needs correction.” – Thanos
• “The hardest choices require the strongest will.” - Thanos

Movies you need to see to better understand this one:

      

                                                           

                                           @trinaboice

Star Wars: The Last Jedi thrills fans and entertains everyone else

   Movie Title:   Star Wars: The Last Jedi (With Bonus Content)

Grade:  A

Rating:  PG-13, 152 minutes (That’s a whopping 2 ½ hours!)

In a Nutshell:  YES!  This is the EPIC movie we were hoping for!  I admit it...I almost cried when that famous musical score and crawling script began.   

Fans have been waiting with great anticipation for The Last Jedi (Star Wars) I love it when movie-goers dress up in costumes to watch the film in theaters.  It makes it so fun for everyone.  I knew I was in for a great time when the entire audience I watched the movie with erupted in cheers as soon as all of the trailers ended and the words “Lucas Film Ltd” appeared on the screen.  So fun.  Yes, if you’re not a nerdy fan like me, you’ll still be entertained.

As the umpteenth movie in the franchise, you’d think they would start running out of cool ideas, but this movie packs a powerful emotional punch and features new characters and creatures that will leave you wanting even more.

Rian Johnson really adds his unique voice and perspective to the franchise.  There are plenty of thrills, laughs, and twists to add to this canon.  Yeah, I used the word canon….this film franchise is practically scripture.  Ha ha  The movie itself even refers to the Jedi “religion.”  Godspeed Rebels!

Uplifting theme: 

• Hope.   
• “Strength is mastery. Weakness is folly.” – Yoda (Frank Oz)
• Heroes and leaders
• Good vs. evil
• Power, control
• “The force is energy between all things that creates balance.” – Luke
• Hubris vs. humility
• Peace and purpose

Things I liked:

• Great action sequences.  Really great.  Satisfying lightsaber fight scenes.
• Lots of humor.  Yay.  I appreciate it when movies don't take themselves so seriously and can poke fun at themselves to play with the audience.
• Mark Hamilton as Luke Skywalker said he was kind of surprised by the direction and unique vision of the director for his character, but he does a fantastic job, probably his best performance ever.  Just when you’re wondering how Luke Skywalker could have possibly survived on that rugged island, he shows you!  Ha ha
• Adam Driver gives a compelling performance, as always.  There is an impressively deep level of his performance.
• Tons of cool surprises!
• Porgs.  Totally adorable.
• Several respectful nods to past movies and their content.
• The scene with the red salt ground was striking.  All of the locations are really stunning and imaginative.
• I thought it was so sweet and touching at the very end of the movie when the credits were rolling and the screen said “In loving memory of our princess, Carrie Fisher.”   I remember seeing her perform on stage when she was a young teenager.  She sang a song with her talented mother Debbie Reynolds.  My mother was a nightclub singer many years ago.  Too bad I have a terrible singing voice.  It would have been so much fun to sing with her on stage!
• Daisy Ridley was great, of course.
• I've always liked Domhnall Gleeson. The banter between him and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) towards the beginning of the movie was hilarious.
• The wonderful cast includes Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o, and Laura Dern. 

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s sad to know that Carrie Fisher will not get to enjoy all of the movie release parties and fanfare for this new movie. 
• In the beginning of the movie, it looked like Kylo Ren had stickers on his face or something.  Futuristic bandaids?  I liked it much better when they  showed how his face was (sort of) repaired.

• Movie critics seem to have mixed feelings about the side story with Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran).  I thought it was fine.
• Two of my sons said that the more they thought about the movie, the more they decided they didn't like it.  Hmmm...
• SPOILER: I thought it was interesting that they decided to "save" Princess Leia by having her use special powers of the Force to have her fly Mary Poppins style back into the ship after dying out in space.  Given that Carrie Fisher has died in real life, I wondered why they didn't just end her character as well.  I know, I know...she had to have more scenes for the story.  Still....
• I have a lot of unanswered questions.

                                 

Funny lines:

• “Read them, you have? Page turners they were not.” – Yoda, talking about the ancient Jedi manuscripts.    (I thought that line was awesome.)
• “Every word of what you just said was wrong.” – Luke Skywalker

Interesting lines:

• “I know one truth – it’s time for the Jedi to end.” - Luke
• “The greatest teacher is failure.” - Yoda

Tips for parents: 

• Children who haven’t seen prior Star Wars films may be confused, but they’ll still be entertained.
• All of the Rebel leaders are women, including many shots of young, 20-something females flying planes and bombers.  Girls will feel empowered that they can do anything.
• A LOT of destruction, shooting, and high (yet bloodless) body count.
• Shirtless Adam Driver in a scene.
• Some profanity.
• Snoke is pretty scary looking.  Of course he's played by the amazing Andy Serkis who also brought us Gollum the Lord Of The Rings 1/4 scale figure.

Fun, new Star Wars Merchandise:

Funko POP! Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Porg - Collectible Figure (styles may vary)

Star Wars Star Wars: The Last Jedi Deluxe Figure Play Set

The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi 2018 Wall Calendar

LE3D 3D Optical Illusion Desk Lamp/3D Optical Illusion Night Light, 7 Color LED 3D Lamp, Star Wars 3D LED For Kids and Adults, Death Star Light Up     
           

                                            @trinaboice 

Blade Runner 2049 enriches the original with stunning cinematography

Movie Title:   Blade Runner 2049

Grade:  A-

Rating:  R, 164 minutes

In a Nutshell: This is a LONG movie.  If you’re a big fan of the 1982 original Blade Runner, you’ll probably love every minute, while admittedly, it’s not everyone’s cup of futuristic tea.  

This visually stunning sequel was a long time in coming and I’m thrilled that Harrison Ford was able to be in it so we can revisit his character.

You don’t have to see the original Blade Runner movie first, but it sure helps.  While this film stands alone in an impressive way, it also deepens and expands the original.  It's a science-fiction masterpiece that has director Denis Villeneuve earning the praise he deserves.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• What makes a man?  What is humanity?
• Life....the value of life, the meaning of life.

Things I liked:

• You had me at Ryan Gosling.  When he touched a piano key, I kind of hoped he'd start singing City Of Stars (From "La La Land" Soundtrack)  ha ha
• Ana de Armas is just fun to look at.  I loved her scenes with Ryan Gosling.
• Robin Wright sure has come a long way since The Princess Bride (one of my all-time faves.) 
• They did an amazing job with creating a new world and time.
• The cinematography by Roger Deakins is outstanding.  Some say it’s the best of his career and worthy of an Oscar.
• The sound is impressive, but sometimes annoying.
• There are many surprises, which makes movie-going so much fun.

Things I didn’t like:

• Everything is so dusty!  ha ha
• Some of the frames are just so long and drawn out and slow-moving.  Did I say the same thing three times?
• There are  a lot of scenes where people sit, think, and stare.
• Lots of monologues.
• It takes forever to be rewarded with scenes that include both Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling.
• You kind of have to watch both films more than once to really understand it.  I readily admit I don't get it all.

Tips for parents: 

• Kids may be confused with what’s happening and get bored.  Watching the movie requires a certain amount of patience.
• Violence.
• Some gory, bloody scenes.
• Full female nudity.
• Prostitute action.
• Some profanity.

Never saw the original Blade Runner?   Click here to get a super cheap Blade Runner DVD!

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Warcraft movie is job security for my son

Movie Title:      Warcraft

Grade:  B- (I can't bring myself to give it a C)

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 40 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Big Disclaimer….my son is actually one of the computer animation artists for Blizzard (I know, super cool, right?), so I’m completely biased and want this movie to do well at the box office. 

For what it’s worth, my son didn’t work on this movie.  Instead, he works on the actual World of Warcraft video game.  I’m so happy that he has a job he loves and gets paid to use his amazing talents!  By the way, if you’re a WOW fan, you HAVE to go to Blizz Con.  I don’t even play the game, but I went last year and had a blast!

In case you didn’t know, director Duncan Jones is the son of the late singer/songwriter David Bowie.  For the horde!

Uplifting theme: 

• “If love is what you need, you must be willing to travel to the ends of the earth for it.” – Guardian Medivh (Ben Foster)
• “No one can stand against the darkness alone.” – Alodi (Glenn Close)

Things I liked:

• The fan service is substantial and impressive.        There are tons of Easter eggs in the film, I'm told. The film made $45 million at the box office in ONE DAY in China alone!
• I thought the CGI blended well with the live actors.  The motion capture work was really great.
• The 3D aspect enhanced the visual experience.  See it on the biggest screen you can.
• I loved the cool wolves and the detail of Durotan’s fingers running through the fur.  In fact, the detail of all of the animation was awesome (and I’m not just saying that because my son is an animation artist).  All of their video games are like that too.  The world-building talent is truly amazing.
• I love the vibrant, ethereal glowing blue and green colors, which is a classic Blizzard look.
• While Paula Patton (Garona) only gave us a surface-level performance, I thought Ben Schnetzer (Khadgar) showed us some depth.
• I loved Durotan and thought his character was the most intriguing.  Is it weird that I loved his hairy, muscular chest? When you see him take off his wolf fur cloak, his back looks almost real.  He's a striking, almost handsome creature that you fall in love with. 
• During an awesome battle scene, Garona (Paula Patton) thrusts a sword through a “bad guy” and green blood splatters on the “camera”.  I thought that was a cool effect to make you believe it was live footage, rather than CGI.
• Glenn Close?  How did THAT happen?
• You feel the weight of heavy weapons, which is hard to do in animated film.  The battle scenes are pretty epic.

Things I didn’t like:

• Despite the fact that my son works on World of Warcraft, I’ve never played the video game, so I was unfamiliar with most of the characters, the lore, and the worlds.  I wish the film somehow gave us newbies a primer on the “world” in the beginning of the movie.  Most “uninitiated” viewers will be a bit confused.  It’s kind of like watching “The Lord of the Rings” where the lands and characters have unusual names and it takes some time to figure out who the good guys are and what’s going on.  (I loved the LOTR trilogy, by the way!)  The good news is there isn’t a quiz at the end of watching this movie, but you WILL feel like a nerd for watching it.  There are hundreds of hours of game development which, you can imagine, would be hard to cram into a 90 minute movie.
• Ben Foster’s character, the Guardian, has a really bad CGI moment and does a lot of over-the-top acting. 
• Sometimes it’s really hard to understand what the characters are saying.
• It’s hard to become truly invested in most of the characters, because we aren’t told very much about them and they begin fighting immediately.  There are a couple of protagonists who experience personal growth, but many of the others are paper thin.
• The emerging romance was awkward.

Funny lines:

• “Whatever you plan to do, do it now!” – Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel)
• “Can you hide your fat belly?” –  Durotan (Toby Kebbell from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)

“Better than you can hide your fat head.” – Draka (Anna Galvin)

Interesting lines:

• “For orcs, there is no other life but war, but with the humans, there could be.” – Durotan
• “We fight together or we die together.” – Durotan
• “For years, our worlds have been at peace, but something is coming.  I feel it.” – King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper)

·       “From light comes darkness and from darkness comes light.” – Alodi (Glenn Close)
*      "Broken bones heal stronger." - Garona

Tips for parents:   

• There are a LOT of scary looking creatures.
• There is a LOT of fantasy violence and fighting, sometimes gruesome.
• This movie will give your child the reason to play yet one more video game…

Goosebumps is ghoulish fun

Movie:    Goosebumps

Rating:    PG, 1 hour 43 minutes

Grade:   A

In a Nutshell:   If you grew up reading R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books or were a parent who read them to your kids like I did, you’re going to get a kick out of this homage to comedy horror stories and the author who gave them to us.

Sony Pictures Animation does a great job at blending reality with fantasy, mixed with sarcasm and romance.  Thanks for releasing it in time for Halloween!   “It gives me…oh what’s the word…goosebumps.”

Uplifting Theme:

·         “It’s time to face your demons…” – R.L. Stine

·         Connecting with real people.

Things I liked:

·         As an author, I love how the ink literally comes to life off the pages of the book.

·         I love how Slappy actually looks like Jack Black/R.L. Stine.

·         You gotta admire the way the real R.L. Stine is bringing new life and sales back to his books!  Brilliant!

·         Good for Amy Ryan for starring in 2 movies in theaters at the same time!  (Bridge of Spies )  I’ve always adored her ever since I first saw her do a Yoda impression on The Office: Season 5 .
-     There is a playful nod to the book series that was the cheap knock-off version of the Goosebump books called "Shivers".  Jack Black's character goes by "Mr. Shivers" in the beginning, before it's revealed that he's actually R.L. Stine.

·         See if you can spot the real R.L. Stine in his cameo at the school as the Drama teacher.  This is what he looks like in real life:

Things I didn’t like:

·         It was a little bit scawy…
-    It would have been fun to see more of the other characters R.L. Stine created in the movie.
-    Jack Black didn't have a mole on his forehead like the real R.L. Stine does.
-    Some of the CGI looks cartoony, although I didn't mind it.

Funny lines:  

·         “Dude, we should call the cops!” – Champ

“Have you met the cops in this town?” – Zach

·         “Is that your scream?” – Zach

“Don’t judge me.” – Champ

·         “What is that?” -    Aunt Lorraine   (played by Jillian Bell)

“I rub myself in cilantro every morning.” – R.L. Stine

·         “I don’t remember writing about a giant preying mantis!   (it then spews s sticky ick from its mouth)  “Right, now I remember.” – R.L. Stine

·         “Let’s split up!”  - R.L.

“No!  Haven’t you read any of your books?  We’re never supposed to split up!”  - Champ

·         “Look at this kitchen!” – Gale

“We don’t cook.” – Zach

“Well, look at all this counter space to put take-out on!” – Gale

·         “I’m going to get a start on decorating my room…knock it off my Bucket List.” – Zach

·         “I know I speak for the entire administration when I say how excited we are about this weekend’s dance.  We  can’t stop twerking about it.” – Gale

·         “Shut your mouth!” – Cop

“Ok, but that’s not going to help.”  - Slappy  (the ventriloquist dummy)

Things you learn about writing from R.L. Stine:

·         “Every story ever told can be broken down into 3 distinct parts: the beginning, the middle, and the twist.”

·         R.L. Stine wrote”THE GHOST NEXT DOOR book.  I guess he wrote about it twice.  Think about it.

·         “The night was cold.  Cold was the night.”  Word order is powerful.

·         “No, it doesn’t work unless it’s a real R.L. story with twists, turns and frights…and personal growth for the main character.”

·         Champ asks R.L. “Why did you have to come up with something so freaky?”  The author simply replies “I just have a knack for it.”    In other words, write what you know.

·         “Steve King wishes he could be me!  I sell way more books than him, but no one ever talks about that.”

·         “Why couldn’t you have written stories about rainbows and unicorns?”   - Champ

“Because that doesn’t sell 400 million copies.”   R.L. Stine

“Domestic?” – Champ

“No, international, but it’s still a very impressive number.  Shut up!”   R.L. Stine

·         “That typewriter is special.  It has a soul of its own.” – R.L.

Tips for Parents:

·         Some of the monsters can be pretty scary.  There are plenty of creepy things too, like clowns, ghouls/zombies, drooling werewolf with frightening teeth and claws, evil garden gnomes, dolls, bugs, aliens, etc.  R.L. Stine said in a recent interview with Plugged In that he didn't want to traumatize children who see the film, so you won't see any blood.

·         Explosions, violence, suspenseful chase scenes.
-    Topics addressed include evil, revenge, and love.

Can't get enough of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps? Check these out!


 

Jupiter Ascending is visually impressive with a messy script

Movie: Jupiter Ascending

PG-13, 2 hours 5 minutes

Grade: A- for visually amazing

              C- for story and dialogue

In a Nutshell:  Wow.  Talk about sensory overload.  The special effects are amaze balls. I went with some friends to see this in 3D at a Galaxy DFX theater which enhances the sound and offers those awesome reclining chairs.  One of the ladies I sat with said she had to close her eyes several times because she couldn’t take it all in.  I wonder if you get a free vomit bag with your ticket when you watch this in those Dbox motion chairs.

This fantasy adventure feels like a visit to the cantina scene in Star Wars with crazy aliens coming together to fight over power and the ownership of planet Earth.  One of the scenes looks like it actually could have been filmed on Star Wars’ Naboo. The script is messy, but the costumes, set design, make-up, and CGI are extremely creative and impressive, surely eating up most of the reported 175 million dollar budget.  The Wachowski brothers (one of them is now female) brought us the epic The Matrix magic, but have now created a story that mere earthlings can’t quite comprehend.  Even still, it’s an entertaining ride if you don’t mind the odd moments.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “It’s not what you do.  It’s what you are.” – Stinger Apini (Sean Bean)

·         What would you do with your time if you had an endless amount of it? What price would you be willing to pay to get more time?

·         There is an awkward exploration of capitalism, greed, and morality.

Things I liked:

·         If you like action, this movie includes the non-stop variety.

·         I LOVE LOVE the hover boots that make Channing Tatum look like he’s ice skating through air.  I hope I can buy a pair on Amazon soon.

·         Beautiful aerial views of Chicago.

·         There is a somewhat humorous attempt at explaining crop circles and dinosaurs.  I always wanted to know the scoop on those two things.  Now I know.

·         I loved the see-through floor on Balem Abrasax’s space ship.

·         I didn’t know Tuppence Middleton was so pretty when I first saw her in The Imitation Game.  Her character as Kalique Abrasax in Jupiter Ascending looked obviously fake in the beginning, so I was glad when we got to see her true beauty later on. 

·         There was so much to see that I would like to study some of the images frame by frame.

·         The gay robotic bureaucrat scene was odd, disturbing and funny at the same time.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Mila Kunis plays Jupiter Jones who falls in love with Caine in less than 30 seconds.  It’s embarrassing how quickly she throws herself at him.  Caine, by the way, is played by a blonde Channing Tatum.  He goes shirtless for a longer than necessary and the blonde scruff makes you wince just a little bit.  Two good-looking people should create sparks, but their romantic dialogue falls flat.

·         One of the guys I watched the movie with noted that the musical score by Michael Giacchino was too overpowering.  That could have been because we were in a sound-enhanced screening, so it’s hard to know if others will experience the same effect.

·         There were some attempts at humor, but not nearly enough successful ones.  Want to see a sci-fi fantasy flick that will make you laugh out loud a LOT?   Guardians of the Galaxy!

·         Mila Kunis’emotional range as Jupiter Jones is pretty small in this movie. Even after her entire world is shaken, all she can muster is a “Holy Crap.”  Years ago I took a jungle tour of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  The tour guide’s name was Jupiter.  He explained to us that it was because he was so “far out.”

·         I adored Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything and hope he wins an Oscar to go with his Golden Globe for it, but his performance in this film was odd and vacillates between monotone whispers and screaming, with nothing in between.

·         The elephant man alien appears out of place in what should be serious dramatic moments.

·         SPOILER ALERT: There is an icky Soylent Green moment.

·         Why were there so many bald women in this movie?

·         There is so much going on in the action sequences that it’s often hard to figure out exactly what’s going on.

Interesting lines:

·         “Technically speaking, I’m an alien, and from an immigration perspective, I’m an illegal one.” – Jupiter

·         “Off the record, I will tell you that you are a man of rare courage and I pray that your aim is true.” – Diomika Tsing (Nikki Amuka-Bird)

Lines that make you sneer:

·         “Men do not like smart women.” – Jupiter’s uncle

·         “My mom says true love is just a fairy tale for little girls.” – Jupiter

·         “I will never complain about the DMV again.” – Jupiter

·         “I am not your mother.” – Jupiter

“No, my mother never cleaned a toilet in her life.” – Balem Abrasax

Tips for Parents:

·         Some profanity, but no F-bombs.

·         You see the naked backside of a female and male in two different scenes, as well as a girl in her tiny underwear.  (She has amazing abs.)

·         There is a short orgy scene, but you don’t see details, other than faces.

·         There are sexual innuendos, lots of violence (some bloody), and evil motives.