The fact that The LEGO Batman Movie is entertaining is not a surprise. If you saw The LEGO Movie and the subsequent previews for The LEGO Batman Movie it’s evident that a similar feel was happening with both of them. What audiences will be surprised at is just how hilarious, entertaining and ripe with quality The LEGO Batman Movie really is.
Continue reading The LEGO Batman Movie review: it builds on the family fun
We’re a member of the Stream Team for Netflix and were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. Pan’s Labyrinth is one of my favorite films. Hellboy and its sequel, as well as Pacific Rim are also great films that blend creatures, magic, monsters and action to create movies that pay homage to the classic while maintaining their own identity. Suffice it to say, Guillermo Del Toro is a go-to name for entertainment in our house. Trollhunters is his latest creation; it’s based on a book co-written by Daniel Krauss and the first 26 episodes are streaming on Netflix.
Continue reading Trollhunters is binge worthy animated programming for the family
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Franchise films are fun to watch. However fans of franchise films sometimes have to excuse or legitimize the fact that they like the film. For example, if they’re being honest then they’ll say ‘it’s an OK Bond film, but not a really good movie’… (I’m looking at you Spectre…) Star Wars is not immune to this. When The Force Awakens came out many folks were relieved that Disney handled the transition very well and was a marked improvement since the forgettable later third of the sequels. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a stand-alone movie in the Star Wars universe and again marks the Death Star as one of its main villains.
I rolled my eyes too when I read the plot synopsis. Oh joy, more Death Star. While the villains are the same there is an entirely new group of heroes to figure out the threat and combat it. This fact brings about more humor and action than you’re expecting from a Star Wars film.
Rogue One is its own film. It’s a funny, action packed science fiction film that’s a joy to see on the big screen. Because the film is free from the narrative and characters in the previous installments it has a swagger and footloose quality that make the other films feel routine. Don’t get me wrong, I still love them, but compared to Rogue One they feel slightly forced because I know what’s going to happen next.
This is all the more amazing because the audience knows how Rogue One will end. Somehow the Death Star manages to go on to kill another day, giving Obi-Wan a big fat headache when Alderaan is blown up. In a way Rogue One is like a documentary of a celebrity. If I know that this celebrity overcomes drug abuse, a bad marriage and then manages to record a comeback single when they’re in their late 40’s why should I see the film?
You should see Rogue One because it’s a great film. The first half has more humor than any other Star Wars film and it all works. Said humor is provided by K-250, an Imperial droid who has been reprogrammed to help the Alliance. It’s voiced by Alan Tudyk and the interaction between him and Cassain Andor (Diego Luna) are some of the best parts in an already great film.
Legendary Chinese actor and martial arts star Donnie Yen is also a stand out in the film. His character is Chirrut Imwe, a blind man who uses the Force with humor and strength. This is Yen’s biggest film outside of China and I hope that it gives him a chance to make more films outside of the mold that he’s been cast in.
Old school Star Wars fans will appreciate the details in Rogue One. It’s a film that takes place before the first Star Wars and seamlessly fits in just before that film takes place. Some of the human casting is all but identical to the actors that portrayed the original scene performers almost 40 years ago.
These same fans will also love the colors in the film. Green, fields of green grass, lots of tropical green trees, blue water and more are mixed in the ever present black, red and white. Rogue One is a visual treat for the eyes. Storm Troopers on the beach! AT-AT’s on the island! This is fun stuff and it’s a reminder that movies can be the great escape.
Is Rogue One OK for children? The film is rated PG-13 for extended scenes of science fiction action and violence. The action sequences are longer than those in The Force Awakens and there isn’t as traumatic a death as (spoiler alert) Han Solo. That’s mainly due to the fact that the characters in Rogue One are all new and we haven’t had time to know them. Children 11 and up will be fine for Rogue One. If younger children have seen science fiction violence (laser blasts, ships colliding and such) then they’ll be OK with it. Our 7 year old will be fine with the violence, but might wince at some of the volume because it is packed with explosions.
The turtles hit the streets again! Did you catch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows when it was in theaters? We saw it and were pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was for us-and how great the film is for kids. Yes, Out of the Shadows is rated PG-13, but it’s on the softer side of that rating.
The Blu-ray DVD for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Out of the Shadows has two discs. One features the DVD feature film. The other one has the Blu-ray version, deleted scenes, music videos, ILM-The Effects Beneath The Shell and a recap on some turtle eggs that you might have missed. It also comes with a Digital HD Ultraviolet copy that allows you to view the film anywhere.
This giveaway for Out of the Shadows is fun viewing for kids 9 and up. Its PG-13 rating is earned through some language that’s used in the first 30 minutes of the film. The action sequences are fun and will entertain kids in that age range. Our 7 year old would’ve been a little scared, but the average 8 year old will watch the film and have a hoot of a time. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Out of the Shadows is available on video September 20, 2016.
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There are many ways to approach a Suicide Squad review. Is this late summer popcorn fare, the redemption of DC Comics in film or a combination of them and other angles? Suicide Squad is a group of villains from the DC Comics lineup who are doing good deeds under duress in exchange for getting time removed from their jail sentences. In a nutshell, Suicide Squad is not the horrid mess that some make it out to be, nor is it the savior that DC was looking for.
Continue reading Suicide Squad review-not the end of DC in film, but not Super either
Hey, we’re part of the #StreamTeam for Netflix and were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. Ten minutes into the premiere episode of Stranger Things I stopped watching. Whenever my wife or I find a fabulous new program, without the other one present, we stop watching it until the other one can join in. We’ve been streaming for just over four years and have only done this three times, the first was Sherlock, the second was Person of Interest and the third just happened with Stranger Things. It’s a Netflix original sci-fi show that succeeds based on what it doesn’t show, love of the time period, quality of writing and acting.
Continue reading Stranger Things on Netflix, near flawless, older family viewing #StreamTeam
The Secret Life of Pets is a great example of the less you know about a film the more it surpasses expectations. Prior to seeing the film the only thing I knew about it was what I saw from the main trailer. It’s rather pedestrian stuff with lots of sight gags about what your pet might do when you’re not home. Having seen The Secret Life of Pets I can assert that they saved the best stuff for what is not in the preview. This is the most even handed and consistently paced Illumination Entertainment film yet that is a fun ride from beginning to end.
If you’re going to the film arrive early because there is a five minute short film starring the Minions. It’s short, funny and leaves you wanting more of the chatty yellow creatures.
The first four minutes of The Secret Life of Pets is essentially the above trailer. They’ve crammed all the good stuff into the first couple of minutes, I thought. In reality it’s exactly the opposite and the film hammers home the funny with absurd pairings, excellent vocal work, dazzling visuals and a surreal plot that will all but take you down the rabbit hole. Read no further if you don’t want spoilers…….
In April I attended Disney Social Media Moms at Walt Disney World. One of the things that they gave attendees was a copy of Roald Dahl’s book, The BFG. I had never read it and picked it up one night when I was bored and it absolutely blew me away. It’s a fabulous book for older elementary school kids to read or a great one for parents to read to ages 5 and up. We were provided with the book because the movie version of The BFG is now a big movie directed by Steven Spielberg. The book is a classic and one of the most imaginative ones that we’ve ever read-the film couldn’t possibly stand up to those expectations, could it?
Continue reading The BFG, Spielberg’s best (children’s) film since E.T.
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