Movie Review - Black Widow

 Marvel's latest in theaters - Black Widow is just flat out fun.  We needed this back story. It does make sense. It's filled with plenty of action, tons of humor, and hey - Scarlett Johansson is just flat out HOT. 

Throw in Florence Pugh as her sister - huge bonus. She's funny and a perfect match. Their comments are hysterical. 

Rachel Weisz and David Harbour as the parents are really good.  They are "family" again.  OMG - truly, this is a great storyline. 

Ray and I both enjoyed this action packed adventure and it was awesome on the big screen. 

Thumbs up for popcorn entertainment on a hot summer day.  

Movie Review Madness: JoJo Rabbit

The previews to JoJo Rabbit may look a tad bizarre, maybe even off putting. On the contrary this is a nifty little artsy film that will touch your heart.

Written, directed, and acting - Taika Waititi - has truly hit the right notes in regards to confronting nationalism. Johannes (JoJo played by Roman Griffin Davis) is ten and totally psyched to go to Hitler youth camp. He's got the uniform, the knife, and his imaginary "friend" Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi) pops in to pump him up.

Never fear, JoJo is truly a kid with a heart and soul. Stuff occurs at the camp that make him question mob mentality. Back home, different walks with his mother and things she says (Scarlett Johansson) demonstrate she's working with resistance. And after hearing strange sounds, JoJo discovers his mother's been hiding a 17 year old Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in a cupboard space in his sister's room. He's not sure what to do with this information and in talking to her he has to acknowledge to himself that she's okay - not a monster.

A lot happens in this ninety minute movie - there are some funny bits just because JoJo is so dorky, and Hitler is so ridiculous. But trust me, it's poignant, deep, and the kid is SO darn good in this film.

Movie Review Madness - Avengers-Infinity War

Who’s not in Avengers: Infinity War?  Ant-Man who has a movie this summer with Wasp (Paul Rudd), the Arrow dude (Jeremy Renner), and maybe someone else I can’t think of as I am not a fanatic.  Otherwise, the whole gang is around to battle Thanos (Josh Brolin) who’s huge and just wants to have all the power and kill half of humanity. No other reason that I could fathom, but what the heck. He was busy gathering Infinity stones from various planets and sacred keepers.  The stones represent Power, Soul, Time, Reality, Mind, and Space.  So it’s up to our favorite super heroes to try to work together, avoid death, and save the planet. Just another day.

This movie is filled with non-stop action, battles, quick quips, power struggles, team work, and off the cuff maneuvers. It’s fun and trippy and keeps the sagas moving along.  Loki (Tom Hiddleston) vs. Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Thor with Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) and Spider Man (Tom Holland), Black Panther and Captain America and Black Widow and….the story circles between different planets and Wakanda and the USA as different stages occur in the fight. Dr.Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is holding onto the Time Stone – you think he’s in danger?  And Vision with the Mind Stone embedded in his head. The Scarlett Witch does her best to keep him safe.  If you have not watched any of the Marvel movies, then you will be lost. If you are up on the saga, then this movie will blow your mind. And poor Mark Ruffalo keeps trying to summon the Hulk, but the big guy isn’t angry enough. How can that be?

Fun, fast paced kick butt blockbuster – Avengers: Infinity War ramps up the summer movie season.  And yes, stay for that after the credits Marvel teaser….whoa!

Movie Review Madness - Captain America: Civil War

I am late to the Marvel party, but here's a review as this movie slowly eases out of theaters             

  Captain America: Civil War finds our Avenger folks at odds.  Here’s a theater Synopsis

Political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when the actions of the Avengers lead to collateral damage. The new status quo deeply divides members of the team. Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sharply disagrees and supports oversight. As the debate escalates into an all-out feud, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must pick a side.

Captain America is also loyal to his friend the Winter Soldier who’s been unthawed and released to create havoc. This movie has everybody except Thor enter the fray. The Scarlett Witch uses her powers. Vision is overseeing her. Ant Man and Spider Man provide some comic relief. The new Spider Man is a smart aleck kid with some great lines. Otherwise, the film stays dark and serious as Captain America and Iron Man pursue their goals and go toe to toe. 

The movie could use some editing. That’s my usual complaint. The performances are fine and the action battles are exciting. Good film-making and special effects. Choose your team – Captain America or Iron Man, place your bets, and root for a winner. Then again, do we win if they are all divided?

Movie Review Madness - Jungle Book

The Jungle Book, 2016 version, is beyond fantastic. The CGI animals are uncanny. The jungle is lush and richly filmed. And Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli, is just a charmer with his huge brown eyes and resourceful manner. I highly recommend this film for young and old, but for teeny kids there are some scary parts. Heck yeah, I jumped when the tiger leaped from the field. Yikes!!!

Rudyard Kipling wrote this classic story about a boy, Mowgli, raised by wolves and hunted by Shere Khan, the tiger. In his attempt to go to humans, he encounters all sorts of animals and is guided and lured into trouble along the way. The animals are voiced perfectly – Ben Kingsley is the protector panther, Lupito Nyong’o is the mother wolf, Idris Elba is Shere Khan, evil tiger, Bill Murray as Baloo the bear offers humor and zany along the way, Scarlett Johansson hisses as Kaa the snake, and Christopher Walken is King Louis the mighty ape. Through it all, Mowgli has his human tricks to keep himself alive, and he uses and sees the trouble that the “red flower” (fire) gives humans.

The Jungle Book is very worthy of the big screen. This is what movies are all about –a magical world, a classic tale, a journey, and a boy united with the earth and animals.

Here's the Truth

Normally, if you see a movie poster, I'm bringing you a review. Alas, I'm still a bit indisposed. The doctor is happy with my toe tendon progress, but the pin is still in and I can't drive. Bummer.

But I wanted to share my secret with my blog friends. You remember I said I hurt my toe with a clumsy "stub the toe on a paver stone" story. Well.................

I'm actually Scarlett Johansson's stunt double. Shocking, I know. We had a small incident on the set of Captain America: Civil War.  Chris Evans still isn't handy with that shield of his, and clobbered my toe. Man, it hurt. He was apologetic. Scarlett felt bad that I took one for the team, but she still hasn't sent flowers or a get well card.

That's my tale and I'm sticking to it.   Happy Friday everyone. Have a great weekend

Soon on DVD: Avengers - Age of Ultron

Somehow I never posted this back in the spring. So, it's coming soon to DVD. For anyone who missed it, now's your chance.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is another gem in the Marvel collection. It’s a tad long, but you won’t fall asleep with the barrage of action and noise. It’s just another day for our heroes as they seek Loki’s scepter. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) fight bad guys, argue with each other, and keep the slick dialogue rolling. In entering a Hydra lair, they uncover a whole new power and it looks like a level of artificial intelligence. This is too good for Stark/Iron Man to pass up as he seeks “peace in our times”. Or not? 

Unfortunately the blue pulsing mass of neurons seems to overtake Jarvis, and Ultron is born – a thriving brilliant robot bent on world domination. As voiced by James Spader, it oozes evil panache. The Avengers have to work and think as a group to stay ahead of Ultron’s grab for power. The effects are grand, the battles royale, and our team never looked better. Who’s going to win?  I won’t reveal the answer but I bet you have a good idea.

It’s the little moments that make the movie – the team sitting around trying to pick up Thor’s hammer. Watch Thor’s face when Captain America gives it a nudge. They all have their egos and hidden secrets. Who knew about Hawkeye’s retreat? And what’s up for Hulk and Black Widow – some yearnings? Avengers: Age of Ultron is blockbuster Hollywood movie making at its best.

 

Movie Review Madness: Lucy

The previews to Lucy looked rather intriguing and you can’t go wrong with Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. Right?  Well…let’s just say they were fine but the movie was different. As in, we walked out after final credits and said, “That was weird.” I can’t put my finger on what went wrong, but I was never fully engaged in the flick. The director, Luc Besson, does great action sequences, and this wasn’t a cheap film. But….it was just okay.  

My husband said that maybe it had too many big ideas. Lucy was trying to make us think about human capability and our use of brain cells and also the concept of time. That’s a lot of material to cover.  

The movie starts with a sequence showing cells splitting and leads to the ape named Lucy – one of our ancestors. Then we leap to Scarlett’s Lucy hanging out in Asia. She gets coerced into carrying a brief case into a fancy high rise to give to a man. Well, this goes horribly wrong. The case has some drug that accelerates brain capacity. Lucy is injected with a baggie of this for smuggling. The bag leaks and she’s going crazy with intense ability to hear, see, absorb, and comprehend everything in the world.  

She looks up Morgan Freeman (playing a professor/researcher/doctor) who is the specialist in the brain cell field. He’s fascinated by her story and she shows up to meet him and be studied. However, she only has 24 hours to live because everything in her has sped up to warp speed. Meanwhile, the Asian men are after her to reclaim their prize. So, it’s a race against time. It’s Lucy explaining how she’s thinking and trying to understand what this means. The researchers stand around befuddled as they try to figure out what questions to ask. Are you confused yet? And/or do you care about Lucy?

 

That’s the key – do you care? There are talking head scenes and then violent shoot ‘em up scenes. The movie is trying for two very different viewpoints. So, I can’t recommend paying money in the theater for Lucy. Wait for rental or Netflix and see if your brain explodes with interest or boredom.

Movie Review Madness: Chef

Chef is a savory morsel of a movie. You will come out of the theater hungry for a cubano sandwich. Jon Favreau’s chef is on top of his game in Dustin Hoffman’s restaurant. He’s prepared to create the best meal of his life for a famous Los Angeles food blogger critic. Hoffman says, “No, prepare the hits people come here to eat.” Alas, the critic (a pompous Oliver Platt) blasts him for his tired presentations and lazy lava cake. A social media war escalates and the chef is out of a job.  

He takes the advice of his ex-wife, Sofia Vergara, and meets with her former ex-husband, Robert Downey, Jr (small role that he makes magic on screen). It’s food truck time, and this turns the movie into a summer road trip/father son bonding and sizzling food heaven. John Leguziamo, sous-chef, adds a fun dimension. They kick off the Cubano sandwiches in South Beach, and there’s no turning back. The son, at age 10, turns out to be the tweeting, filming, marketing genius. Crowds gather wherever they roll – New Orleans, Austin, etc.  Laughter, love, and memories are made as the boy grows up, the dad sees his son as a person, and the glory of cooking simmers.

 

Chef is heartfelt soul food.  It brims with humor and life. Forget a tub of popcorn. Enjoy the movie and then treat yourself to a meal at a family owned restaurant or gourmet food truck. Spend time with your family and friends, visit a farmer’s market, and treat your palate. Spice up your life after enjoying Chef

Movie Review Madness: Captain America - The Winter Soldier

Due to April's A to Z Challenge, I'm behind on presenting movies from April. So this is a tad late, but what the heck. I hope to catch the new X-Men movie this weekend. That will be a current review.  

 

Captain America: Winter Soldier is another Marvel comic movie and it’s quite good. Chris Evans is so stalwart and good looking – he is the embodiment of a hero. And if you watched the tv show Marvel Agents of Shield, you get story tie-ins and further links to the tale. All in all, this is a fun series with well written action, dialogue, and humor. At times tongue in cheek, Marvel can make fun of itself.

So, Hydra rears its ugly head – this was an offshoot from Nazi Germany. Who is involved in this? Robert Redford is a bigwig who appears dirty. He’s such a great actor. When he and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) face each other, it is a master acting class.  

Who kills Fury? Is he really dead? Who is this Winter Soldier dude who, at times, is more powerful than Captain America? Poor Steve Rogers keeps trying to figure out who’s good and who’s bad. He’s fortunate to have The Black Widow (steamy Scarlett Johansson) by his side and newcomer, Sam – the Falcon. It’s a race against time to replace some computer cards in the new Shield planes. They appear to be corrupted by Hydra and set to blast tons of American targets.

 

The plot is convoluted. Just know that it is good versus evil, and a time crunch to save the world. You have to root for Captain America and the Marvel entertainment machine. They keep big blockbuster movies challenging and set the bar high. Stay for the final credits and a sneak peek into the Marvel future.