The Shallows
This movie didn’t live up to my expectations, but I think I liked it a “little”
better than I originally thought. Nancy
Adams is a medical student that has lost her mother, is getting overwhelmed by
life and just needs a vacation to get away from everything for a while. She decides to travel to a secluded beach
she’s heard about to enjoy the sun and get in some great surfing – alone, of
course. What she doesn’t count on is
being attacked by a shark! After
escaping, she’s able to eventually make her way to a raised rock that she can
sit on to get away from the killer shark, but is still 200 yards away from
shore. She’s also injured and starts
suffering from the heat, along with lack of food and water, all while trying to
“outsmart” the shark. Overall, I just
didn’t buy it. I’d heard it compared to
the movie Jaws, but it was nowhere near that level! And the longer it went, the cheesier it was,
and the more overacting there was! I
liked the scenery and filming, but the story just got old and didn’t go very
far once it was all set up. It had
potential, but didn’t live up to it for me…
The Shallows
It was billed as the “next
Jaws” as “fearless” and “terrifying” . . . did we see the same
movie??? I was thinking more along the lines
of “I don’t think so” “laughable” and “oh please – did you even see Jaws?”
I found nothing new or fresh about this movie or terrifying none the
less! A woman, played by Blake Lively,
goes back to the beach where her mom use to surf to deal with the death of her
mom. She is basically alone, on the
waves, where she runs into a . . . shark!!
Who would’ve thought that would’ve happened??? She manages to make it to a lone rock with a
gash her in thigh from the nip that the shark gave her. She’s only 200 yards from shore – she can
make it – but wait . . . the shark is reading her mind!!! It knows what she’s thinking and no matter
what she tries – he’s always there. . .waiting for the taste of her flesh and
the lust of her blood!!!! Whatever will she do?? (Que the dramatic music) She comes up with a plan – one that will rock
her world and the shark!!!
REALLY?? I saw Jaws! It was far more superior than this film and I
already knew the ending before she even dipped her big toe in the water!! I
guess you can assume what I thought of this movie . . .
Parental Guidance
Love, love, loved this movie! Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play
grandparents who are asked to come babysit their grandkids that they don’t see
very often. There are 2 helicopter
parents with a new age way of parenting, 3 kids that have their rules of
governing themselves, and 2 old school grandparents who are in for the ride of
their lives. There is a lot of crazy
stuff that happens, a lot of laughs as we see Billy and Bette trying to copy
their daughters ways of parenting and kids that really don’t know their
grandparents and aren’t thrilled about being with them. The three kids all have personal issues they’re
dealing with and along the way we see them getting closer to their grandparents
and the family overcoming the obstacles that first separated them. I am very sentimental about this film because
I am a grandma of 9, so forgive me if I get a little weepy, but it really is a
heart-felt movie about the little things in our lives that create the bonds and
the memories that we will always have of our family.
The Good Neighbor
This movie was a little different. The story
is about two high school kids that are attempting to scare their old, cranky
neighbor into believing his house is haunted.
They set up all kinds of props to get his attention along with sneaking
into his house and installing cameras so they can watch and record everything
from home. Besides recording everything
not being the best of ideas, each attempt to frighten him seems to bring out
some hidden emotions from his past that end up to be much more than either of
the boys bargained for! The more they
watch, the more they wonder about what he’s doing in areas they can’t see on
their cameras, and the riskier their own behavior gets until it all comes to a
head. James Caan plays the neighbor and
does a great job in his role. It’s a
simple story overall, but was pretty intense and felt like there was a lot more to it than there
appears to be on the surface. This one
can cut deep if you let it…
Central Intelligence
Kevin Hart – Duwayne “The
Rock” Johnson . . . what more could you ask for? I know, you’re probably thinking dumb –
cheesy – been there, done that before movie, but it was a good movie with a lot
of laughs. Kevin Hart plays Calvin
Joyner, an all-around popular jock from high school. Duwayne plays the overweight, nerdy kid that
everyone made fun of. The opening scene
is set in a gym where we see them as seniors.
As Calvin is receiving his award, we see Duwayne’s character being
humiliated in front of the school.
Calvin is the only one to rush over to help him. Fast forward to 20 years, class reunion time
and Calvin is looking back on his life and wondering how he went from hero to
zero as he’s just an accounant now. When
Duwayne’s character calls him up, he has changed his name to Bob Stone and he’s
no longer the nerdy kid we know, but more like “The Rock” as we know him.
The story goes that Bob is really a C.I.A. agent and needs Calvin’s help
to break a crime ring. But – Calvin
doesn’t know whether to believe him or not because Bob Stone is into unicorns,
Pretty in Pink reruns and fanny packs.
These two are great comedic actors together and each of them plays off
each other so well. It’s just a fun
movie to sit back and have some laughs and to see a little action along the
way.
Pete’s Dragon
This is such a sweet, sentimental story. Pete is left alone in the forest by a car
accident that kills his parents. He has
no one to protect him and the wolves are circling him. In comes Elliot, a beautiful, soft, dragon
that saves him. As the story goes, we
know that Pete and Elliot became family.
But one day, Pete is seen in the forest by a local forester and they
want to save him. This begins another new story of what it means to be family
and to believe in what’s not seen. We go
on a great adventure with Pete and Elliot and I loved every minute of it. One of the actors in this movie is Robert
Redford, who plays the grandpa. He was
such a delight to see. This film is for
all ages and it will make you cheer and maybe even shed a tear. Just a terrific film.
Ghostbusters (2016)
I really wanted to hate this movie! I didn’t
think they should be messing with a classic and I loved the original! I’m so sick of movies being remade and nobody
being able to have an original idea anymore!!!
So, I have to say I was disappointed in this one because I actually
enjoyed it. They didn’t try to recreate
the original so much as maybe pay tribute to it with a kind of “goofy” version
of the original. It was different having
all women as the ghostbusters and there were little cameos by most of the
original actors, which I thought was very cool!
I still like the original 100 times better, but this was actually kind
of fun and might have just been what I was needing at the time. I didn’t want to, but I’m glad I watched this
version.
Mr. Church
I don’t know the last time I’ve had a movie “speak” to me like this one! I’d been waiting for it to come out on DVD
ever since I’d heard about it – and was really curious how Eddie Murphy would
be, since it seemed like he has been going further and further downhill with
every movie he’d done lately. Set in
1965, he plays Henry Church, a man who has been hired to cook and take care of
a mother that is battling cancer and her 10-year old daughter, Charlie. What was originally intended to be a 6-month
job turned into a much longer time than any of them had anticipated. Whether he was trying to or not, he became a
father figure to Charlie and helped her navigate through life when she really
didn’t have anyone else, forming an amazing bond for both of them. This was such an incredible, emotional
feel-good story that I can’t wait until I get to watch it again – even though
I’ve already seen it twice!
Deadpool
I almost turned this movie off after about 5 minutes. But, I didn’t. And I’m glad!
I wasn’t sure where it was going because it just seemed corny and
ridiculous at the beginning, but it did get WAY better. This is not your typical “superhero”
movie. Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool, a
sarcastic, foul-mouthed, dirty minded, almost naughty at times, funny, violent,
yet romantic lead character. This one is
definitely not for kids! It’s also not
very serious – almost like a slap-stick with one-liners and Deadpool talking to
the camera and commenting on what’s going on all the time. Just when I thought I knew what the film was
going to be like, it would change and go from serious to silly or from a hero
to a filthy character saying things you’d never expect. Eventually, I did get into the movie, and now
I keep thinking about how much I liked it!
I would have never thought that with the way it started…
The Revenant
This is quite a film.
Running at 2 hours and 36 minutes – you are transported into a cold,
ruthless, bitter but awe inspiring world of the 1800s. The movie is loosely based on the life story of Hugh Glass, who was an American frontiersman,
fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer.
His story is set in South Dakota itself and Hugh Glass has become a
legend with this movie. Leonardo DiCaprio
plays Glass and does an amazing job.
Through different interviews I’ve seen and watched, I knew this film was
quite brutal in the making for various reasons and after seeing it – you’ll
understand why. The geography of the
film was almost a different movie in itself.
It played as big as character as Leonardo did – which was the intent of
the director. But the basic story line is that Leonardo’s character gets mauled
by a bear leaving him almost dead. The
group that he is with needs to get back to the fort and ask for a few men to
stay back with Glass until he’s better or he dies. After some time, the men leave Glass to fend
for himself. The story is his survival
without any weapons, food, or strength to find his way out of the blank
wilderness. The reason I stated this was
“loosely” based on his life was
because the writers didn’t stick to the facts. The actual events take place in
the summertime not winter, he wasn’t married or had a son as the movie
portrayed, and he didn’t kill the men who left him but actually tracked them
down and forgave them. But I suppose like all stories in Hollywood – it’s
always better to add some gut wrenching scenes to a story that was already
pretty gut wrenching. I did like this
movie though. It was intense, gritty, and compelling. If you’re going to watch
it, be prepared to give it your full attention, because it’s quite a story.
Concussion
I like football. Actually, I LOVE football. This movie made me want to love it a little
less. It really makes you question
whether the injuries and head trauma are all worth it and how much money plays
into everything. Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet
Omalu, who has made the first discovery of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy),
which is a disease of the brain caused by trauma and repeated blows. It has also been seen in other sports, too,
such as boxing, hockey, racing, rodeo, etc.
People with the disorder start having dizzy spells, erratic behavior, and
memory loss, which eventually leads to dementia, impeded speech, and suicidal
thoughts and actions. The only way they
can be tested is after death, since the brain has to be examined. Dr. Omalu didn’t quite know what he was up
against when he started making claims against the National Football League, but
the longer things went on, the more cases there were, the harder it was for
them to deny it. He isn’t against
football – he just wants to find out what is causing the issues and what can be
done to help people from going through these horrible episodes. If you’ve wondered why so many high-profile
athletes have been announcing they are donating their brains to science lately,
this is the reason. It will definitely
make me look at football a little differently this season.
Daddy’s Home
I can’t believe what passes for movies these days! For a comedy, I didn’t think this one was
very funny at all. Will Ferrell wasn’t
funny. Mark Wahlberg wasn’t funny. There were a couple of scenes that had funny
“moments,” but overall, it was just boring!
And stupid! Ferrell plays a
step-dad that is just starting to make a connection with his kids, when
Wahlberg shows up as the “real” dad and interferes with everything in their
life. From then on, it’s just a
competition to see who the better dad is and who the kids will like better. I always hear people say things like they
want their time back, but I really do!
This movie owes me 95 minutes back of my life!!!
Daddy’s Home
I never expect too much from Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg
when they do a film together. I think
Mark Wahlberg is a better actor when he does serious roles than comedy and with
that being said . . .this movie is just fluff.
Will Ferrell plays a step-father to his new wife’s kids who don’t like
him. It takes him a long time to earn
their trust and when he finally does, the biological dad, played by Mark
Wahlberg, shows up. From there – it’s
just an all-out battle to see which “dad” is the best and who can win the kids’
love. The movie is just what you expect
it to be, cheesy gags and dumb one-liners.
Towards the end of the movie there was a hint of something a little deeper but it doesn’t last too
long. I wouldn’t say this is a “family”
film for younger kids because there is language and strong sexual
innuendos. But if you’re looking for
fluff to pass the night or you like Will Ferrell humor – this movie would be ok
to pass some time if the paint on your wall has dried!
Room
This movie was
incredibly powerful! It was intense,
scary, emotional, fast, slow, draining and just wore me out! Brie Larson won the “Actress in a Leading
Role” Oscar for her portrayal of a woman that was kidnapped at the age of 17,
and forced to live in a shed for seven years!
It was just her and her son in that “room” with little more than basic
necessities. He was born there and
didn’t know ANYTHING about the outside world – just that room. He had never looked out a window or gone up
or down stairs or petted a dog or even seen or talked to anyone except his mom
and eventually their captor. After
escaping, it was like that's when the real struggle began! With trying to get back to normal life and
all the issues the whole ordeal had caused for everyone. I was worried about the kid adjusting, but
the mom had been so strong for so long, she's the one who had the most problems
when it was all "over" for them.
Both of them, along with all of their family, went on a horrible journey
that can never truly end for any of them.
I’m glad I watched this one, but never need to see it again. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, either…
Creed
Before
watching this, I wasn’t sure that we really needed another “Rocky” movie – and
I know it’s called Creed, but it’s really Rocky VII if I’m not mistaken! I love the first three or four Rocky
movies – and still watch them all the time - but felt like they’d kind of gone
downhill with the last couple. This
movie was like it brought new life to the series for me! The acting was stronger than it has been, the
story was stronger than it has been, and it was all just a lot deeper and more
emotional than I ever expected! Michael
B. Jordan plays Adonis Johnson, the son of the late Apollo Creed, who died in Rocky
IV. He wants to become a great
fighter like his dad was and has never really had anyone in his life that could
teach him. So, it just makes sense for
him to go to the man who knew Apollo better than anyone to train him – Rocky
Balboa! It was great seeing all of the
flashbacks and little nods to the earlier films, along with adding a lot more
to the story instead of just the same old, same old. This was a great movie and I can’t wait to
add it to my rotation!
Creed
There
was a reason that Sylvester Stallone won a Golden Globe this year for his
reprisal of Rocky – because he deserved it!
This movie packed a powerful, emotional punch that I wasn’t
expecting. Sly is Rocky and no one can
play him better! At this stage of the
game – we see a much older, wiser Rocky than what we knew in the past. His wife died and his child no longer visits
him. He has no desire to be in the ring
until Adonis shows up on his doorstep.
What a better salute to the original Rocky movies than to have the old
memories mixed in with the new. We are
taken on a very emotional journey as we watch the fire light up in Rocky’s eyes
again with his love for boxing and see the beginnings of possibly, a new
character, come to play. There are a few
twists that almost broke my heart and I knew the movie couldn’t end that
way. But for all true Rocky fans – it ends
with a fight of redemption and the love of an old friend. Don’t miss it –just sit back and enjoy it!
The 33
This
is the true story of 33 Chilean miners that were trapped over 2,000 feet below
the surface after a collapse in a gold and copper mine. I remember when it all happened, but had
never really given much thought to what they experienced or how almost
impossible the task was to drill and rescue them. Also, what their family members were going
through during the whole ordeal. It’s
amazing they were able to survive with the small amount of food they had, the
extreme temperatures they were dealing with, and that they were able to be
rescued at all. There was also a lot
happening on the surface with trying to mount the rescue and deciding if it was
even worth trying. I can’t imagine being
trapped and spending 69 days underground hoping to be rescued while trying to
survive. I’m sure this movie just barely
covers what it was actually like for them, but I definitely have a whole new
appreciation for everything they all experienced!
Our Brand Is Crisis
This movie bombed at
the box office! I’m not sure why I even wanted
to watch it – maybe because I like Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton – or maybe
I was just curious. They both play rival
political consultants working for presidential candidates in Bolivia who will
stop at nothing to get their candidates elected. With how shady everyone was, it all reminded
me of watching an attorney defending someone everyone knows is guilty. It also reminded me of our own political
system here, too. Things can be twisted to
make them appear however you want them to and there are a million different
ways to do it! Eventually, you can see
that she’s starting to wonder what she’s doing and how moral and ethical it all
is. I wasn’t too sure about it early on,
but I’d say this film completely had me by the end! I don’t know when or how exactly, but it did
win me over. Big time!
Everest
Wow! This movie was INTENSE! It’s about the true-life story of a group on
an expedition to the top of Mount Everest.
The struggles for these people range everywhere from just trying to
climb to the peak all the way to actually surviving the trip. And if that wasn’t enough, they have a huge
storm to deal with that hits just as some of them are beginning their descent. Everyone is equal on the mountain – it
doesn’t matter who you are, how much money you have, or what connections you
might have – if you take the climb lightly, you will definitely pay for it in
the end. Watching the movie, it seems almost
insane to think of a person wanting to put themselves through this kind of
torture and abuse just to say they hiked Everest! I thought the producers did an amazing job of
capturing just how hard this journey was – from the photography and camera
angles to the climbers and their families and everything in between. After watching this film, I have a whole new
appreciation for the people who have made this climb, along with those who have
never made it back.
The Intern
This movie stars Robert De Niro as a retired widower who has found out that being
alone and having a lot of free time isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. When he sees a flyer advertising for a senior
intern, he decides to try it out. Anne
Hathaway plays a young woman that has started her own internet business and it
is growing to the point where she’s almost in over her head. She thinks the whole “senior intern” thing is
a joke, but after awhile, realizes how much his experience can help. Also, just how important it can be to have
someone with an actual work ethic that knows what they’re doing and can offer
you different points of view – it turns out to be invaluable to her. It takes her some time to figure this out,
but once she does, she can’t imagine being without him! I enjoyed this film a lot. It felt like something that could actually
happen in real life and was nice to see how much everyone was able to learn
about work – and life – from this “old” man!
Pawn Sacrifice
I had never heard of this movie until Christy told me about it. And honestly, it sounded kind of boring with
it being about chess. But it wasn’t at
all! The movie is set in 1972 during the
Cold War. Tobey Maguire plays the role
of Bobby Fischer, an American chess prodigy who has a goal in life to be the world
champion of chess. In order to do this,
he must beat the Russian champion Boris Spassky, who is the best in the
world. Who would have thought that a
movie about chess could be so engaging and intense? It almost felt like America against Russia
more than just a chess tournament. It
was also interesting watching Fischer get more and more paranoid the closer he
was to reaching his goal. Every step
came with challenges and made him closer to cracking. He was almost falling apart. Chess was his world. And he truly was a genius at chess, but not
so much at life. It makes you think
about being so focused on something – is that really a good thing? I also thought Toby Maguire did an amazing
job in his role! I always thought he’d
just be Spider-Man to me, but now he is totally Bobby Fischer!
Pawn Sacrifice
There is more to this movie than the title leads you to
believe. I think this was one of those
movies that flew under the wire without much hoopla, but it’s a very good
movie. Based on the world championship chess
player, Bobby Fischer – this is the story of what it took to become the
ultimate chess champion! There was so
much more to his story than chess and the amazing feat he accomplished by
having all of America cheer for him.
Tobey Maguire, who plays Bobby, is awesome in this role. He created a person who I was very interested
in knowing. Bobby was a child prodigy
with a very unique mind but also a mental illness that kept coming to haunt him
in his quest for the world title. His
one and only desire was to beat the Soviet Union champion, Boris Spassky,
played by Liv Schreiber. As you watch
him struggle with his mental illness, you also watch those that care for him
struggle too as they know how important this title is. It was very interesting, very intriguing and
I would watch it again.
The Martian
Matt Damon, who plays astronaut, Mark Watney, is on Mars
with his team when a fierce storm comes up.
As they try to make it back to the spacecraft – Mark is hit with flying
debris and is sent spiraling backwards in the darkness of the storm. To the other astronauts, it seemed like he is
dead and they must make a decision to stay and possibly not survive the storm
or leave. They choose to leave. As the next day dawns – Mark isn’t dead but
finds himself alone. With thier base
camp with some supplies left – he must figure out how to survive with little
food and water till the next craft comes to Mars – in four years! From there the movie gets very engaging! There’s a lot of storytelling that goes on as
we see him trying to grow potatoes with his own poop, make water, and figure
out how to contact NASA. He does
eventually make contact and a rescue mission is set into motion. But not everything goes as planned and at
times you have to stretch your imagination to the impossible. But it doesn’t matter – you are hooked from
the beginning of the movie and you stay on the journey till all the popcorn is
gone and you know how Mark’s journey ends.
The Martian
First
off, I did like this movie. A lot. I thought Matt Damon did a great job as an
astronaut left stranded alone on Mars. Besides
just needing to figure out how to survive, he had to try to find a way to make
contact with NASA and possibly be rescued.
In doing all of this, he was incredibly resourceful! Especially for being the only one on the
planet for a very, very long period of time.
I guess I’d say my only “issue” with all of it is that I was thinking I
would feel a little more “despair” or times of hopelessness through the movie –
maybe like the film Castaway, only on Mars. It
seemed more upbeat than I thought it would be, which isn’t a bad thing, just
not quite what I was expecting. I’m sure
he had his down moments, but maybe that wouldn’t have been as fun to watch as
him trying to grow potatoes and listening to disco music that was left
behind. There was a good balance, but
just felt like it could have been a little more intense overall. I really did like it – just more in a “fun”
disaster-movie kind of way…
The Walk
This
was a great movie! It follows the true
story of Philippe Petit, who was a wire walker that had the ultimate dream of
walking on a wire connecting the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 -
which was over 1,300 feet above the ground and without a net! I had always just viewed his walk as a
publicity stunt and had never thought about “why” he did it or the incredible
amount of planning that had to go into doing something like that. Or how hard it would be to get a wire strung
up there that was safe and without anyone noticing. Also, he couldn’t do it alone and needed to
find people he could trust to help him in his “coup,” as he called it. I watched this movie because l was curious
and it looked interesting – but it was so much more than I was expecting! It was about following your dreams, finding
your passion and doing what is right for YOU, and not letting anything or
anyone stop you!
A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
What would you do if you were called, “The Ugliest Person” on the Internet and people were posting
horrible things like, “kill yourself”
or “kill it with fire?” This is what happened to Lizzie
Velasquez. You may not know that name,
but by the time you finish this movie, you won’t forget her name. She is a 25 year old woman born with a very
rare syndrome that went undiagnosed until just recently. She is only 1 of 3 people with a rare
syndrome called Adipose Tissue which means, she is unable to gain weight. So through her childhood, she looked
different than other children. She
experienced many forms of bullying and it wasn’t until she was in high school
that the bullying went cyber. She was called the “ugliest woman” and had very hateful, hateful things said against
her. But, instead of listening to the
haters, she opened her heart and took a stance against bullying. With her desire to show the world a different
side of her and who she was – she stood up and proclaimed she is a somebody –
that we are all a somebody. In 2012, she did a Ted Talk program and become
an overnight sensation! Her story has made her somewhat of a celebrity where
she has had the opportunities to go to many countries, schools, and even the
White House to have others join her in the fight against bullying. She has partnered up to help push “The Safe
School Improvement Act” in Congress.
This is the first federal bill on bullying with the potential to reach
the floor for a Congressional vote. For
more information on Lizzie herself and her cause, go to any of her
websites. This film can make a difference
in children’s, youth and adult lives.
Very strong, very emotional and very personal – don’t miss it!!
Minions
If you like the Minions, you will probably like this movie. I did.
They were funny and quirky like they always are – just a lot more of it
all! You get to travel through their
entire history all the way up into the 1960s, where most of the film is set. There are times where it was almost too much
of a good thing being all about them in many parts instead of having them play
small parts and popping up like in other movies I’ve seen, but it was still a
lot of fun. And I can honestly say that
I now know the difference between Kevin, Bob and Stuart, too! Overall, I’d say I liked it, but didn’t
“love” it. It was just a nice movie that
kids (and parents) of all ages can enjoy.
Ant-Man
You wouldn’t think that being able to shrink down to the size of an ant would be
much of a “power” to have. But being
able to shrink and grow at will, along with gaining the strength an ant has
(like being able to lift 50 times its weight) turns out to be VERY useful – and
kind of cool, too! Paul Rudd plays a man
that finds the suit and after wearing it, “becomes” Ant-Man! The suit’s creator is played by Michael
Douglas, and together, they go up against Yellowjacket, a villain that is
trying to replicate the shrinking process for his own good to possibly take
over the world! This was another movie
that was just fun and entertaining. I
thought I’d enjoy it, but I liked it even more than I thought I would.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
I've
seen all of the Mission Impossible movies and have liked them all – including
this one – a lot! Tom Cruise is back and
trying to keep a group known as “The Syndicate” from destroying the IMF
(Impossible Mission Force). The whole
movie is full of action and amazing stunts, just like you’d expect if you’ve
seen any of the others. A fun fact that
makes it even more exciting to watch is that Cruise performed ALL of the stunts
in the film himself! So, when you see
him dangling off the side of a plane that’s taking off, it’s really him! Or when he had to hold his breath underwater
for 6 minutes during one sequence, that’s him too. At least to me, those things do add something
to it all. For the 5th film
in the series, I was really impressed and VERY entertained!
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