Daddy's Home 2 mixes laughter with love

Movie Title:    Daddy's Home 2

Grade:  B

Rating: PG-13,  1 hour, 40 minutes

In a Nutshell: “We’re back with more daddies!” says Will Ferrell’s character, easily the tag-line for this movie.

It's a funny sequel that also has some touching, cheesy moments, which will put you in the Christmas spirit and inspire you to celebrate your own crazy, dysfunctional family.

A lot of movie critics really hated this, but I thought it was really entertaining for a light night at the movies.  It addresses the complicated issue of step-parenting in a lighthearted way.

Uplifting theme: 

• Divorce doesn’t end the relationship.  My parents were divorced when I was a little girl, but they continually have to associate with each other because of their children.  Instead of competing for their kids' love, parents and step-parents should be glad that there are more parents around who can love and support their children.  It's never perfect, but it's better than hating each other, which hurts the kids and puts them in a difficult situation.
• “You’re the only one who can ruin Christmas.” – Brad Whitaker (Will Ferrell)
• Family comes in all shapes and sizes.
• Love, patience and forgiveness.

Things I liked:

• The leading men were very entertaining and had great chemistry together.  They are all equally talented at comedy as they are in at drama.  Wait, have we ever seen Will Ferrell in a serious drama?
• The cabin where they stayed was awesome!  I stayed in an AirBnB home in Arizona that had the same awesome shower.
• Mark Wahlberg did a great job. There’s an interesting article that reveals Wahlberg hopes that God will forgive him for his past mistakes and movies.  While Mel Gibson plays Mark Wahlberg's dad, he is only 15 years older.  Surprising, right?
• I thought it was funny when Mel Gibson’s character demands that his grandchildren call him “El Padre.”  My dad decided he wanted his grandchildren to call him “Sir”, so now they call him “GrampSir.”  Ha ha
• The “Be a man” bowling scene was funny and touching at the same time.  I have 4 sons, so my husband gave that speech many times to our boys that Mel Gibson’s character gave to the cute Dylan (Owen Vaccaro).
• The band “Chicago” is mentioned in a funny way and you also hear their music later from Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits.  I went to one of their concerts back in the day.
• There’s a really cool copper mug that several people hold and drink out of.  I looked on Amazon to see if I could find it and I did.  It’s called Moscow Mule Hammered Copper 18 Ounce Drinking Mug, Set of 4.
• I thought the movie “Missile Tow” sounded awesome!  Ha ha  It’s the pretend movie that the families watch at a theater, featuring Liam Neeson.  Linda Cardellin’s characters says of the movie, “It has kids in it.  How dirty can it be?”  That was a big poke at the movie Daddy's Home 2 itself.  The answer?  The presence of kids definitely doesn’t mean the movie is clean or appropriate for kids to watch.
• All of the characters sing!  They don’t all have great voices, but it’s still really fun to see and hear them sing.
• John Cena has a much bigger role in this movie than he did in the first Daddy's Home.   If you’re a fan (who isn’t?), you’ll be happy to know that he voices the main character in the movie FERDINAND that arrives in movie theaters next month.  Rumor has it that the next movie in this franchise will revolve around him.
• The audience I sat with loved the surprise cameo at the end of the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• The trailer showed lines that didn’t actually appear in the movie.
• It definitely helps to have seen the first Daddy's Home movie.  You’ll understand more jokes and the character development better.  There are references to things that happened in the first movie.
• Some of the jokes fall flat.
• Mel Gibson's character is a real jerk.  He's not really funny, but just laughs at his own jokes.  Speaking of Mel's laugh, it sounds really raspy like he has been smoking all of his life.
• It often feels like a goofy sit-com with a laugh track and carefully placed music to tell you how to feel.

Funny lines:

• “I got some gender-neutral flashcards!” –Brad Whitaker
• “The thermostat is a sacred covenant.” – Brad Whitaker   (That’s so true.  When my sisters and I were growing up, we had a constant battle with our dad about the temperature in the house.  We would dial the temperature up to the high 70's and he would knock it back down to the 60’s.
• “It looks as if he’s been chiseled out of Gibralter itself.” – Will Ferrell’s character describing Mel Gibson’s character.

Tips for parents: 

• There is a funny scene when Will Ferrell and John Lithgow play car games during a long ride to a cabin in the snow and drive everyone else nuts with their enthusiasm.  What car games do you play with your family?  Here’s a list you can use with your kids to make the time go faster in the car and be more enjoyable.  
• You see Will Ferrell’s back side in his underwear with an uncovered cheek.
• There is a lot of man-on-man kissing (father/son), as well as talk of French kissing, and a gay moment where a boy wants to kiss another boy.
• Inappropriate sexual innuendos.
• Megan (adorable Scarlett Estevez) lifts up her shirt to look like her sexy step-mom.  Later, she swears several times and shoots a gun.
• Some sexist comments.
• Two of the little girls get drunk.
• Didi Costine’s character was such a bratty little girl.  She was either on her cell phone the entire time or saying snotty things to people.  If you have a daughter, talk to her about some of those behaviors that can make a pretty girl become ugly.
• Andrea Anders has a very short part as a principal who tries to unsuccessfully convince the parents to put down their cell phones and iPads.  I laughed out loud, because it’s so true.
• Mel Gibson's character is a womanizer.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

A Bad Moms Christmas is just bad

Movie Title:  
A Bad Moms Christmas [Blu-ray]

Grade: F

Rating: R, 1 hour 44 minutes of torture

In a Nutshell:  It’s bad. There are moms.  And it’s Christmas.

I’m a mom, but CLEARLY I’m not the target audience for this trashy attempt at a comedy.

“Christmas is, by far, the most stressful time of year for moms,” explains Mila Kunis’ character.  Yep.  While that’s very true, that’s no excuse for the horrible behavior these irresponsible, obnoxious, rude moms engage in.  Yes, extreme absurdity has long been a formula for comedy, but 80% of the jokes in this sequel are super raunchy, and the other 10% are simply not funny.

There’s no talk about the true meaning of Christmas.  None of the women in this film seem to even know anything about Christ or what kind of behavior He expects from His followers.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• Mother/Daughter relationships
• Family is most important.

Things I liked:

• Kenny G! 
• Christine Baranski is such a critical, evil mother.  She’s great in all of her movies and even sings a little in this one.
• Surprise cameo

Things I didn’t like:

• The writing is terrible. None of the characters are capable of uttering a sentence without some kind of profanity in it.
• Lots of fighting.  Why is that funny?
• Kristen Bell is so talented.  Why would she ever want to be in such an awful movie?  Oh yeah….money.
• Kathryn Hahn’s character is so foul.  Her role was the stand-out in the first Bad Moms movie, so they really went over-the-top with her in this one.
• Everyone is so critical of everyone else.
• I hate listening to kids scream and cry in movies.
• Lots of slow-motion musical montages.
• These moms sure have a lot of spare time to hang out with each other and get drunk a lot.
• Instead of the “feel good” song at the end, a dirty Santa does a strip tease in front of the entire family.
• Mila Kunis manages to push out a tear in what is supposed to be the big emotional scene of the movie, but the dialogue was uninspired and droll.

Interesting Lines:

• “It’s like a giant stress ball from Christmas to New Years.” – Amy (Mila Kunis)
• “Trust me.   Some day she will thank me in an inspirational speech in some large, public venue.” – Amy's mother (Christine Baranski)   I laughed out loud at that line, because I think every mother secretly has the same wish. 

Tips for parents: 

• About 45,362 F-bombs.  Even an adorable little girl uses it. Other profanity and extremely crude language. 
• LOTS and LOTS of talk of sex, as well as imitating sex with clothes on.
• Moms smoke marijuana.
• Women kissing women.
• The moms commit various crimes.
• A bunch of Santa Clauses strip on a stage.
• Nude man on a waxing table (private parts hidden). 

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Home Again is not Reese Witherspoon's best rom-com

Movie Title:   Home Again

Grade:   C

Rating: PG-13, 1 hour 37 minutes

In a Nutshell:   No, this movie isn’t related to the 2013 Home Again movie with Tatyana Ali. This rom-com features America’s sweetheart, Reese Withersppon, but certainly is not her best work.  You'd think they would have picked a different name. Something like "Shacks Up with An Impetuous Boy Toy" would be appropriate.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “This is your day, your year.  Get ready Alice.  The future is yours!”  - Alice’s father
• Family comes in different shapes and sizes.
• Be open to change.

Things I liked:

• Alice’s little blonde daughter is adorable, played by Eden Grace Redfield.  She has a bright future in film and TV if she wants one.  You can also see her in The Glass Castle.
• They play Heads Up! in a musical montage, so you might miss it.  It's a free app and a lot of fun!
• Alice’s boy toy is played by Pico Alexander.
• Teddy is played by Nat Wolff.  Did you know his mother is Polly Draper (thirtysomething: Season 1) and his father is Michael Wolff, the bandleader on the old Arsenio Hall Show?  Nice pedigree!
• I love Candace Bergen in anything.  It’s always great to see her.
• Jon Rudnitsky playes the only one in the movie who acts like a responsible grown up.  We’ll see him again in James Franco’s upcoming movie The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made

Things I didn’t like:

• Throwing up, sleeping with a stranger after just meeting.  Nope.  Not glamorous.  Alice and her boy toy are sluts.  What happened to old fashioned romance?
• Lots of music montages with talking, laughing, drinking, and kissing.
• The boy toy acts selfishly when he storms out when his friends explain they’re working on additional projects.  Instead, he should be happy for them.  He seems young and immature and self-centered the entire time.
• Alice (Reese Witherspoon) makes some very bag parenting choices.  For example, she brings in three male strangers to live in her house, even though she has two young daughters.  That's just asking for trouble in the real world.  Sleeping with one of them is irresponsible and confusing for the children. It's supposed to be adorable and charming in the movie, but it frustrated me.
• The premise is pretty unrealistic and ridiculous.
• Instantly forgettable. 

Tips for parents: 

• “Can’t I just go on anti-depressants just like everyone else?” – Isabel (Lola Flanery)  She talks about having anxiety and depression and watches her mom pop pills every time she has a problem.
• Profanity.  I hate it when kids swear.
• A married woman sleeps with a young guy (you only see kissing)

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Snatched features mother/daughter comedy team for Mother's Day

Movie Title:  Snatched (DVD + DHD)

Grade:  C

Rating: R, 91 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This movie has Amy Schumer in it, so that already tells you it’s going to be super trashy and foul-mouthed.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” -  Andre Gide (as quoted by James – Tom Bateman)
• Parenting
•  Reflection on your life and how it has meaning.
• “Waterfalls and rainbows.”   Have an adventure. 

Things I liked:

• It was wonderful to see award-winning Goldie Hawn return to the big screen after a 15 year break.  Amy Schumer threatened to leave the movie if the studio studio didn't cast Goldie Hawn.  It would have been awesome if Goldie and her daughter, Kate Hudson, could have done this together.  An internet hoax went viral last year, saying she died, but she is very much alive and well! 
• Stand-up comediennes Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes offered spontaneous "pop-up" shows while they were filming in Honolulu.  The shows were announced in the mornings and sold out in only a few hours.  
• The movie takes place in Ecuador and Colombia. My twin sister lived there for  1 ½ years, so I was so excited to go there for the first time with her a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately, all of the filming actually took place in Hawaii!
• All parents over the age of 40 can relate to needing computer help from their kids.
• James was telling Emily about all of the cool things he has done in his life and Emily said, “Your Instagram must be insane.”  When he revealed that he didn’t even have an account or use social media, she was stunned and asked, “How can anybody see what you do?” He simply stated, “Well, they don’t, but I get to live it.”
• Ike Barinholtz plays a disfunctional basement dweller and is really funny.  He made me laugh out loud every time he said, "mama, mama."
• I love Joan Cusack in anything, even when she doesn't say a word.
• The supporting characters are entertaining.
• The story features a mother/daughter relationship with all its drama and love, timed perfectly for Mother's Day.

Things I didn’t like:

• Amy Schumer’s character is such a crude, nasty, skank.
• The tapeworm scene was disgusting.

• You see Amy Schumer’s boob. No thank you.
• Did I laugh?  A few times.  Did I groan in disgust?  Many times.
• Some of the editing is really choppy.
• It's extremely predictable.  The plot doesn't really go anywhere (other than Ecuador and Colombia...ha ha).

Funny lines:

• “Feel free to drink from any puddle you see.  All water in the jungle is safe.” – Roger (Christopher Meloni)  His character was really funny.
• “How to cheer up a depressed cat” web site.
• “Help me put the FUN in non-refundable.” – Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer)
• “That’s nice.  I didn’t know they had a daycare program at the hotel.” – Linda Middleton (Goldie Hawn) when she sees an older man arm in arm with a young woman.
• “I love that you don’t care about sounding like a weirdo.” – Emily
• “I’ve read all the Game of Thrones books.  I’ll text you spoilers.” – Jeffrey (Ike Barinholtz)
• “Kill him Mom.  This is a mom thing.” – Emily
• “Mama!” Jeffrey 

Interesting lines:

• “You were mine and now you’re not.  And I miss you.” – Goldie   (I can definitely relate to that feeling as a mother whose kids are flying out of the nest.  It’s hard! I miss them!)

Tips for parents: 

• TONS of profanity and F-bombs.  Some of the music had profanity and F-bombs too.
• TONS of inappropriate and crude humor.
• Jeffrey has Agoraphobia, which your kids may not know about, but will easily be able to tell that there’s something off (and funny) about Jeffrey.
• A man in the State Department flips the bird.
• A couple of men die in gruesome ways.  But they're bad guys...

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

Gifted charms in a predictable way

Movie Title:  Gifted 

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG-13, 101 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This quick-witted film charms and pulls tears out of your eyes.  Directed by Marc Wed (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), takes a look at parenting especially gifted children and trying to find a balance for a happy life.

Uplifting theme: 

• Love, family, loyalty
• It’s ok to be a child and not grow up too fast.
• Even Einstein learned how to ride a bike.

Things I liked:

• McKenna Grace is fantastic as the brilliant Mary.  She has a bright future in Hollywood, if she wants it.
• Captain America!  I love Chris Evans in anything.
• Octavia Spencer is always a sure win.  She was recently in Hidden Figures, a wonderful movie about some other females who are great at math.  Maybe this film can help girls to start thinking more about how cool math is.
• We heard Jenny Slate's unique voice in Zootopia, but this time we get to see her too.  She's irresistible.
• The scene in the hospital was really touching.  That was a brilliant idea Frank had.
• I thought it was adorable seeing Mary sit in a college math class wearing her little Brownie outfit.  I was a Brownie when I was her age.  Um….that’s pretty much where the similarities end.  Ha ha
• Nice soundtrack.
• I loved the sunset beach scene where Mary is climbing up Frank, like little kids do, while they have a conversation.  Their relationship is really sweet.
• This reminded me of Jodie Foster’s old movie Little Man Tate that is also about a child prodigy.  It also has elements of Searching for Bobby Fischer in case you’d like to watch a couple of other movies that have similar themes.
• Fred.  I thought it was great that they featured a “defective” pet and I got a kick out of all the loving one-eyed cat jokes they made about their beloved cat.

Things I didn’t like:

• Deadbeat dad.  They make me so furious.
• I always think it’s weird when kids call their parents by their first names instead of “Mom” or “Dad”.
• Pretty predictable ending, although there is a little twist I thought was interesting.
• Evelyn’s character seems a little too one-dimensional.

Funny lines:

• “I dunno.  Try being a kid.” – Frank (Chris Evans)
• “If anyone takes that baby away, I’ll smother you in your sleep.” – Roberta (Octavia Spencer)
• “Fred’s not a killer.  He’s a lover.” – Mary (McKenna Grace)
• “If we separate our leaders, if we segregate them from people like you and me, you get….Congressmen.” – Frank
• “I’d kill a priest for a Benadryl.” – Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan)    I can relate.  My allergies this year have been INSANE!
• “Manufacturers of Legos should all be in jail.” – Frank  (I can relate to that one too.  I stepped on a million Lego pieces while raising my 4 sons.
• “Frank says I’m not supposed to correct older people.  Nobody likes a smart-ass.” – Mary
• “I don’t watch TV, but I got hooked on Sponge Bob.” – Mary
• “Foster people….they can watch Sitcoms with her, take her to Olive Garden, teach her to say ‘irregardless’…”  - Evelyn         I had to laugh at that because I’m such a grammar Nazi.
• “You drive like an old lady.” – Mary

“It’s Florida.  I’m blending in.” – Frank

Interesting lines:

• “Never get on the bad side of small-minded people who have a little authority.” – Evelyn
• “What about Jesus?” – Mary

“Love that guy.  Do what he says.” – Frank

• “It doesn’t count if it’s not eye to eye.” - Frank, referring to apologies

Tips for parents: 

• Some profanity, including one F-bomb.  I especially hate it when little kids swear in movies.
• Pre-marital relations.
• It’s an interesting look at how parents with gifted children need to balance those gifts and provide appropriate education levels with just being a little kid.
• There are no explosions or huge action scenes, so some kids may be bored.  It’s one of those “talking” movies, which I love, but it may not keep some kids engaged long enough.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice