Project Almanac features "found footage" of time travel

Movie:  Project Almanac

PG-13, 2 hours

Grade: C

In a Nutshell:   The movie uses “found footage” as its film style, which can be slightly annoying.   The camera work is so shaky that it’s more irritating than clever.  Its dizzying effect reminds me of the movie Cloverfield .

The story features a high school senior who gets accepted into M.I.T. and discovers a time travel machine in his father’s basement.   Pre-Teens will get a kick out of the flick, especially if they have never seen Back to the Future or Chronicle , which do it better.  You might wish time travel were real so you could get your money back for your high-priced theater ticket, but the movie is perfect to play at a sleepover when kids are only half-watching it.

Uplifting Theme:

·         If you could travel back in time, what would you do with that power?
*    During a concert, attendees can write with chalk on big boards to answer the question: "Before the world ends..."   What would YOU write?

·          

Things I liked:

·         When I was in college, I dated a guy who attended MIT.  It was fascinating to watch the games he and his genius frat brothers played in their spare time.

·         I thought it was funny that the characters mentioned the movies Timecop , The Terminator ,  Looper , and the entire Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray] movies while discussing time travel.
The cast is young, energetic, and fairly charismatic.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Everyone talks on top of everyone, which often makes it difficult to hear what they’re saying.

·         The CGI is decent, but not the best I’ve ever seen.

·         The science is a bit shaky, just like the camera work.

Funny lines:

·        “I didn’t have time to study.  I’ve been building a time-machine.” – David Raskin (Jonny Weston)

·         Full disclosure, guys.  There’s a slight chance that oxygen and nitrogen naturally found in the air could catalize." - David

“What does that mean?” – Quinn Goldger (Sam Lerner)

“We might explode.” – David

·         “You guys, we invented friggen time travel.  We should sell this thing to Richard Branson for like a zillion dollars.” - Adam Le (Allen Evangelista)

·         “It’s like a second chance machine.” – Adam

·         “I’m going to hire Kim Kardashian to have my baby.” – Quinn

·          

Tips for Parents:

·         Some teenage trash talk, profanity, and pre-marital sex.

·         Lots of teenager girls in skimpy outfits with some sexual innuendo.

   

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.

Ender's Game now out on DVD for fun family movie night

Movie Title:  Ender's Game

PG-13, 1 hour 53 minutes

Grade: A-

In a Nutshell:  This sci-fi tween thriller deserved to be made into a film, as the book has been popular with kids since 1985.  Congrats to Orson Scott Card for making it on to the big screen!  Most of the source book fans have been very pleased with the movie adaptation, although they admit that a few interesting aspects were rushed or necessarily left out because of the time constraints. The battle scenes feel like you’re watching someone play a video game, but the special effects are pretty amazing.  You’ll feel like a 12 year old kid again and wish you could float around in the battle simulator.

Things I liked:   

• I love Harrison Ford, even if I have to see him as a grumpy, aging man. 
• I’ve also adored Ben Kingsley ever since he won an Oscar for Best Actor in Gandhi many years ago.  The design on his face was very cool and supposed to represent a way to speak for the dead.  His father was a Maori.  I have a friend whose ancestry is Maori.  He plays the ukulele and sings songs in Maori for his students.
• You feel like you get your money’s worth because the film is long, but moves quickly.  
• I thought Ender’s squeaky, pubescent voice was perfect because it constantly reminds you that he is still just a boy.  Asa Butterfield does a terrific job.  I loved him in Hugo.  Ben Kingsley was in that movie as well.  It was simply stunning in 3D.
• I liked the cadets’ white casual wear and would like one for myself to wear at home when I’m just kicking around.
• I hadn’t read the book, so I had no idea what was going to happen.  I love twists.
•  The zero gravity room looks super fun!  I went Indoor Skydiving in Las Vegas recently and had a blast…literally!  A giant fan blasts air at you so that you float.  I highly recommend it!  This is a picture of my husband, son, and I after our indoor skydiving experience, which is probably the closest we'll ever get to a zero gravity feeling:   

Things I didn’t like:

• So, it only takes 3 adults to run that entire spaceship? 
• I was surprised at the amateur-looking credits at the end of the movie.
• It takes itself a little bit too seriously and could have been improved with more peppering of humor.

Uplifting theme:

• The way we win matters.
• “Let us train our soldiers so they can be gifted at war AND peace.”

Funny lines:

• “This is basic rocket science, people!”  - teacher
• “Game over.” - Ender

Interesting lines:

*  “When you truly understand your enemy, you love them.”

Things to look for:

• The button on the back of their necks that is used to monitor them reminded me of The Matrix .
• Hailee Steinfeld plays a character whose name is Petra.   Petra means rock in Latin.  She becomes Ender’s rock throughout their experience in the training experience in the International Fleet.

Tips for parents: There is a lot of violence, some bullying, and a repeated use of the word “A**hole” in Spanish by a character named Bonzo.  There is no other profanity, other than mean name-calling by bullies.  There are some interesting moral dilemmas that could provide interesting dinner conversations for your family.

If your tween loved the movie, you can find the box set of the book series here: