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The LEGO NINJAGO Movie
THE LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE
A new animated adventure in Warner Bros. Pictures’ LEGO® franchise, “The LEGO NINJAGO® Movie” stars Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Peña, Zach Woods, and the legendary Jackie Chan.
In this big-screen NINJAGO adventure, the battle for NINJAGO City calls to action young Master Builder Lloyd, aka the Green Ninja, along with his friends, who are all secret ninja warriors. Led by Master Wu, as wise-cracking as he is wise, they must defeat evil warlord Garmadon, The Worst Guy Ever, who also happens to be Lloyd’s dad. Pitting mech against mech and father against son, the epic showdown will test this fierce but undisciplined team of modern-day ninjas who must learn to check their egos and pull together to unleash their inner power of Spinjitzu.
Jackie Chan (“Kung Fu Panda,” The Karate Kid”) stars as Master Wu; Justin Theroux (“Magamind 2,” “The Leftovers”) is Garmadon; Dave Franco (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) plays Lloyd; and Olivia Munn (“X-Men: Apocalypse”) is Lloyd’s mom, Koko. Making up the secret ninja crew, Fred Armisen (“The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “SNL”) voices Cole; Abbi Jacobson (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) plays Nya; Kumail Nanjiani (“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”) is Jay; Michael Peña (“Ant-Man,” “The Martian”) is Kai; and Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley”) voices Zane.
“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” marks the feature film directorial debut of Charlie Bean (“Tron: Uprising”). The screenplay is by Hilary Winston & Bob Logan & Paul Fisher, story by Kevin Hageman & Dan Hageman and Hilary Winston & Bob Logan & Paul Fisher, based on LEGO Construction Toys.
“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” is produced by Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Roy Lee, who previously collaborated on the worldwide box-office phenomenon “The LEGO Movie,” along with Maryann Garger (“Flushed Away”). Serving as executive producers are John Powers Middleton, Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKay, Jill Wilfert, and Keith Malone.
#LEGONINJAGOMovie
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/NINJAGOmovie
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In Theaters September 22
http://www.fandango.com
Snatched Official Trailer
SNATCHED
Release: May 12, 2017
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Written by: Katie Dippold
Music by: Theodore Shapiro & Chris Bacon
Produced by: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson
Cast: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, Christopher Meloni
SYNOPSIS
After her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of their exotic vacation, impetuous dreamer Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) persuades her ultra-cautious mother, Linda (Goldie Hawn) to travel with her to paradise. Polar opposites, Emily and Linda realize that working through their differences as mother and daughter – in unpredictable, hilarious fashion – is the only way to escape the wildly outrageous jungle adventure they have fallen into.
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn star in the new comedy adventure SNATCHED, which also features Ike Barinholtz (“Neighbors”), Wanda Sykes (“Bad Moms”) and Joan Cusack (“Working Girl”).
SNATCHED Official Channels
SITE: Snatched.Movie
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SnatchedMovie
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Snatched_Movie
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/SnatchedMovie/
HASHTAG: #SnatchedMovie
In Theaters May 12
http://www.fandango.com
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” Extended Trailer
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters May 26, 2017 in 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D!
Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack. Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” also stars Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Golshifteh Farahani as the sea-witch Shansa, Stephen Graham as Scrum, David Wenham as Scarfield and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa.
Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg are directing “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Joe Caracciolo, Jr. and Brigham Taylor. Jeff Nathanson wrote the screenplay. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” drops anchor in U.S. theaters on May 26, 2017.
In Theaters May 26
http://www.fandango.com
Car Dogs – Trailer
CAR DOGS
Release: March 24, 2016
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Adam Collis
Writer: Mark Edward King
Cast: Patrick J. Adams, George Lopez, Josh Hopkins, Cory Hardrict, Dash Mihok, with Nia Vardalos, and Chris Mulkey
Producers: Adam Robinson, Stefanie Epstein, Mark Edward King, James Mather Miller, F. Miguel Valenti, Adam Collis
Run Time: 100 Minutes
Rating: R “language throughout, including some sexual references”.
SYNOPSIS
With everything to gain, and even more to lose, Mark Chamberlain (Patrick J. Adams) and his brazen sales team have just eight hours to sell more cars than have ever been sold in a single day. As the clock ticks down, their outrageous tactics step up, with each salesperson ready to do whatever it takes to be top “car dog”. But for Mark, the stakes are much more than a paycheck. Leading the pack is sales vet, Christian Caldera (George Lopez). He’s slick, fast talking, and conniving; able to get customers to both open their wallets and part with their better judgement. Hot on his heels is Sharon Stavron (Nia Vardalos). She’s smart and savvy, outmaneuvering the competition with her wit and charm. Sales vet, Scott Williams (Dash Mihok), has a baby on the way that’s keeping him from doing his job. Mark’s best friend, Boyd Robertson (Cory Hardrict), wants the best for Mark but also for the team. And Tyler Bedloe (Joe Massingill) is the rookie of the team, trying to compensate with enthusiasm for his lack of experience – though that may not be enough to get him through the good natured hazing that is the rite of passage for all “newbies”. Undermining the team’s efforts is Mike Reynolds (Josh Hopkins), Mark’s underhanded and manipulative rival who has an agenda all his own. As victory comes within reach, Mark is pushed further to the edge by his ruthless and manipulative boss, Malcolm Chamberlain (Chris Mulkey), who also happens to be his father. Mark is forced to come face to face with his own reality. Is he his father? Or is he a man who can stand on his own two feet? And in one incredibly tense and life changing moment, he must decide if he can save his team, retain his self-respect, and still come out ahead of his old man.
*This was filmed in Phoenix and several talented people in the area were fortunate enough to be involved.
In Theaters March 24th
http://www.fandango.com
CAR DOGS Official Channels
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CarDogs
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CarDogsTheFilm
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/cardogsthemovie/
HASHTAG: #CarDogs
Fist Fight Advance Screening
All school, no class. Watch the NEW trailer for Fist Fight, starring Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell.
Ice Cube and Charlie Day star as high school teachers prepared to solve their differences the hard way in the comedy “Fist Fight,” directed by Richie Keen (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) – in theaters February 17!
On the last day of the year, mild-mannered high school English teacher Andy Campbell (Day) is trying his best to keep it together amidst senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration and budget cuts that put jobs on the line. But things go from bad to worse when he accidentally crosses his much tougher and deeply feared colleague, Ron Strickland (Cube), who challenges Campbell to an old-fashioned throw down after school. News of the fight spreads like wildfire and ends up becoming the very thing this school, and Campbell, needed.
“Fist Fight” also stars Tracy Morgan (“30 Rock”), Jillian Bell (“22 Jump Street”), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”), Dennis Haysbert (“The Unit”), and JoAnna Garcia Swisher (“The Astronaut Wives Club”).
Find your chance to receive special advance movie screening passes below.
Phoenix, Arizona
Date: Monday, February 13
Location: Harkins Tempe Marketplace
Time: 7:00pm
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Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Monday, February 15
Location: Regal Red Rock
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Regal Red Rock
Time: 7:00pm
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Smurfs come to Phoenix!!!
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE COMES TO PHOENIX WITH SPECIAL VISIT FROM SMURFETTE, BRAINY AND HEFTY SMURF!
WHO: Smurfette, Brainy and Hefty from the new Sony Pictures Animation film, SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE, in theaters April 7th.
WHAT: Smurfette, Brainy and Hefty will first visit Desert Ridge Marketplace for a special meet-and-greet experience with families. Special Smurfs prizes will also be given out, while supplies last.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7th 4:30PM-5:30PM
WHERE: Desert Ridge Marketplace *Near the AMC fountain outside of AMC Theatres 21001 N. Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85050
SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE – In Theatres April 7
In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!
Starring Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, and Mandy Patinkin.
Directed by Kelly Asbury
#SmurfsMovie
Instagram: @smurfsmovie
Twitter: @SmurfsMovie
Facebook.com/SmurfsMovie
SMURF, and all Smurfs characters: ©Peyo. All Rights Reserved. “Smurf” and “The Smurfs” are registered trademarks of STUDIO PEYO.
Rings
What started as a Japanese horror movie has become a franchise in the United States. First as “Ringu”, then the American remake, “The Ring”, with a sequel called “Ring 2”. They all feature he storyline of a person who watches a bizarre short movie clip, and then gets a phone call where they get the message ‘seven days’. For a week, that person who has seen the movie is haunted by creepy images until the last day, when the ghoul named Samara comes to get them…UNLESS you can get somebody else to watch a copy of your video, and the Ring cycle continues.
In this muddy story line, Julia (Matilda Lutz) sees her boyfriend Holt (Alex Roe) go off to college. There he takes a class with Professor Gabriel Brown (Johnny Galecki). Gabriel has an ongoing secret of seeing the Ring movie years ago. He has spent several years developing a little campus club of people who see the movie and then need to find someone else to take their place. Holt is talked into the cycle, and Julia visits the campus to find out what is going on. She meets Skye (Aimee Teegarden) but Skye needs somebody new to watch the video, because Samara is coming for her today.
It all goes wrong for Skye, but Julia thinks she can help Holt by watching his copy, thus taking the curse off of him. Holt and Gabriel find out that the video copy that Julia has seen is different. It has video embedded in the shorter video. So, is that “Ring-ception”? Anyway they chase down clues about where the body of Samara might be kept. It leads them to a small rural town call Sanctuary City.
They hunt all around and find out about mysterious things that happen 30 years ago. A young girl disappeared, there was a huge flood, and the priest in the main church gave up the building and now it is very rundown. There are strange visions that Julia has, and she meets an old caretaker for the graveyard. Burke (Vincent D’Onofrio) is now blind, but he has a very deep knowledge of what happened many years ago. Maybe he knows a little too much…
This franchise is starting to run on fumes at this point. The story is a head-scratcher, the dialog is laughable, and the character’s actions become idiotic. No Julia! You don’t have to open that locked door at the end of the hallway! No Julia! You don’t have to crawl into the tiny crypt at the graveyard! No Julia! You don’t have to watch that video that everyone has told you not to watch!
It was hard to get excited for any portrayal or role in this movie. All the actors seemed to the best they could with the odd dialog and the unbelievable plot actions. But I’m sure that Vincent D’Onofrio cried all the way to the bank to cash his check from being in this movie. Unfortunately, the ending screamed out loud: “Hey, we really want to do more sequels like this one!”
But in this case, perhaps it is best that the “Ring” is finally broken…
The Space Between Us
The movie “The Space Between Us” seems to be on odd mash-up. It is about a boy who grew up on Mars, and gets a chance to visit Earth and fall in love. It takes parts from a science fiction movie, a young-adult romance, a story of person with a severe medical condition who wants to hit his bucket list, a cross-country journey film genre and puts it all together. Kind of a cross between “The Martian” and “The Fault in out Stars”, maybe call it: “The Fault in our Mars”…
Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman) is a billionaire who personally sponsors the NASA space program to live on Mars. The flight crew gets there, and on the way Astronaut Elliot discovers she is pregnant. She gives birth on Mars and promptly dies. Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) is her son whose very existence is kept a total secret. But when he is 16, he finds a way to contact a high-school age girl named Tulsa (Britt Robertson). She has been in a series of unhappy foster homes, but she is resourceful and finds a way to have chat sessions with Gardner.
Kendra Wyndham (Carla Gugino) is a fellow Astronaut on Mars, Gardner ‘s mehtor and mother figure. But she knows that Gardner needs to get away. NASA Director Tom Chen (B. D. Wong) decides to bring Gardner and Kendra back to Earth. Gardner must undergo some physical training and special medical treatment to reinforce his undersized bones. Living with Mars gravity is tough, when you leave and go to Earth. He explains to Tulsa that he will go on a trip and vows to here that they will meet up soon.
Once on Earth, Gardner finds a way to conveniently escape the NASA medical facility and work his way to meet Tulsa. She is upset that he did not communicate for the past few months, but he says he was on a long trip. Nathaniel, Tom Chen and Kendra go after Gardner, with the help of the authorities. Tulsa sees that Gardner could be in trouble. She uses her near-criminal skills to keep ahead of the group chasing them. Gardner really wants to find his father, and he has a couple of clues.
They ‘borrow’ a biplane, a BMW and a truck to get far away. They travel to New Mexico, the Grand Canyon (lovely), Sedona (beautiful), and they finally end up at a beach house on the California coast. Gardner is expecting to find his dad, but he finds out something different. Tulsa has a solidly cynical view of the world, yet she starts to believe that there is something unusual about Gardner. The time that they spend together makes both of them happy. Yet, the past is not far behind, and the group finally discovers where Gardner and Tulsa are located.
So to break this movie down, I think it came about by somebody listing to the lyrics of Elton John’s song “Rocket Man”:
Mars ain’t the kind of place
To raise your kids
In fact, it’s cold as hell
And there’s no one there to raise them
If you did
And from that, this movie was born. Perhaps not on Mars, but the lyrics might explain it a bit more. So this movie was right for the intended audience: teenage girls. The acting was just OK, but Britt Robertson does a more convincing role. Asa Butterfield is very tall and lean and lanky, so he might have been born on Mars. The script was ham-fisted at times, and made some very clunky character transitions.
So if you want real sci-fi adventure, look elsewhere. If you want an honest young adult style romance, look elsewhere. If you want a somewhat jammed together version of both, “The Space Between Us” is your launching pad…
The Comedian
The idea of an aging comedian going on a nostalgia tour is painful for the comedian; throwing in a May-December relationship between the two stars is painful for the audience. Robert DeNiro plays Jackie Burke, a former television sitcom star whose show “Eddie’s Home” was a huge success. His star burned so brightly that everyone he passes knows him by the character name they shout back to him his famous catchphrase… which gets on your nerves about halfway through the film. Though still beloved, Jackie is miserable facing the fact that he’s no longer a draw and his agent, Miller (Falco), is doing her best to get him work.
She gets him a stand-up gig at a club an while doing his routine a member of the audience starts recording as he also heckles him to illicit a response. As the heckler intended, he angers Jackie to fisticuffs, or hitting with microphone in this case, and Jackie gets into trouble. He’s arrested and ends up with community service where he meets Harmony (Mann) a woman with daddy and anger issues of her own. You won’t feel the connection but they seem to like one another and agree to be one another’s wing-man at two upcoming family functions. Harmony has to meet her father, Mac (Keitel), whom she’s estranged, for his birthday. She more or less takes Jackie, one of Mac’s favorites, for her dads gift… which doesn’t go over so well as instantly the alpha males spar. Jackie’s brother, played by DeVito, has a daughter getting married and would like for Jackie to attend the wedding with him. They are disrespectful by showing up late which doesn’t isn’t missed by the family… and things get worse from there.
After they’ve carry out the duties the friendship is based on and as Jackie’s video hits skyrockets, he develops an interest in Harmony. He seems somewhat happy that he might be on the rise again, as well as his ego which is, throughout the film, both inflated and torn down. Out of nowhere and just when all seems well and after one special night, Harmony is checking out. What keeps you from doing the same is the tone the score sets, Hackford’s style and his casting choices, (though oddly placed) and a lot of the comedians who pop in and out.
However, there are clear and present issues with the script. Several screenwriters had a hand in writing this which is always a bad sign. You can see several times in the storyline where they start one direction and completely go in another which doesn’t help build a strong cohesive arc. The story was written by Art Linson, known more for his producing of films such as Fast Times as Ridgemont High, This Boy’s Life, Heat, Fight Club and The Runaways. He was joined by a writing team of considerable talent. They are Jeffrey Ross, Lewis Friedman (whose works are mostly on television) and Richard LaGravenese who wrote many celebrated films including The Fisher King, The Ref, The Mirror Has Two Faces and The Bridges of Madison County so what could go wrong?
To be honest, I liked it overall, Mann’s performance especially. She has already proven she knows funny but her unbalanced and unhinged Harmony is an interesting character study. Another thing I appreciated was the honesty of it and how it captured raw human emotion. People hate. People love. People stay. People leave. They aren’t successful, are successful and they’re jealous when others are, too. Taylor Hackford did a brilliant job of showing us this.
Jackie performs a nasty routine at a retirement community and I saw it as being a truthful and humorous look at what they’re facing. Making fun of people for everything that goes on in their life isn’t just enjoyed by the young. It’s okay to give elderly people the laughs they want and most likely need, rather than treat and talk to them like they’re fragile children. With all of that said, I didn’t love it. The writers came up with some good material to watch but the story doesn’t have the structure it needs to work as one great piece. It changes its mind too often so, is it worth watching at the theatre?
If you like the setting, jazz, the players and all the comics who are playing in this film, giving them your support wouldn’t hurt but this is better to save for the smaller screen where the bad moments don’t seem quite so large.
