Daddy Mojo at the Movies | Page 13 of 27

Zootopia is semi-deep end Disney, fun animation with a soft message

Zootopia is a fascinating movie because one hand it’s a well done animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Sure, one expects their films to be well made, but what is surprising about Zootopia is how the plot can be looked at from entirely different perspectives, depending on your age. Recap: don’t trust anyone over 30. Every animal in the world has no predatory instincts. Those that used to kill and eat other animals no longer do. Every critter is domesticated and in Zootopia all of anthropomorphic species are living together in close quarters.

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Kung Fu Panda 3, mo Po and flow for families to go

In a way the Kung Fu Panda franchise is the movie series that should not exist. Kung Fu Panda 3 comes out five years after the first sequel which was forgettable and felt perilously close to some of its peers in the direct-to-DVD crowd. I always found that strange because, as a character, Po, the panda who knows kung fu, is great. He has a diverse group of friends that work together; he exceeds expectations and is a character that children genuinely enjoy.

It’s with a sense of relief that Kung Fu Panda 3 finds its franchise footing. The film is certainly geared for the family audience, specifically the kids; but it has enough entertainment in the tank to lock down the adults who might tire of fart jokes or baby pandas eating dumplings. This is the fun, goofy, emotion-free animated movie that kids will laugh themselves silly and parents can watch without worrying that a Pixar-esque ‘lost toy’ character will make them cry.

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Norm of the North review-familiar to adults but kids will like it

On the surface there isn’t much going for Norm of the North. Its theatrical release date is the middle of January, the traditional dumping ground for sub-par family films. The film was originally supposed to go straight to video and the plot goes over grounds that are fodder for animated films. I was prepared to hate it. At the end I was both surprised at the fact that I didn’t hate it and that my wife liked it and the kids loved it.

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoiler free review

Read on, as with most Star Wars: The Force Awakens reviews, this one is spoiler free. This film is the largest Event film in decades. Sure teen vampires and middle Earth were event films, but they pale in comparison to the hype, hoopla and scope of anything involving this. Skeptical I was about the new films, especially after the most recent three. However, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is great. It’s the most enjoyable film in the cannon of Star Wars. For us, it tops A New Hope and goes Empire Strikes Back on the film that inspired the term when a sequel is better than the original.

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Turkey TV and movies that are worth your time on Netflix

Hey, we’re part of the StreamTeam from Netflix and were compensated for this post. Having said that, we love movies and it shows. Turkey entertainment can take a variety of forms. They’re the films that you expect to be slightly bad, but perform better than you expect. Are they good because they’re bad or so bad that they’re good? It could be the lightweight fare and exceeds or the potential trash you watch that all but puts glue to the sofa cushions with a two hour time lock. A quick tour of Netflix lent us these television and movie options that sure didn’t win any awards, but locked down a solid chunk of entertainment time in our house.

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Spectre, a mixed result of the best (and worst) of James Bond

There is a James Bond movie curse. It loosely states that every other Bond film won’t be as good as the next one. Much like back-to-back winning seasons are elusive for some sports teams are difficult, so are the Bond films that improve on quality for more than two films. Spectre falls into this category unfortunately. It’s not a bad film, but just like you rarely eat bad pizza, this particular one isn’t as good as the one before it, but it’s still OK.

Spectre is a mixed bag because it goes back to Bond’s past, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Many of my favorite Bond films were in the camp-era of Roger Moore. They were fun, spy films that were engaging and seen through the proper lens are still entertaining today. Sure the acting and some of the scripts were suspect, but they were fun and had globe-trotting adventures of 007.

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My Fair Lady: 50th Anniversary Edition does restoration right

My Fair Lady isn’t the type of movie that I normally watch. It’s from an era that I’m not too familiar with, doesn’t have any ninjas, people flying or cars crashing. In my heart though, I am a fan of movies. While I may not see some quality cinema for fun in my spare time I want to see it, just so I know hallmarks or special accomplishments in film. My Fair Lady: 50^th Anniversary Edition has just been released and I wanted to see it from the perspective of a film preservationist and to view what many say is the best musical every made.

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Pan is family-friendly action that defies expectations

We’re part of Fandango Family and were compensated or received product for this review-all thoughts are our own.

Movie: Pan

Rating: PG

Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes

Moviegoers: Dad 46, Jake, 6

Family movie faves: Inside Out, Finding Nemo and Shaun the Sheep.

Fave movies for grown-ups: Ong-Bak, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Fury Road. (These are my faves. My wife has no desire to see them, and our children will have to wait for years until they’re old enough to enjoy them. )

Review of Pan

What’s the story: Pan is the origin story of Peter Pan. It takes place in WWII Great Britain in the orphanage where Peter lives. However, at night the children are being snatched up by pirates and taken to Neverland. Once there the children are forced to mine for pixie dust, which is hidden in the rocks.

Black Beard rules Neverland but is under attack from a group of bandits in the woods.Through a series of events Peter realizes that he can fly and escapes from the pirates with Hook where they find the bandits. It’s here that Peter discovers his true identity, has adventures beyond his wildest imagination and meets the characters that are part of his life forever.

What parents may like about this movie: I’m a dad who has seen every incarnation of Peter Pan, all but one of them in theaters. And I think parents will like Pan because it is not predictable. This is even more of an accomplishment given that most parents know the rough storyline of Peter Pan. The boy who can fly, enemy of Captain Hook, friend of Tinker Bell and inspiration to adults trying to find their inner child everywhere. Pan is not a perfect film, but it is so much better than you’ve heard and one that is constantly entertaining, even for adults, on a ridiculously large scale. There are details in every shot that make it a treat to watch. Granted, Hugh Jackman’s hair was distracting at first, but once you understand why it’s there and see the man behind the mirror it’s all forgiven.

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