Parasite

Rated TV-14

2 hours 12 minutes

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo

I wasn’t planning on watching this one until it won almost everything at the Oscars this year, including Best Picture.  I don’t want to give spoilers, but the story starts out with a very poor family that is able to get themselves hired to be the servants of a rich family, posing as unrelated, qualified applicants.  They do this through tricking the rich family into firing each person one by one that works for them and getting themselves hired.  It almost feels like some sort of “heist” movie in the beginning.  Everything was going smoothly until the housekeeper that was let go returns while the owners are out of town and says she needs to get something out of the basement.  Besides the servants just hanging out at the house and acting like they own it while everyone is gone, and then the housekeeper showing up, they get a call that the owners are on their way home and are only 8 minutes away.  This is when the “real” movie starts and creates twists and turns I never saw coming.  The more deception there is and the more lies that are told, the more tangled up everything gets and just ratchets up the intensity all around!  As the film goes on, there is something from almost every genre of movie – comedy, drama, mystery, thriller, romance – you name it, it probably has it.  The language is in Korean, so it was a little different reading subtitles for the whole movie, but I got used to it.  Not sure if I would have picked it for Best Picture (think I would have gone with Joker), but it was a decent movie with a good story and a lot of suspense if that’s what you like.  Glad I watched it!

Library Link: Parasite (DVD)

Cobra Kai, Seasons 1 & 2

Rated TV-14

30 minutes / episode

Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Maridueña

I was excited when I heard about this series, but not too excited, because I didn’t want to get my hopes up and be let down.  As a fan of the original film, I was not let down at all – it was GREAT!  The story is basically showing what the characters from the original Karate Kid movie are doing now – 35 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament where Daniel LaRusso beat Johnny Lawrence for the title.  Johnny’s life has pretty much fallen apart and it all seems to go back to the day he lost that tournament.  Daniel’s life looks like it’s the complete opposite – almost perfect and goes back to him winning that day.  When Johnny witnesses a kid being picked on and helps defend him, he gets the idea to get his life back on track by opening up his own dojo and reviving Cobra Kai, helping all of the outcasts learn to fight and defend themselves.  He’s also grown and matured over the years, realizing that “There’s a difference between no mercy and no honor.”  He’s not the jerk he was in the original movie and the lessons he’s teaching are more positive than he learned from Sensei Kreese, who shows up for the second season.  I usually don’t like shows that go back and try to “replay” the same types of scenes from the past, but this was different – IT WAS GOOD!!!  I was transported back to 1984 – in the present!  This one definitely exceeded my expectations!!!!!!!!!!

Library Link: Cobra Kai, Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

The Other Woman

Rated PG-13

110 minutes

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau & Nicki Minaj

I have seen this movie several times and each time I watch it – I enjoy it more!  This movie is definitely one for all the women out there who have ever been cheated on.  You’ll enjoy it if you like seeing a fun, smart, and sassy movie about women getting revenge on their no good, lying, cheating husband and boyfriend!

The actresses in this movie are superb in their roles!  Leslie Mann plays Kate as the “good, little Miss Perfect housewife” to her husband Mark.  Mark is the no good, lying, cheating husband who’s having an affair with the “beautiful and smart” Carly, played by Cameron Diaz and Amber (who’s also unbelievably gorgeous) played by Kate Upton.  What’s a poor wife to do when she finds out by his mistresses what’s going on?  You don’t get mad . . . you get EVEN!  And getting even is what the 3 of them plan to do!  As the movie goes on we see Kate end up becoming friends with the 2 women in a situation that seems totally crazy.

No one said love was easy, but when you have true friends helping you out – the revenge is sweet and the friendships are sweeter!

Library Link: The Other Woman (DVD)

Playing with Fire

Rated PG

95 minutes

Starring: John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo

Playing with Fire is a fluff movie, but it’s a family fun fluff movie.  I took my 5 year old grandson and 9 year old granddaughter to the theatres to see it and they both laughed out loud. They really liked it and the 5 year old could hardly wait to see it again.  Me on the other hand, thought it wasn’t “all that” but it made my grandkids laugh and that’s all that matters.

John Cena plays Jake Carson, a straight lace fire superintendent to a house of firefighters and their dog, Masher.  They are called to a house fire where Jake               finds 3 kids inside.  After he saves them, he takes them back to the station house for the night till they can locate their parents.  This is when all the mayhem and silliness begins.  What’s a family movie without silly gags, some poop talk, and heart tug moments when the big guy cries?

The movie does have some sweet moments in it as they come to find out what  family is and what it means to have a family.  It’s not a “10” by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s worth a family night together.

Library Link: Playing with Fire (DVD)

Last Christmas

Rated PG-13

103 minutes

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh

This is a sweet, warm, enchanting, romantic movie.  It came out over the holiday season, but it’s not really about Christmas.  It’s about life and those that you randomly meet who may be just the person you need to meet without realizing it. 

What drew me to the movie, besides the theme song, Last Christmas by George Michael, were the two main actors.  Emilia Clarke, who plays Kate, was also in “Game of Thrones” as Daenerys Targaryen.  The very handsome Henry Golding, who plays Tom, is best known for his role in “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Kate is a down-on-her-luck woman who just can’t seem to catch a break.  She works in a Christmas shop and is cynical of everything.  She leads a crazy life and soon finds out that even her friends are getting tired of her using them.  Then out of the blue she runs into Tom.  A sweet man who wants to show her a different part of her life and the world around her.

The magic of this movie is the relationship that evolves.  But it’s also mysterious.  You can tell they’re falling in love with each other, but there’s something not quite right about Tom.  As Kate is on a quest to find out the answers to who Tom is, she finds out some things about herself that begin changing her world as she sees it.  As she puts the pieces together, we also start putting the pieces together and realize there’s more to the song, Last Christmas, and that it is the heart of the film. 

Library Link: Last Christmas (DVD)

Ford v Ferrari

Rated PG-13

2 hours 32 minutes

Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal

Just when I start wondering if there are any good movies being released anymore, along comes one like this!  It was just a good, solid movie about the battle between Ford and Ferrari to create the best car and win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Set in 1966, Ford was tanking and needed something to rebuild their reputation, and decided this race was it.  Creating the car was no easy task, and was made much harder by having to battle with executives not giving the right people the power to do what was needed to accomplish their goal!  Matt Damon plays Caroll Shelby and tries to help everyone make it all work.  Christian Bale plays driver Ken Miles, who is very rough around the edges, but is also the smartest driver there is and knows exactly what they need to do to win.  Great characters and story, along with amazing camera shots and sound.  It kept me on the edge of my seat!

Library Link: Ford v Ferrari (DVD)

Terminator: Dark Fate

Rated R

127 minutes

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, and Gabriel Lunz

WOW!  There is a lot of hate for this movie!  So many people were upset for different reasons, but for me. . . I liked it.  The first “Terminator” movie made its debut in 1984 with a young Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  For me, this newest movie picked up where the future would’ve led them from the very first movie.

The premise is the same - a young woman, Dani, played by Natalia Reyes, is targeted by the newest Terminator, a Rev-9 played by Gabriel Lunz.  Mackenzie Davis plays a super soldier, (part human, part machine) who comes back to protect Dani from the Rev-9. Sarah Connor teams up with them to fight the Terminator together. It’s push and pull all the way through the film in a battle of survival.  Sarah is now an older, weathered fighter who still battles the Terminators.  She knows how to deal with them and she takes no crap from anyone.  The new characters are there for the storyline, but as you’re watching, you’re waiting for Arnold to make his appearance.  After all, he is the reason we have these movies.  (He was 36 years old for the original and was 71 during the filming of this role).  It takes over an hour before he appears in the movie.  He’s still looking good and doing what he does best, kick butt. 

I think you might enjoy watching this movie as it felt like a new, standalone film.   For me, the best part about this new one is you get to see the people who made these characters!!  It is after all, their story that started 35 years ago.  Skip all the other movies besides the first one and start fresh – because “they might be back.” 

Library Link: Terminator: Dark Fate (DVD)

Zombieland: Double Tap

Rated R

1 hour 39 minutes

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

I absolutely LOVED the original Zombieland, so I was excited to see a sequel being released.  Maybe my hopes were too high.  Maybe it’s impossible to capture that “magic” again.  Maybe they should just leave classic movies alone and not ruin them with unnecessary sequels!  I’m sure there will be people that will like it, but after watching the original movie again, it made me realize how bad this one actually was.  The main storyline has new types of zombies – the Homers, which are dumb zombies, the Hawkings that are clever and learn, the Ninjas that are quick and stealthy, and the T-800s, that are like “Terminators” that they are named after – strong, fast, and almost impossible to kill.  There were funny lines and new characters, but the actual movie just wasn’t that good.  There was more gore, language and just more over the top, ridiculous things happening that didn’t seem that funny – more stupid than anything.  I didn’t hate it, but I was disappointed.

Library Link: Zombieland: Double Tap (DVD)