Baby Driver is this summer's surprise blockbuster

Movie Title:  
Baby Driver

Grade:  A

Rating:   R, 113 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This musical masterpiece moves fast and with infectious style.  It’s fresh and furious fun. 

Director Edgar Wright delivers a smart, cool, funny, and brilliant movie.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Everybody wants happiness; nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain.”
• “Do you have a lucky soundtrack?” – Buddy (Jon Hamm)
•  Music, sound, language, love

Things I liked:

• The opening sequence was awesome.  Almost immediately after that is another scene that is pure magic while the opening credits roll.  Pay attention to the graffiti on the walls during that scene for some fun Easter eggs.
• The camera work is amazing.  Perfection.
• The talented cast nails it with fantastic acting.  I liked Ansel Elgort in a lot of his former roles in movies, but I really loved him in this one.  He shines, even among greats like Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx.
• I first fell in love with the lovely Lily James in Cinderella. I'll watch any movie with her in it.
• The action sequences are unbelievable.  I caught myself holding my breath several times.  The stunt team deserves an Oscar.
• The soundtrack is awesome, although has a lot of explicit language. Baby Driver (Music from the Motion Picture) [Explicit].  It’s not just great music, but each song serves a purpose for a specific moment in the film.  I loved that the closing song was Simon & Garfunkel’s Baby Driver.  Of course!  I used to listen to that song all of the time growing up.  I thought that album was awesome.
• This film has GOT to be nominated for an Oscar in sound or mixing or something.  It is noticeably excellent.  There are fantastic rhythms and songs constantly…so much so that some people are actually calling this movie a musical. You’ll be humming and tapping your toes the entire time.  This movie will make you want to dance and drive really fast.
• I’ve heard that there was some CGI, but everything looks super real.
• It’s not predictable.  Thank you!
• It’s not a sequel to anything.  Thank you!
• My father-in-law had Tinnitus and now my husband is getting it.  It’s fascinating how sound, music, and language play such an important part in this movie.  My niece married a man who is deaf, so we’ve all been learning sign language.  It’s used in the movie with subtitles.
• You KNOW Mike Meyers/Austin Powers masks are going to do really well in sales now.
• Great transitions and editing.
• Baby and Deborah almost always wear black and white, while the others in the cast wear color, illustrating that their love is timeless and clear.
• Apparently, Jon Hamm’s role was written just for him.  Jamie Foxx said about Jon Hamm, “He’s too handsome.” 

Things I didn’t like:

• I only saw the trailer once.  That goes to show you that marketing doesn’t make a movie great.  This movie is great with very little marketing.
• I wish we could have heard Lily James sing more!  I love her!

• SPOILER: There didn’t seem to be enough substance in the romance for Deborah to make the choices she did.

Funny lines:

• “Am I  being monitored for quality assurance?” – Deborah (Lily James)
• “This here is JD.  He put the invasion in Asian.” – Doc (Kevin Spacey)
• “Not groovy, JD.  Not groovy at all.” – Bats (Jamie Foxx)
• “I got different ipods for different days and moods.” – Baby

“So you’re in a pink and sparkly mood?” – Deborah

“I am now.” – Baby

• “Have we met?” – bad guy

“Are you alive?” – Bats

“Yeah” – bad guy

“Then I guess we haven’t met.” – Bats

• “You rob to support a drug habit.  I do drugs to support a robbing habit.” – Bats
• “Not a chauffeur.  Note.” – Deborah
• “Don’t ever quote lines from Monsters, Inc..  It ticks me off.” - Doc

Tips for parents: 

• LOTS of profanity and F-bombs in word and song.
• LOTS of violence, shooting, gory deaths, blood.
• You find yourself rooting for criminals.
• Derogatory slurs for policemen.

MOVIE REVIEW MOM

@trinaboice 

The Fate of the Furious is fast fun for true fans

Movie Title:  The Fate of the Furious

Grade:  B

Rating:  PG-13, 136 minutes

In a Nutshell:  It’s fast.  It’s furious.  The franchise is back.  

I was kind of over the whole The Fast and the Furious saga until…Charlize Theron.  I’ve always thought she was so gorgeous ever since I first saw her in Mighty Joe Young. I was curious how she was going to turn Dom away from his family in this movie's plot.   

Everything about this movie is high octane and ridiculously over-the-top, just the way fans of this franchise like it.  If you’re a fan, you’ll get a kick out of this new addition.  No, it's not going to win any Oscar's, but it's pretty good fun.

Uplifting theme: 

• “You make a deal, you gotta live up to it.” – Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)
• Family
• Obligation, accountability, respect

Things I liked:

• The chemistry of this “family” is undeniable.  This installment features Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Kurt Russell, Elsa Pataky, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Scott Eastwood.
• The cast's quick one-liners and jabs at each other are entertaining as always.
• You get to take a little trip to Havana, Cuba in the beginning of the movie.
• So funny watching The Rock do the fierce Hakka dance with a bunch of little soccer girls.
• Helen Mirren just made the franchise better.  Rumor has it that she lobbied for a role in the movie because she loves racing so much.  I love her in everything she does.
• It’s fun to watch Scott Eastwood’s career unfold.  You know he’s the legendary Clint Eastwood’s son, right? 
• Tough bald guy banter.  Ha ha
• The set pieces are as gigantic as Dwayne Johnson’s biceps.  
• The stunts are OFF THE CHAIN!
• SPOILER: I never really thought about how self-driving cars could be hacked into to create havoc.  Interesting, right?  There’s an awesomely fun and destructive scene with a bunch of them on New York City streets.
• Some of the action sequences are soooooo impressively long.
• I think it's funny that Kurt Russell's character name is "Mr. Nobody."  His assistant, played by Scott Eastwood, is called "Little Nobody."
• Jason Statham has some absolutely great moments with The Rock, Helen Mirren, and a little baby.  

Things I didn’t like:

• Lots of butt cheeks and scantily clad women.
• Some of the characters talk about being free, with no obligations to anyone, as if that’s the ultimate form of happiness.  Thankfully, the ultimate theme of the movie is that it’s family that gives life meaning.
• The plot is extremely predictable.  There is nothing super surprising about how the story is going to play out, but the ride is pretty doggone fun.
• So many things are just so unrealistic that if you require that in a movie, you'll hate every minute of this.

Funny lines:

• “I will beat you like a Cherokee drum.” – Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson whose arms are ridiculously massive while he holds them up during this line.)
• “We’re gonna need a bigger truck.” – Hobbs
• “Your team is about to go up against the one thing they can’t handle.” – Cipher (Charlize Theron)

“What’s that?” – Dom 

“You.” –  Cipher

• “Manis and pedis later on at the mall.” – Hobbs
• “It’s neon orange.  The U.S. space station could see it coming.” – Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood)
• “Ouch.” – Cipher
• “What’s it gonna be, Rook?  Are you gonna close your eyes on this one too?  Pray that the Apocalypse doesn’t come knocking on your mama’s front door? Or are you gonna saddle up and be a man and save the entire Gxdxxmn world?” – Hobbs
• “Why are you always yelling?” – Hobbs
• “Time to get my young Selfie levels up!” – Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson)

“You realize this is classified, right?” – Little Nobody

“Not today!” -Roman

Interesting lines:

• “See, that’s the funny thing about fate: it’s cunning.  It can bring you beautiful things and it can also bring you moments like this…” –  Cipher  
• “Have you heard of choice theory, Dom?  There’s a bunch of axioms, but only two you really need to concern yourself with: 1) The only person’s behavior we can control is our own, and 2) The only thing we can truly give another person is information…” – Cipher 

Tips for parents: 

• Lots of profanity, including an F-bomb, surprisingly by the lovely Helen Mirren.
• There are some subtitles that you’ll have to read to kids who can’t read fast.
• As expected in a movie designed for men, there are a lot of scantily clad women.
• TONS of explosions and MASSIVE amounts of destruction.
• Tons of violence in many forms, including hand-to-hand combat, shootings, stabbings, and beatings. 

Did you miss some of the previous movies? You can start here: The Fast and the Furious
Fast & Furious (2009)
Fast & Furious 6
2 Fast 2 Furious
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Fast Five (Extended Version) Furious 7

@trinaboice 

Furious 7 is playfully preposterous and a sweet tribute to Paul Walker

Movie:    Furious 7 

PG-13, 2 hours 20 minutes

Grade:  A for amazing stunts and action, C for cheese

In a Nutshell:  Paul Walker’s character says “Just when you didn’t think it could get any better, huh?” as if he were really talking about this film.   If you love this action franchise, you’ll love this new addition to the ongoing saga.  Like the others before it, this one has LOTS of action and testosterone, not to mention cheesy lines that you’ll be laughing at and quoting with your friends for a long time.  

You’ll think you’re watching one of The Terminator movies, because villains and heroes refuse to die, despite unbelievable crashes and over-the-top fights.  Don’t get me wrong, the body count is high and some of the deaths show pretty yucky endings.  

The absolute best/funniest moment of the movie is when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson bulges his massive muscles and bursts out of an arm cast, saying “Daddy’s gotta go to work.”   Haha  

Uplifting Theme:

·         Sadly and ironically, Paul Walker was tragically killed in a real life car accident about midway through the filming of this movie in 2014.  The characters in this film, as well as Paul Walker, lived their lives doing what they loved.  He will be missed.  The song See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth) plays in the movie and is a touching tribute to Paul. Vin Diesel even named his new baby daughter Pauline after his dear friend.

·         Dominic (Vin Diesel) affirms “Everyone’s always looking for the thrill, but what’s real is family.” Family is who you surround your life and love with.

Things I liked:

·         It’s always fun to see Kurt Russell in anything.  I was in love with him when I was a little girl.  I want a pair of his cool night-vision glasses.

·         Epic fight scenes between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham.

·         I love looking at Jordana Brewster.  She is such a beautiful porcelain doll.

·         Michelle Rodriguez looked beautiful in that red dress.  Note to girls: make sure there is a big slit in your gown so you can kick butt in case you get into a serious cat fight at your fancy event.

·          

Things I didn’t like:

·         Most of the stunts are so ridiculously awesome that they couldn’t possibly ever be done in real life.  I’d like to see Myth Busters try them.

·         If you haven’t seen any of the Fast & Furious (2009) movies before, you won’t appreciate the backstories that bring all of these characters together again, but you’ll still enjoy the fun ride.

·         Vin Diesel poses and stares off in contemplation a LOT.  There’s also a lot of slow-motion walking scenes so you can linger on the stars' awesomeness a bit longer.

Cheesy lines:

·         “They say an open road helps you think.” – Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)

·         “You better start talking before I break that finger six different ways and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.” – Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson)

·         “He doesn’t miss the cars.  He doesn’t miss the girls.  He misses the bullets.” –Mia talking about her husband

·         “When you find the guy who killed Han, what are you going to do?” –

“Words haven’t been invented yet.” – Dominic

·         “Did you bring the calvalry?” – Letty (Michelle Rodriguez)

“Woman, I AM the cavalry!” – Luke (The Rock)

Funny lines:

·         “Don’t worry.  You’ll get use to this in no time.” – Preschool mom

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of .” – Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker)

·         “You risk your life to save the world and they give you Jello and a bad ‘70’s show.” – Dominic

·         “I’m just a guy.  I’m just a nobody.” – Petty

“That’s a pretty big entrance for a nobody.” – Dominic

·         “Your file’s not only detailed, it’s extremely entertaining.” - Petty

Tips for Parents:

·         What do guys like?  According to this movie...fast cars and scantily clad girls.  There are a lot of both, including close-ups of thongs, buns, and inappropriate jokes about women’s bodies.

·         I sat next to two different sets of teenage boys.  They all clapped, laughed and squealed with delight.  That’s entertainment.