Catching Up!

For Sometimes life just intervenes, and the last few months have been crazy.  After posting some reviews here recently, I realized I was incredibly behind on both updating the blog and even the Trailer Park section of upcoming movie trailers on the right of this page!  Have done some updates to Trailer Park, and after writing a few reviews here today realized I am still 50 movies behind ... so am going to try and post some mini-reviews on here, real quick, that you could actually maybe read in 30 seconds or less!  Here's to catching up in tome for 2017, and hope you will keep reading!

Don

Mini-Reviews! (8 Reviews)

EQUALS (2015) - (3/5 stars) I tend to stay away from anything labeled "dystopian" (to say the least), but thanks to Nicholas Hoult had to tune in.  Here he is Silas to Kristen Stewart's Nia, two robotic-like humans in a future where any show of emotion has been eradicated and forbidden, who - when some "infected" humans start showing signs of life, worthy of having them committed or killed - find themselves brought out of their blandness when they fall in love.  While the film feels fairly lifeless, due to the actors having to play it bland as the plot demands, on some level I felt engaged enough to care, and overall didn't exactly hate it by any means.  (rated PG-13)

EQUALS trailer

ME BEFORE YOU (2016) - (4.5/5) /Even as you think you can see where it's going, once the main plot point is revealed, there is something very engaging and wonderful about Me Before You - a lot of that, surely, thanks to the wonderful Emilia Clarke as Lou Clark, who, desperate for a job, takes on the caretaking of a handsome, once-active/athletic man named Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), made a paraplegic after being hit by a car.  Will is bitter; Lou is bubbly as a freshly-poured Sprite.  Clashing, then a possible romance eventually bloom - but rather than a run-of-the-mill romantic dramedy, Me Before You becomes a uniquely beautiful love story that stays with you long after the film ends.  (rated PG-13)

ME BEFORE YOU trailer

BUDDYMOON (2016) - (2.5/5) "Grimm" star David Giuntoli stars in this so-so comedy as David, a former child actor who had one big hit back in the day, who is dumped just before his wedding and wallowing in depression when his rather odd best buddy Flula (a sometimes-engaging, sometimes-annoying-as-hell Flula Borg) convinces him that the two of them should go on David's honeymoon (backpacking the mountains of Oregon) anyway - hence the title of the film.  Naturally, things don't go so smoothly on the trip, revealing some secrets and straining the friendship, but in all actuality the film is just more silly than funny; like Flula, at times engaging and at times irritating.  (not rated)

BUDDYMOON trailer

ENEMIES-IN-LAW (2015) - (3.5/5) Funny, sometimes silly South Korean comedy about a family of cops with a young daughter who falls in love with the haughty, privileged son of a pair of notorious con artists on the run from the law.  Years after they fall in love, the son still won't marry his love without the father's permission, and has in those years sought to prove himself by turning away from a life of privilege by even studying to become a cop.  But the girl's father isn't buying it; in fact, he and the family, along with the son's parents on their own end, are doing their best to sabotage the couple.  Loved the ending, and while it seemed a bit long overall I thought the movie was really sweet and often quite funny. (aka CLASH OF THE FAMILIES PART 2)  (not rated)

ENEMIES-IN-LAW trailer

THE CONJURING 2 (2016) - (5/5) It's 1977, and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, back from the first film) are summoned to London to prove the presence of a malevolent spirit in the home of a lower-middle class single mom who swears her youngest daughter has been possessed.  Drawing similarities to the Amityville house, the spirit is seriously ticked off that new people reside in his space - but as the Warrens try to prove or disprove what's going on, new facts come to light and the Warrens themselves become the target.  One of the best horror films made in possibly the last decade, and (to me) even better than the original, with a truly satisfying story as well as good scares and characters you care about.  May want to avoid if you have a nun phobia, otherwise this is a truly brilliant sequel. (rated R)

THE CONJURING 2 trailer

SWISS ARMY MAN (2016) - (3/5) A suicidal Hank (Paul Dano), hopelessly lost on a deserted island and having just unsuccessfully tried to hang himself, is giving it a second go when he spots the dead body of a young man (Daniel Radcliffe) that's washed up on the shore.  The corpse, with a seemingly unending supply of body gas, helps Paul to actually get off the island via its constant farting (yes, you read that right) ... and so begins a very odd, surreal and honestly just plain bizarre journey as Hank adopts the corpse as his friend and before you know it we have a buddy picture.  It's gutsy to make a film that so many would hate for the lame fart jokes alone (many audience members at a Cannes screening actually walked out on the film), but if you stick it out with an open mind, there is actually something fairly charming in all this weirdness.  But there is a lot of weirdness.  (rated R)

SWISS ARMY MAN trailer (RED BAND/rated R)

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) - (2.5/5) High, HIGH hopes for this one, once I saw the trailer; an update more than remake of the classic film, this time with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones as female ghostbusters out to save New York City while being harassed and ridiculed by politicians and non-believers alike ... until, of course, The Big Threat arrives.  Chris Hemsworth is freaking fantastic here, hilarious and by far the best part (he alone earns the film its extra half-star) of what is otherwise a weak imitation that has upped the special effects and action, but left behind all the heart and soul of the 1984 original, where you felt you really knew and cared about Venkman, Ray, Egon and Winston.  None of that here, as the four leads are never developed enough to even really distinguish one that much from another.  (rated PG-13)

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) trailer

STAR TREK BEYOND (2016) - (3/5) Similar to the new Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond seemed - to me - to have left a lot of its heart and soul behind.  Awesome special effects and the coolest new character in ages via Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), the film otherwise is a pretty standard Trek tale about the Enterprise going on a rescue mission to the far reaches of the galaxy when an alien force literally destroys the snot out of their ship, and the crew must come together and find a way to save the Federation and even life as we know it.  Standard stuff, as said, though with some way-cool effects and action sequences ... and a bit of melancholy, watching Anton Yelchin play Chekov for the last time.  Otherwise, sadly, the film is all gloss; no real heartbeat.  (rated PG-13)

STAR TREK BEYOND trailer

Mini-Reviews! (7 Reviews)

THE BOSS (2016) - (3/5 stars) Melissa McCarthy semi-saves an otherwise forgettable script/film playing Michelle Darnell, a Tony Robbins-type financial giant/motivational speaker who gets arrested for insider trading ... and, once out, proceeds to horn in on the life of her former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell), the only person who will have her.  Some high points and a quite-funny Peter Dinklage make it worth seeing, especially the slightly randier unrated version. (unrated)

THE BOSS R-RATED trailer

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) - (4.5/5) Fear and apprehension of the Avengers calls for some government mandate over how the team functions; or so the powers that be feel, and when Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) come down on either side of that coin, before long friends and loyalties become divided, even as an ancient enemy returns to the 21st-century with his own plans of annihilation.  Not The Winter Soldier, but terrific action and set pieces enhance timeless themes of betrayal and friendships tested.  And that airport fight is seriously amazing!  (rated PG-13)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR trailer

HARDCORE HENRY (2015) - (4.5/5) Long as you won't collapse into seizures watching 96 minutes of one hell of an intense first-person videogame violently coming to life right before your eyes, Hardcore Henry is dynamite stuff.  Told in first-person entirely through Henry's eyes, the film opens with the poor guy (Sharlto Copley) waking up to his wife with no memory at all, only learning his name before the film blows up into action immediately, and Henry ends up going after a psychopathic maniac with telekinetic powers who's kidnapped his wife!  In a dangerous, seedy Moscow, Henry is both aided and attacked by strangers who seem to know him along the way, but if you can stick with the insanity this film (which I was sure I would hate within its first few minutes) it ends up kind of an amazing, killer ride.  (rated R)

HARDCORE HENRY trailer

THE REVENANT (2015) - (5/5) A genuine epic, The Revenant is a masterpiece of a film, about 1820's  frontiersman and single dad Hugh Glass (Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio), who is left for dead by a couple members of his fur trading team after he's mauled by a bear and becomes more burden than asset in the wild.  Fueled by his need for revenge, Glass fights to survive and remain alive against the odds of an untamed, unforgiving wilderness, as well as a group of seriously pissed Native American Indians with their own score to settle.  Tense and dramatic, without a frame wasted and featuring both incredible cinematography and a beautiful score, The Revenant kept my eyes glued to the screen for every single frame, practically without blinking, and is deserving of every award and accolade it's gotten.  Easily in my Top Five favorite films seen in 2016.  (rated R)

THE REVENANT trailer

THE NICE GUYS (2016) - (4/5) Nicely evoking Los Angeles in the late 1970s, The Nice Guys involves down-on-his-luck single dad and private eye Holland March (a wonderful Ryan Gosling) trying to solve the mysterious death of porn star Misty Mountains when his path crosses quite loudly and violently with hard-ass, not-quite-legit private eye Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe, good but at times feeling oddly miscast), a bruiser wrapped up in the same investigation.  A racy, often funny comedic buddy film that overall works quite nicely, even if Crowe does sometimes seem "off".  Gosling is terrific, as is Angourie Rice who plays his ballsy young daughter Holly.  (rated R)

THE NICE GUYS trailer

LOVE BETWEEN THE COVERS (2015) - (3/5) Simple, straightforward documentary about the billion-dollar business romance novels play in today's publishing industry, including interviews with romance novelists ranging from wannabes to bestsellers, and more than a few surprising stats and facts about the industry and just how huge it is.  The way the film sometimes depicts romance readers (and even aspiring romance writers) is less than flattering, but all told the film is an easy watch that provides enough insight into the money side of the industry, you may consider sitting down to write a romance yourself.  (not rated)

LOVE BETWEEN THE COVERS trailer

THE SHALLOWS (2016) - Possibly the best shark movie since Jaws was released in 1975, The Shallows stars Blake Lively as Nancy, a woman still dealing with her mother's death from cancer, who takes a trip to a secluded Mexican beach her mother once loved ... and, before long, finds herself stranded on a small outcropping of rock at low tide, just 200 yards from the beach, having discovered a great white in the water with her.  The entire film is shot in this one location, and quickly becomes an endurance of will and strength as Nancy seeks desperately for a way out before high tide arrives.  Suspenseful and unnerving, you almost feel the young woman's terror the whole way, and are with her 100% for the ride.  A brilliant thriller.  (rated PG-13)

THE SHALLOWS trailer

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (***1/2)

(2016) Based on the Jane Austen novella Lady Susan, Love & Friendship is a feel-good romp featuring a charming Kate Beckinsale as the widow Lady Susan Vernon, who comes to stay with her in-laws as the rumors of her dalliances with men (one married man in particular) grow too uncomfortable to bear.  Acting like visiting royalty, Lady Susan proceeds to move and manipulate those around her, all while seeking a suitable mate as well as a beau for her more-than-reluctant daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark).  Set in 1790s England, the film feels very much of both its time and of Austen's signature humor and clandestine peeks into upper-class British gentility (who are normally at their most interesting when not acting so genteel).  Perfectly cast, with standout performances by Chloe Sevigny and Xavier Samuel in particular, it's a well-crafted love letter to Austen, led by a pitch-perfect and wickedly effervescent Beckinsale.  (PG)

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP trailer

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (***)

(2016) A somewhat disappointing sequel to the stylish, dazzling, and entertaining first film, here the Four Horseman come back (this time with a lackluster Lizzy Caplan replacing the much more enigmatic Isla Fisher as a new character) to expose a high-profile tech guru, only to find themselves in a trap that has another tech genius (Daniel Radcliffe) blackmailing them into committing a most-impossible theft for them.  Things started off promising, but it's like the writers just go lazy with this one - or ran out of original ideas - and the cons they pull come off weak compared to the original.  Worse, by the end the plot has become so convoluted and hard to follow, when you reach the semi-silly ending (which sets you up for part three) you're more frustrated and confused than into the story or characters.  An extra half-star or star for the first third of the film, but the rest is fairly lackluster.  (rated PG-13)

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 trailer

THE BOURNE LEGACY (***)

(2012) Though connected to the Jason Bourne storyline (in particular The Bourne Ultimatum), The Bourne Legacy is about another covert Black Ops agent, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), who alone survives when his fellow agents are systematically assassinated, in an attempt to keep any knowledge of their existence from leaking out.  Cross, badly in need of medications to keep up the advanced physical and mental conditioning he'd received during his training from crashing, finds Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) - the woman who'd been supplying his meds during his initial training - in time to save her from being killed off as well, and the two go both in search of the meds Cross needs to survive, as well as team up to survive and take out the system.  Lots of chase scenes and heavy drama later, the film turned out okay as a slightly-above-average action film, but a bit muddled and not quite up to par with, say, early entries in this serious.  Loved the final chase scene, though, and Renner does make the most of what he has to work with!  (rated PG-13)

THE BOURNE LEGACY trailer

KUNG FU PANDA 3 (****)

(2016) Po is back for a third go-round, continuing his journey to becoming a kung fu master when he meets his long-lost father and goes home with him to finally assimilate with other pandas.  Unfortunately, he leaves behind his friends, adoptive father, and Master Shifu, all of whom are under a dangerous new threat when the evil supernatural spirit Kai finds his way back to this world, and begins his quest to steal the essences of all the kung fu masters of China, each of which only makes him more powerful ... as Po blissfully revels in his panda brethren, unaware of who - what - is heading his way.  Fun, funny, and a bit darker in tone than its predecessors, Po's time with his real da/fellow pandas seemed to run on a bit long for me, but I love how Kung Fu Panda 3 kept its humor alive while also putting out a great message about fathers and sons, and loyalty to those you love.  (rated PG)

KUNG FU PANDA 3 trailer

ANOMALISA (***)

(2015) Anomalisa is a beautifully-animated film about a disgruntled, middle-age writer, Michael Stone, who is out of town for a convention to speak on what he's become an expert on: customer service.  It's become his stock and trade, but in reality Michael Stone has stopped connecting with other people, let alone life, and often seems more sad than angry ... all of which finally changes when he meets a young woman staying at the same hotel.  I was so anxious to see this one, based on the trailer and all I'd read, but in truth Anomalisa failed to connect with me in a similar way.  Genuinely beautiful to look at, I don't know if I failed to connect with the deep meaning/messages of the film so many raved about, but for me Michael Stone remained an unlikable lead character who - while I liked the film overall - failed to make me love it.  (rated R)

ANOMALISA trailer

LONDON HAS FALLEN (**)

(2016) Silly and over-the-top as Olympus Has Fallen was, it's non-stop lunacy was fun to watch - while often raising the hackles on the back of your red, white and blue neck and made you want to watch Gerard Butler's character decimate the crap out of every single one of the seemingly never-ending group of terrorists who DARED to destroy some of Washington, D.C.'s most revered monuments (White House included).  London Has Fallen keeps some of the over-the-top and ratchets up the silly considerably, as this time out Mike Banning (Butler) is called on to accompany the U.S. President (again played by the square-jawed Aaron Eckhart) to London for the funeral of the British prime minister, who has died under (to say the least) mysterious circumstances.  Leaders from around the world are also attending, and having evidently watched the first movie the band of terrorists in this film go full throttle on ripping apart nearly every landmark in London in order to take many of them out ... but of course it's the American, Mike Banning who, pretty much single-handedly (while barking his lines out the corner of his mouth), becomes determined to save not only his commander-in-chief, but England and possibly the entire world while he's there.  Silly and overblown, the film has a couple well-done action sequences; you may just find your intelligence assaulted with everything in between.  (R)

LONDON HAS FALLEN trailer

THE FINAL GIRLS (***1/2)

(2015) A lower-budget comedy/horror flick with a great premise: Max (the always-terrific Taissa Farmiga) is a young lady still grieving the car accident death of her mother, a B-movie actress whose greatest claim to fame was the hit '80s slasher film called Camp Bloodbath (an obvious riff on Friday the 13th).  Talked into attending a special anniversary screening of the horror film to commemorate her mom, Max isn't prepared for a bizarre set of circumstances that actually drop her and her small group of friends into the movie on the screen - where she not only comes face to face again with her own mother as a young woman (though in the film's character), but must also band together with her friends and the film's characters to survive.  Though the action seems a bit drawn out toward the end, the film itself is wonderfully done; a lot of fun once Max and company are dropped into the world of a 1980's slasher flick, and who will become the "Final Girl" - the last survivor of the movie who must take one last stand against the crazed, supernatural killer.  Funny, original, and with a surprising amount of heart.  (rated PG-13)

THE FINAL GIRLS trailer

THE BOY (****)

(2016) Nope, sorry, didn't see the ending coming with this one, as some reviews have complained about - which was one of the biggest reasons I found this low budget, creepy little thriller to be refreshing and fun.  "Walking Dead" alum Lauren Cohan stars as Greta, a young woman running from her own demons who takes a job for a family in England as a nanny, overseeing the care of the middle-aged couple's young son Brahms.  Soon after arriving, Greta is introduced to the boy, and is a bit taken aback (to say the least) to find that Brahms is a life-sized doll the older couple actually believes is their human child.  After the local guy who delivers groceries to the manor house explains how the Heelshires lost their son under horrible circumstances, having "adopted" the doll as their son to cope, Greta feels almost guilty at what appears to be the ease of her new job ... until Mrs. Heelshire comes up with a stringent and lengthy list of rules Greta must not break, and then the couple leave on a short trip - leaving Greta and Brahms alone - and the nanny realizes she's not exactly alone in the house, after all.  Very creepy and full of atmosphere, I was gripped from the beginning - and while I maybe should have guessed the twist at the end, I was too busy enjoying the ride to keep an eye out for the finish line.  (rated PG-13)

THE BOY trailer

SINNERS IN THE SUN (***)

(1932) Carole Lombard remains one of my favorite film actors from childhood - perhaps still tied with Bette Davis as my favorite female actor of all time - and she really elevates some dated material here as Doris Blake, a girl from a poor family who works as a live model in fashion salons and dreams of a better life.  To Doris that better life includes money and things - a dream that doesn't coincide with those of a garage mechanic (Chester Morris) she's in love with, who dearly loves her in return ... so instead Doris gets into the fast and flashy lifestyle of basically being arm candy for rich men, even if her heart isn't in it.  You can see the ending coming very early on, but Lombard makes this a likable, even enjoyable, romantic melodrama, backed by a strong cast.  Watched on YouTube, where you can see it for free (though not the best quality).  Viva Classic Hollywood!  (not rated)

SINNERS IN THE SUN (full movie)

THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY (****)

(2016) Math was always my weakest (and most hated) subject in school, but thanks to Dev Patel (one of my favorite actors working today) and Jeremy Irons, I didn't find a single boring or lagging moment in this based-on-a-true-story of the innovative Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Patel), whose pioneering theories brought him to Cambridge in the years of WWI, where he forged a friendship with his mentor, G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons).  The strong performances of the two leads kept me locked into the film, and though I found I wasn't as emotionally wrapped up in this one as, say, the superior (and similarly-themed) The Imitation Game, The Man Who Knew Infinity was much more a treat for me than the dry subject matter led me to think it would be.  In fact, I loved it.  (rated PG-13)

THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY trailer

HOW TO BE SINGLE (****)

(2016) Alice (Dakota Johnson), in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend Josh (Nicholas Braun), decides she needs them to take a break so she can explore for awhile what it means to be single.  Moving in with her obstetrician sister Meg (Leslie Mann) in Manhattan, she lands a job as a paralegal for a prestigious law firm ... where, on day one, she meets the not-so-prestigious Robin (the hilarious Rebel Wilson), who is determined to teach Alice how to be single in style.  Much partying, booze, and sleeping with a bartender named Tom (Anders Holm) follows.  Meanwhile, Meg - who has been on her own for so long she's grown almost fanatically independent - comes to terms with the fact that she wants to have a baby by going the in vitro fertilization route ... in time to meet a younger man who may want more than sex from her ... as Tom, the bartender and consummate player, finds his attention taken up a bit too much by Lucy (Alison Brie), who uses algorithms and graphs to plow through every dating site in the book, turning finding a man into a full-time job as she sits in his bar night after night for the wi-fi.  The film got mixed reviews, but I loved it; loved the views and magic of New York City (my prejudice, I admit) it portrayed, loved the humor - but what really impressed me is it wasn't one of those films that puts out the message that a person (especially a woman) has to find love to be happy.  That being single isn't just okay, but in some ways it's so much better.  And that "original" idea, in a romantic comedy, was very refreshing to see.  (rated R)

THOSE PEOPLE (****1/2)

(2015) Manhattan twenty-somethings Charlie (Jonathan Gordon) and Sebastian (Jason Ralph) have been friends for fifteen years, since childhood.  Both belong to the same small, intimate group of friends who party together and have each other's backs - but for the entire time he's known him Charlie has been pretty much in love with Sebastian, and it seems Sebastian is the only one unaware of it.  Both men are gay, but Sebastian has only ever seen Charlie as a friend, Charlie's friendship becoming all that more important when Sebastian's father is sent to jail for investor fraud, and the press seems intent on blaming Sebastian for not spilling the beans on his father's larceny.  Now mostly confined to his family's lavish apartment due to the stalking paparazzi, Sebastian begs for Charlie to move in and stay with him; a situation seemingly fraught with pain for Charlie, until he meets an older, handsome concert pianist named Tim (Haaz Sleiman) - who, for the first time, may be steering Charlie's love in another direction.  Those People may be one of those indie dramas that slips unobtrusively under your radar ... but it shouldn't.  Filled with spot-on performances (Gordon, Ralph and the always-terrific Sleiman head an extremely talented cast) and the real pangs of love and loss that most of us can relate to, no matter our sexual orientation (God knows we've all had that one friend we at least crushed on at one point, pining away for the day those feelings would hopefully be reciprocated), it would be an injustice for anyone to pass this off as a "gay film" and not see it.  I am wondering if the "Sebastian" character - who sometimes almost veers on being so needy that he's annoying (thankfully, Jason Ralph steers the character out of those waters before Sebastian gets there) - was modeled and named after the same Sebastian at the center of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, as the two are so alike; if so, it's a tribute to the film that it comes off more like an homage than a cheap copy of Waugh's classic novel.  A tenderhearted movie that feels very true to life and deserves to be seen by larger audiences than it will probably get.  Oh yeah, and be prepared to want to shake some sense into Sebastian ... wrap up Tim and take him home ... and, maybe, fall head over heels for Charlie.  (not rated)

THOSE PEOPLE trailer

DOUGH (***1/2)

(2015) Nat Dayan is an old Jewish baker in the UK whose generations-held family business is in trouble; his son, a big-shot lawyer, has no interest in taking over, and Nat's customers are falling off left and right - either by moving away from what's becoming a down-and-out section of town, or by being swallowed up by a big chain of food stores slowly putting Nat out of business.  When his baking assistant defects to the chain store to provide better for his family, Nat's cleaning lady - a sweet Muslim woman - suggests her son Ayyash (Jerome Holder) for the job.  For his part, Ayyash just wants to get him and his mom out of poverty and the apartment falling apart around them, so much so that he's taken to selling drugs for a punk dealer named Victor (a creepy Ian Hart) - even though he doesn't do drugs himself - and, after accidentally spilling some weed into the dough mixer one day, realizes he's got the perfect front to work for Victor.  Meanwhile, when sales at the bakery skyrocket over Ayyash's "special dough," Nat thinks he's found a baking genius.  Naturally things will come to a head fast, and even with a side romantic plot involving Nat's landlady (the wonderful Pauline Collins) that has its charms, Dough - while spotlighting the conflicts and prejudice that exist when a Muslim man goes to work in a Jewish bakery, via the fallout from Nat's friends and customers that follows - winds up a good, darkly-comedic indie with an ending that just feels a little too perfect to come off real.  (not rated)

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE (***)

(2016) I might not be the best person to review this film; have never played the game, nor ever had an interest in it, as much as I just really love animated films.  So with only the film to go by, for me The Angry Birds Movie was a fun, sometimes funny film that felt too light on plot and too little on originality.  Sort of prequel to the game, the movie gives us backstory on how the flightless birds of Bird Island came to be enemies with the green pigs of Piggy Island - here focusing on Red (well-voiced by Jason Sudeikis), a red bird with thick, black, bushy eyebrows who has a bad temper and only wants to be left alone.  Trouble is, he's surrounded by happy, perky birds ... leading to an incident that has Red sent to anger management class, where he meets the highly-caffeinated Chuck (a bright yellow bird who can move faster than the speed of light, voice by Josh Gad) and the gullible, rotund Bomb (Danny McBride) - so named because he sort of, well, explodes whenever highly agitated (by far, Bomb was my favorite character).  When a ship lands on the shores of Bird Island and a green pig named Leonard declares his desire to make friends with the birds, Red is immediately suspicious - soon learning that not only does he have reason to be, but also that he and Chuck and Bomb need to band together to save the day.  The film looks great, has some truly funny moments, but lacks anything near a plot (it is, after all, based on a videogame), and - while entertaining - what plot there is plays out with total predictability.  What I call a "popcorn movie"; like popcorn, it fills you up at the time, though soon afterward you may find yourself hungry for something more.  (rated PG)

GRANDMA (****1/2)

(2015) In a film that takes place over the course of one day, Lily Tomlin plays the sarcastic, no-nonsense poet Elle, who has just broken up with her younger girlfriend Olivia (Judy Greer) that morning, when her teenage granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) shows up at her door to announce she is pregnant ... and in need of $600 for an abortion.  Estranged from her own daughter - Sage's mother - Elle understands immediately why Sage didn't go to her with the news, so while Elle herself is broke after paying off the majority of her debts, she and Sage set out on a quest to raise the money before Sage's 5:45pm clinic appointment that afternoon.  Starting with Elle tackling (almost literally) Sage's douchebag of a boyfriend(Nat Wolff) - the baby's father - for whatever cash he has, the liberated and outspoken Elle, to help her granddaughter, stirs pots and rattles skeletons and even re-opens some old wounds in trying to raise the money, all of which becomes an acting field day for Lily Tomlin, who creates in Elle the kind of fiercely loyal, outrageously funny grandma most of only wish we could have.  A must-see, especially for Tomlin fans, the film also has a stellar supporting cast and cameos from the likes of John Cho, Elizabeth Pena, Laverne Cox and more.  (rated R)

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS (****1/2)

(2015) Doris (Sally Field) has, to say the least, led a sheltered life.  In her sixties, she lives on Staten Island with her ailing mother (who has just passed away), making the long commute into Manhattan every day where she works a low-level job in the accounting department of a big company.  Doris hangs out with her best friend Roz (Tyne Daly), mostly attending self-help seminars, and lives in a house packed with stuff (having learned to hoard from her mother).  It's shortly after the death of her mother that a lonely Doris attends an evening seminar lead by a guru-like speaker (Peter Gallagher) who convinces her life is only worth living if you go for what you want most ... which is why Doris decides to romantically go after the much younger-man in her office, John (Max Greenfield), whom she's developed quite a crush on.  Thankfully, the lead role of Doris was put into the more-than-capable hands of Sally Field; whereas another actor might have made Doris come off pathetic or even creepy, Field gives Doris the exact-right blend of humor, dignity and pathos that will have you both empathizing with her plight and even wanting her to succeed.  It's a flawless performance that makes Doris a character anyone can relate to who has ever found themselves lonely and single and unsure of where to go from there.  Funny, sweet, flawed, and wholly human a character as has ever graced a movie screen, thanks to the incomparable Sally Field in a lovely, lovely film.  (rated R)

THE GHOST THEATER (MIDNIGHT BALLAD FOR GHOST THEATER) (****1/2)

(2006) A musical comedy-horror film that's been compared to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the simple plot behind this unique and fun Korean film revolves around a young girl who, in searching for her missing grandmother, ends up working at the rundown movie theater her grandmother was supposedly on her way to, when she vanished.  One night while there, she meets the four ghosts who haunt the theater, all of them members of an acting troupe that may hold the key to her grandmother's whereabouts, if only she can get hold of the one never-before-seen film the troupe members all made together, and show it.  Problem is, there are those who don't want the film shown, as well as potential consequences if it is!  The soundtrack is killer, with songs ranging from hardcore rocking angry-girl rants to a wonderful ballad to music that reveals some of the ghosts' background stories.  The ending may be a bit too odd for some, but I loved the film and can see why, while not as popular on its initial release, has like Rocky Horror developed a cult following since.  A film I'd been trying to find and see for well over a year, since discovering clips on YouTube, and I'm so glad a friend was able to finally track it down for me (thank you, Christine!).  (not rated)

MIDNIGHT BALLAD FOR GHOST THEATER clip
(the original clip I saw that turned me onto seeing the film; could not find an English-language subtitled trailer, sorry)

MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (****)

(2014) You have to be approaching middle age (or firmly in it) to know and appreciate the original cartoons this film is based on - and if you are and loved them, chances are the idea of modern renditions (even animated) of the genius dog Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman on the big screen filled you with dread.  Happily, much like The Peanuts Movie, this film correctly captures the spirit and personalities of its lead characters while bringing them into modern times, when young Sherman - dealing with a school bully in the form of popular girl Penny - reveals to her the existence of Mr. Peabody's WABAC machine (a time travel device Peabody uses to teach Sherman history first-hand), which Penny then uses to disappear into the past.  Rescuing her sets the trio off on a few pretty cool adventures in time (nicely done, as well as funny and engaging enough for children, with jokes adults will also enjoy) - before their exploits cause an actual rift in time that Mr. Peabody and Sherman must correct before it's too late.  Being a fan of the original cartoons, I half-expected to dislike this film, but even with an ending that's a little too predictable the film is colorful, funny, entertaining, and worth your time.  (rated PG)

MERMAID (***)

(2016) Anything written and/or directed by Stephen Chow goes immediately onto my "must-see" list.  If you've seen Kung Fu Hustle you'll understand why; one of the funniest, move original and inventive comedy/martial arts films ever, that movie has a cult following bordering on the obsessive and brought Stephen Chow international attention and fame.  Chow's other films are hit and miss, like any director, but he never fails to entertain - and while the same is true for Mermaid, sadly the humor of the film - in a couple places a bit too silly and over-the-top, even for Chow - is heavily derailed in the last third of the movie when things turn dark and even violent, in what feels like Chow's personal message about humanity and what we're doing to the environment; admirable, but really heavy-handed in the context of this film.  The plot is simple: beautiful young mermaid Shan is sent to dry land by her clan, in disguise, to aid in assassinating the rich land developer responsible for potentially wiping out her species - but in between a few funny, bumbling attempts by her fellow "people" to kill him, Shan finds herself falling in love with the guy.  Original, some really nice and funny moments, and strong performances from the cast bring about that feel of a Stephen Chow film, all right - but again, the film takes too drastic a change in tone toward the end; one that makes things more off-putting than engaging.  (rated R)

DEADPOOL (****1/2)

(2016) For years now, it's been a recurring issue that whenever I'm late in getting around to seeing a film that's become such a blockbuster that everyone but God is talking about it, the hype has been so loud for so long, ultimately the film disappoints me.  That is, until Deadpool.  Fully living up to the hype that's just as insane as the film itself, Deadpool stars Ryan Reynolds as the funny, foul-mouthed and excessively violent former Special Forces operative who has been put through such hell that - now resurrected as Deadpool - he is, simply, a "superhero" that just doesn't give an "F" anymore.  Determined to hunt down the bastard who put him through the vast majority of his aforementioned hell, Deadpool kills a whole mess of people ... while, in between, the story of his past personal life and backstory are flawlessly worked into the narrative.  The cast is perfect, humor often dark and hilarious, and Ryan Reynolds the best thing to come to the superhero genre in decades.  Sadly, it seems that other studios are determined to now make their superhero films R-rated, trying to copy the formula of violence and language and twisted humor that made this film such a runaway hit with fans and critics.  What a mistake, as there is only one superhero that makes it works so deliriously well ... in one of the best, most satisfying films of the year. (rated R)

LIFE (****)

(2015) I grew up with a love and fascination of classic Hollywood films, in particular those of the 1930's, '40s and '50s.  I still remember when I first saw Rebel Without a Cause and fell under the spell of Sal Mineo as Plato ... and, of course, the film's star: James Dean.  Dean was an incredible talent whose life was snuffed out at the age of 24 via a car accident before his third and final film, Giant, had even premiered, and Life tells the story of Dean (Dane DeHaan, in an understated and beautiful performance) not all that many months before his death, when he'd only just finished filming East of Eden yet managed to catch the attention of photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattinson, quite good in the far-less-showy role), who saw in Dean the mega-star he would become while the actor was still fairly unknown ... and becomes determined to shoot the actor for a spread in Life magazine.  But true to his nature, over time Dean proves more and more difficult to pin down, wanting only to act in quality work and unwilling to buy into the Hollywood machine of press and publicity and studios running their actors' live like cattle.  As the two men form somewhat of a friendship, Stock even accompanying the actor to his hometown in Indiana to try and discover - via his lens - the man behind the talent, the film quietly shows Dean for the flawed, intelligent, human, and supremely talented man who - with only three films - would become one of film's most beloved icons.  And for me (though I may be prejudiced, thanks to my love of classic Hollywood), DeHaan's performance alone brought all that vividly, elegantly to life; weeks later I still think of the film, of Dean, and of all that might have been.  (rated R)

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (****1/2)

(2015) The simplicity of The Good Dinosaur might, I feel, be at least part of what caused the mixed reviews for this Pixar film.  Usually viewers can expect more complexity, color, and broad humor from the same studio that created classics from Inside Out to Up to The Incredibles (among many others) ... but after getting over my initial annoyance with Arlo's scaredy-cat personality of The Good Dinosaur, I sort of fell for the film and, by the end, loved it.  Arlo is the runt of the litter of three dinosaur children back in prehistoric times, much smaller than his older brother and sister and afraid of nearly everything.  Though loved by his parents and family, Poppa also tries to teach Arlo to be the strong, dominant male he needs to be, contributing to the family and their farm and doing his part to keep the family going.  But after a tragic accident occurs, Arlo becomes even more determined to prove himself, and in trying to capture whatever creature is stealing the family's corn crop supply he comes across a tiny prehistoric human boy, more animal-like even than Arlo, who inadvertently sets the young dinosaur off on a series of adventures that leave him far away from home and the object of not just mother nature but the very predators Arlo so fears.  The Good Dinosaur is a wonderful, touching film, simple in story and presentation but full of emotional impact - and a good message for young viewers about how even the smallest of us can still become stalwart heroes.  (rated PG)

THE WAVE (***1/2)

(2015) This Norwegian disaster film set in the beautiful fjord of Gerainger is based on real-life facts that the mountains above the fjord are unstable - and one day may crumble and fall, creating a giant tsunami that will destroy everything in its path.  Centering on a geologist named Kristian and his family, the movie does a lot of  build up (as disaster films tend to do), both introducing you to the characters as well as setting up the conditions for the disaster to come - and indeed, when the you-know-what hits the fan the movie is riveting.  The aftermath, with Kristian searching for his wife and son, has its moments of tension that will also keep you glued to the screen - but once the wave hits (a scene that  plays out maybe 15-20 minutes, at most), everything afterward seems a bit anti-climactic by comparison, the film playing out like your standard, by-the-book disaster movie with a drawn-out rescue.  Very well-made and suspenseful, though drawn out a bit in the last third of the film.  (rated R)

THE WAVE trailer

VENUS TALK (THE LAW OF PLEASURES) (****)

(2014) Wow.  I'd never really seen a South Korean film get this explicit with sexuality and nudity, but if it were in the States this would easily garner a strong "R" rating.  A good "buddy comedy" (with touches of drama and romance) about three women, close friends for years, who are all over the age of 40 and feel as if  they are in the prime of  their lives even when society and those around them treat them like they're old.  Jung Shin-Hye is a beauty who works at a TV station and has just been dumped by her boss for one of her coworkers he got pregnant; a one-night stand with a hunk over a decade younger than her has her rethinking both her love and her sanity.  Lee Hae-Young is the single mother of a college-aged daughter who, though engaged herself, refuses to leave home and allow Hae-Young time with the kind,soft-spoken man she's been seeing.  And  Jo Mi-Yeon, the outspoken rebel of the trio, is about to kill her husband - who is sneaking Viagra to try and keep up with her demands that they continue to enjoy the kind of sex life they had when they were first married years ago.  Interchanging between the three ladies' storylines - as well as their get-togethers over coffee/tea and the need for advice or to vent - it's really nice to see  a film that treats women over 40 as vibrant, attractive, sensual and sexual human beings who can keep up with women half their age ...if not beat them at their game entirely.  (not rated)

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? (***1/2)

(2013) This Taiwanese film, billed as a romantic comedy, is about a married optician named Wei-chung, comfortable in his job/life with his wife and young son, who finds old attractions he's suppressed for years coming to the surface again when he meets a good-looking male flight attendant who comes into his store.  Meanwhile, Wei-chung's sister Mandy, engaged to a guy who fairly worships her, calls off the wedding last minute, sending her fiance into a tailspin until he finds his own gaggle of gay men (led by the wedding photographer) who do everything they can to help him win her back.  The film tries to depict how someone trying to do what they feel is the right thing can only live a lie for so long, and while I enjoyed the movie - which has  some nice moments that are by turns sentimental, funny (the storyline with Mandy's fiance is quite sweet), or charming - to me it came off more of a drama than romantic comedy.  Even a little melancholy, in the end (though Richie Ren, as Wei-chung, certainly turns in a heartfelt performance worth seeing the film for alone).  (not rated)

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? trailer

HOCUS POCUS (**1/2)

(1993) Amazing how, after 23 years of hearing about this movie and seeing bits and pieces of it on cable, I finally sat down and watched it (thanks, Liv!).  Even more amazing, considering how big a fan I am of Bette Midler - who by far is the most bewitching (yeah, I went there) part of the film ... which opens in old Salem, Massachusetts, when the three Sanderson sisters (Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker) are hung for being witches.  Three hundred years later, a teenaged boy and his sister resurrect the ditzy trio, who set out after the children of Salem on Halloween to use them as part of a potion that will enable the sisters to live and be young forever.  The three ladies are charming, Midler a joy to watch as usual, but maybe with all the years of hype the film just came off as "okay" to me; sweet, funny, loving Bette's number during the Halloween dance ... but I didn't find myself laughing hysterically or being particularly glued to the screen (oh, and the little girl really got on my nerves).  Good, but - alas! - just average for me.  (rated PG)

EAT WITH ME (****1/2)

(2014) An indie film with heart that gave me the warm fuzzies, Eat with Me stars the wonderful Sharon Omi as Emma, a wife and mother whose marriage seems to be growing stale.  Tired of it all, she packs a few possessions one day and shows up at her deceased brother's Chinese restaurant, now owned by her estranged adult son Elliot (Teddy Chen Culver).  Though mother and son haven't been close since Elliot came out of the closet, Emma moves into his apartment while trying to figure out what she wants from life ... as, around the same time, Elliot meets and starts falling for a British drummer (Aidan Bristow) who just may be the answer to his commitment-phobic ways.  Eat with Me is a wonderful, funny, touching comedy drama about finding yourself and acceptance - as in acceptance of yourself, as well as others.  The cast is terrific (special note: Nicole Sullivan, of "MadTV" fame, plays Elliot's free-spirited neighbor, and her scenes with Sharon Omi are hilarious), the story very sweet and wholly believable, and the cherry on the sundae is the wonderful George Takei, in a small but pivotal role.  I loved it; so much so, it's one of those films I wish everyone who reads this would take the time to see.  (not rated)

EAT WITH ME trailer

DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY! (***1/2)

(2015) In war-torn Calcutta circa 1943, a young college student sets out to find young detective Byomkesh Bakshy (Sushant Singh Rajput), giving him his first case when the student asks Byomkesh to help find his missing father, a renowned chemist.  Immediately Byomkesh shows himself highly adept at finding clues to the man's disappearance, but in doing so is pulled into a much bigger conspiracy that - if not solved - may endanger his very country, if not the world, and change the course of WWII.  A very complex plot makes the film easy to become absorbed by, long as you're paying attention and don't lose the thread of what's going on, and as the great detective's net expands to include a smuggling operation, betrayal and peeling back the layers of those who may not be what they seem, it's easy to ride along with the very likable Byomkesh to the very end ... which, for me, was a bit over-the-top but still full of suspense that never lets up.  The setting, characters, action sequences - all are top-notch, and kept me fully entranced in this entertaining mystery thriller that I hope will lead to a sequel or series, thanks to the engaging Bakshy.  (not rated)

DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY! trailer

CHRONICLES OF EVIL (****1/2)

(2015) A highly-respected and honored detective due for promotion, Chief Choi celebrates his success with his squad one night and is into a taxi home after a night of drinking ... when the taxi driver suddenly changes course, driving to an isolated location, where he informs the Choi that he has to kill him in order to live himself.  When it's the cab driver who is killed in the ensuing fight, Chief Choi flees the scene after cleaning up any evidence of his being there - but the next day, when the cabbie's corpse is found hanging from some scaffolding at a construction site near his precinct, it's the start of what Choi realizes is someone's determination to see him dead.  As police discover the original crime scene and Choi - overseeing the case - nervously watches them gather evidence, ready to try and divert any possible leanings toward him, he also finds himself in a race to find who it is that wants him dead, even as the killer comes closer and closer and Choi's reputation grows more tarnished as his fellow officers get nearer to the truth.  Chronicles of Evil is a real adrenaline rush, nail-biting suspense as you sympathize with Choi's trying to uncover the truth, even as you wonder just how tainted this "perfect" cop might really be.  A strong, tense thriller from South Korea, complete with a twist at the end that also lends great poignancy to all that went on before.  I loved it.  (not rated)

CHRONICLES OF EVIL trailer

MONSTER (****)

(2014) When the sister of Bok-soon - a young special needs girl with a hot temper, who runs a food stall among neighbors who think she's either nuts or downright dangerous - is killed by psychotic Tae-soo after seeing too much, the death of her beloved sibling (and lack of police action when no body can be found) unleashes Bok-soon's rage and she becomes determined to get revenge on her sister's killer.  Teaming up with a little girl, the only other survivor of Tae-soo's murderous impulses, they follow a trail that leads to one of the most tense, suspenseful cat-and-mouse thrillers - laced with a quirky humor that somehow works - that I've seen in some time.  Violent and bloody, Tae-soo's determination to tie up loose ends by killing Bok-soon and her young companion seems just as strong as Bok-soon's raging mission to avenge her sister - and when the two finally come face to face, what happens next sure as hell makes it worth the wait.  Over-the-top crazy, and occasionally Bok-soon's actions seem almost too goofy, but this is a genuine thriller in the truest sense of the word.  (not rated)

MONSTER trailer

THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR (**1/2)

(2016) Kristen Stewart - possibly the most annoying part of Snow White and the Huntsman - isn't around for the sequel, and while the film is better for it The Huntsman: Winter's War suffers itself from an incredible amount of predictability.  When the openhearted, loving Queen Freya (Emily Bunt), sister to the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), falls in love and gives birth to a baby girl, tragedy strikes when Freya's lover murders the baby, unleashing such grief and hatred in Frey that her considerable powers to create ice and snow from her fingertips come frighteningly to life.  Heart forever turned dark, Freya moves north and creates her own ice kingdom, stealing all the children of local villagers to turn into her ever-growing army, as well as school them in the stupidity of believing in love or even mercy.  Two of these children grow up and fall in love, and when the queen learns of their "weakness" she sees that Sara (Jessica Chastain) is murdered, while Eric (Chris Hemsworth) is left for dead in a freezing river.  But Eric survives, and years later when he learns Queen Snow White herself is ill and Ravenna's magic mirror is missing, he sets out with a pair of dwarfs to find it, even as Freya sets her army to the same task.  Good visuals and okay acting just don't make up that much for a weak script where you can see what's to come long before it happens - including the ending.  (rated PG-13)