Finally Friday is Marvelous - latest Ant Man

 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania  proved entertaining on an incredibly dreary Saturday.  Ray and I had a "cheap" early in the day date. The movie is sheer fun,  ridiculous, and CGI wow. We like Paul Rudd and he's just an every man kind of guy who can be silly, an Avenger, Big, Small, and can save his family. 

I won't begin to explain plot - the whole crew (Paul, Evangeline Lilly (Wasp), Michael Douglas (Dad), Michelle Pfeiffer (Mom), and the daughter get sucked into the Quantum universe.  From there we learn about the whole Multiverse going on with the Jonathan Majors character who, of course, wants  to rule the whole worlds...plural.  Many worlds have been ruined.  There are a lot - I mean a lot of battles. It's crazy. The ants tend  to rule and Paul Rudd/  Ant Man looks like a hero. 

Unless.........

Stay for final credits and then the final, final final credits  for teasers.  That's how Marvel movies roll. 

We had fun and then grabbed lunch at Sonic to take home.  Cheap date - $30     Dang - olden days that would have been $20. 

Movie Review Madness - Maleficent -Mistress of Evil

So, it’s been out for a while, but I really liked Maleficent – Mistress of Evil.  This is Disney at its best. Total production, special effects and the acting of the otherworldly Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Michelle Pfeiffer as the evil stepmom, Elle Fanning as Aurora- so innocent and pure. What’s not to like?  This is a  movie for the big screen. It’s gorgeous. The effects are excellent. The plot line works.

Aurora is grown up and she loves the Prince. Why not bring two families together? Um, well, there are the horns on Maleficent’s head, and the fangs when she smiles. Nothing a little scarf couldn’t cover. But wait there’s more….the Prince’s mom – gorgeous Michelle – is way evil and has been plotting forever to take over this kingdom. OMG. And there’s a whole other world (of Maleficent species) that have been hoping for some acknowledgement. Plenty of threads interconnect through this movie. I won’t go into more detail. You need to watch to see it play out.

But the general theme is Love. In her weird way, Maleficent is the best mother for her “beastie” Aurora. And as the plot thickens, the bond does too. The super-duper battle scene is totally worth the wait. Oh – Angelina vs. Michelle – cinema genius.

This is just absolute fun. Don’t wait for Disney Plus streaming. Support your local theaters. Everyone else is seeing Frozen at Thanksgiving. Find a seat for Maleficent – Mistress of Evil. Cheers and cranberry sauce.

Movie Review Madness - Ant Man and Wasp

Ant Man and the Wasp is just goofy fun. It seems like Marvel-lite, just a bonus of a Marvel hero/duo.  Paul Rudd just gets better as he ages. He still looks so boyish and projects amusement. His patter alone is worth the movie. Evangeline Lilly as Wasp can kick butt and FLY!  He even protests, “Hey, Wings? Seriously?”  And I love Michael Pena as Luis – Ant Man’s work partner in his “real” time security company job.  Pena is awesome in serious movies, but he obviously has a sense of humor and enjoys letting his freak flag fly. Some of his lines are laugh out loud funny.

I can’t begin to discuss plot. Let’s just say the word “quantum” is used a lot. Somehow, Wasp’s mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) is still floating in the quantum tunnel. Is she still alive? Hmmm…….

Wasp’s father (Michael Douglas) has been working on a way to get her back. Meanwhile, there’s some poor creature (the ghost) who is between worlds and needs the tunnel to go suck energy from Michelle. Samuel L. Jackson has been helping her. So there is a scientist war going on, a quantum war, and a whole lot of other people trying to get Douglas’s lab.  I won’t go further, and frankly just don’t ask too many questions.  This movie is just sheer movie-making effects, fun, patter, and summer don’t use your brain too much kind of movie.

The acting is fine, the effects are good – small and tiny. Paul Rudd carries the amusement and I give him props. This is a big tub of popcorn and a vat of soda worthy flick. Just laugh and go with it. Stay for the two extras at the end. What the heck! Support the Ant-Man and Wasp

Movie Review Madness - Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is a lush remake of an Agatha Christie tale. If you’ve never read her work, I suggest you march to the library and check out one of her books. She was a prolific talented writer with some very defined characters, good plot twists, and that old English humor twinkle in the eye.  So, for this film, there’s a large gathering of seemingly random characters all with a backstory, a reason to be guilty, and a dead body on a train. Whodunit?

I can’t write any more about the plot. You need to go see this movie and watch the twists and turns evolve. Kenneth Brannaugh directed and stars as Hercules Poirot – the most brilliant detective in the world. He’s an extremely fussy, fanatic man with an eye for detail and a mustache that deserves its own Oscar.  Everyone else has their quirks and suspicions. Dame Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Penelope Cruz, and more are along for this ride. The scenery is spectacular, the filming works well – at times you feel the confinement and rocking of the train.

Murder on the Orient Express harks back to an old timey flick in a good way. Punch your ticket and go All Aboard for an entertaining two hours.