We’re the Millers

I have to admit, I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. I’d heard it was funny, so decided to give it a shot.  I wasn’t sure what to think when it’s about a drug dealer who needs to assemble a fake family so he can blend in while he transports a giant shipment of marijuana into the United States from Mexico.  And it sounded like a goofy setup with his “wife” being a stripper and his “kids” being a girl off the street and a geeky neighbor of his.  But I was laughing the whole time!  And for a fairly long movie, the time just flew.  I liked every person in each of their roles, and overall, it was a bunch of scenes and lines that seemed to hit just the right note of being funny and clever instead of stupid and idiotic.  It was nice seeing them all get closer and almost like a real family on their trip when they all started out alone and not really having anyone, too.  There was language and sexual situations and gross things, like a lot of movies, but none of it ever really felt “that” out of place for some reason.  I liked it more than I feel like I should have – but it was really funny!

Blackfish

Blackfish is a film trying to shed some light on the lives of killer whales that have been captured and forced to participate in shows at marine parks like SeaWorld.  Most of the story is discussing the actions of a whale named Tilikum that has been involved in three deaths (and is still performing).  It really made me think about the morality of keeping such creatures in the conditions they’re forced to suffer through their entire lives, day in and day out.  Compared to the ocean, no tank would ever be large enough to justify keeping these animals in their pens with little or no stimulation, besides taking them from the lives they were born to live.  These whales are torn from their families, separated from their groups that have their own languages, and either put with whales that have completely different “languages” or kept in isolation until their turn to perform in shows – all for our entertainment and so the businesses can make money!  It doesn’t seem right.

Grown Ups 2

WHAT A HORRIBLE MOVIE!!!  Just a bunch of over the top, gross out humor - not sure if there was even a story or plot!  They were trying WAY too hard!!  I watched this one because I liked the first one and was expecting more of the same with this – boy was I wrong!!!  It didn’t even feel like a movie – just a bunch of scenes put together that were way too long to begin with.  I guess the “story” was Adam Sandler’s character and his family moving back to where he grew up so his kids could experience a childhood like he had, but there wasn’t even much of that – just ridiculous scenes and stupid, unrealistic situations back to back to back!  And Rob Schneider wasn’t in this one – he must have read the script!  You know it’s pretty bad if he turned it down.  It was juvenile!  It was stupid!  IT WAS JUST A ROTTEN MOVIE!!!

The Way Way Back


This is one of those movies that is charmingly quirky.  The feel of movie reminded me of Juno and Dan in Real Life, which I liked.  The opening scene starts off with Duncan, played by Liam James sitting in the back of a station wagon.  You can already tell he’s the type of boy that is not a go getter and that truth is proven when his mom’s boyfriend, Trent, played by Steve Carrell, asks him what number he thinks he is.  Duncan says a “6” and Trent says “no, you’re a 3”.  That line sets up the movie for which way it’s going to go.  Duncan is 14 and forced to spend the summer with his mom and her boyfriend who can’t seem to quit picking on him.  Duncan ends up finding his escape at the local water park and learns what it means to stand up for yourself and find your own voice.  The movie is off the beaten path but it was enjoyable.  There wasn’t any new broken ground here – just a nice story of relationships.