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The Journey Movie Review

July 7, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

This is an incredibly fascinating film. It’s about the past without showing too much of it visually. Their past is that the Catholics want Northern Ireland to be independent of England and the Protestants approve of England ruling over them. The war that has been going on has caused many deaths due to bullets flying by and bombs going off. Even children aren’t immune to the carnage. Times have changed and the new Prime Minister of England Tony Blair (Stephens), wants to work to end this fight once and for all.

The Journey stars Colm Meaney, as former Irish Republican Army (IRA) leader, Martin McGuinness, who plays the role of the Protestant. Meaney has worked in the film business since 1981 and in television before and since. He has 117 acting credits which is quite a feat. You’ve seen him in such films as The Dead, Far and Away, The last of the Mohicans and Layer Cake among others. The man opposite him, playing the profoundly conservative British loyalist or Catholic, Ian Paisley, is Timothy Spall. Spall started work in the entertainment business at virtually the same time as Meaney. He has a few more credits than Meaney has though you may recognize him most for his work as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter franchise. He has worked in films such as The Missionary, Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Series of Unfortunate Events and did voice work in Chicken Run and Alice Through the Looking Glass to name a few.

These two people primarily carry the entire film without dropping character once. The Journey is a story of two strong-headed men who have been keeping a civil war going on now for almost forty years.

When they were younger, they were called as The Troubles; now they are referred to as politicians. It’s 2006 and time to engage in what comes to be known as the Northern Ireland peace talks. Maybe this war for Northern Ireland can end and if so, these two men are a big part of making that happen smoothly; if it can happen at all. Getting them in the same room together is hard enough but, ‘talking’, as well?!? That’s a ludicrous notion but it’s worth a try. These two could continue a war or end it with just a simple handshake. What happens once they’re in the limo together, however, is quite riveting indeed.

All of the performances in The Journey are outstanding but these two stood out because they were such a big part of the script. I’d guess that at least ¾ of the film is just these two talking but don’t let this scare you away. They’re so good that the dialogue they speak, how they’re delivering it and the information they’re serving you will have you feeling as if you had just been in an entertaining lecture. It was mastery the way the story of these two men unfolded and I’m here to be a voice for a film that I might not have noticed by just the title. I don’t want you to miss it. Don’t be frightened by the fact that they are alone most of the excursion. They’re absorbing and move everything forward with skill and precision. I’m not certain, had the roles gone to other actors that it would have turned out as good, to be honest.

Looking at the work they’ve done in the past might give you a sense of how good they are in this and thusly how good the movie will be. If you like history, as I do, I’ll ask you to trust me about this and be sure not to miss this well-crafted gem. Some history buffs may not appreciate exactly how the two characters get together because they weren’t going for historical accuracy but that aside, how their relationship unfolds is of little consequence when put next to the larger picture of the ultimate prize. I don’t want to say what happens in the end in case you don’t know but do watch the credits for pictures of the real Martin and Ian.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review

July 7, 2017 (updated July 7, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Live-action Spider-Man films have been around since 2002. The first set of movies starred Toby Maguire, and then later Andrew Garfield. But what did these five movies lack? They were not created with the involvement of Marvel Studios, as part of their ‘Cinematic Universe’. These other ones also did not have Tom Holland in the role of Peter Parker. Now things are getting better and better…

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” starts with a direct nod to “The Avengers” (2012), with the aftermath of the fight over New York City against the alien race of Chitauri. The clean-up crew is led by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), and when he is pushed out of the job by the government, he takes much of the alien technology. Eight years later, he and his crew have an underground network of alien-based weapons sold to the highest bidder. Toomes has created a flight suit and calls himself the Vulture.

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is in high school, and with no specific back story, he is an amateur crime-fighter called Spider-Man. He is noticed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and he joins Stark on a mission in Germany. For details on that, see “Captain America: Civil War” (2016). Stark gives Peter a Spider-Suit upgrade. It is very high-tech, but it is limited by the “Training Wheels Protocol”. Peter keeps his secret identity hidden from his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). But by accident, his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) finds out.

Peter and Ned attend a science-based high school in New York, and they are part of the Academic Decathlon team. Also on the team are Liz (Laura Harrier) and Michelle (Zendaya). Peter attempts to live as a secret superhero while also navigating high school. Peter wants so much to be part of the Avengers. He calls and reports in daily to Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), so that Happy will report this to his boss Tony Stark. Peter decides to live a little dangerously, and he and Ned disable the “Training Wheels”.

Perter Parker as Spider-Man has a couple of run-ins with thugs that have the Toomes alien-tech weapons. He even has a run-in with Toomes (as the Vulture). He tries to get the attention of Tony Stark, and he wants to let him know that bad things are afoot. There are some pretty decent fight scenes in a New York bank, and then at the Washington Monument. Spider-Man has a number of high-tech tricks up his sleeve, even when he meets up with the Vulture on the Staten Island ferry. However, things get out of hand. Iron Man has to come to the rescue, and Peter Parker gets demoted.

But later, when he gets a date with Liz to the school Homecoming dance, he finds that the danger has only begun. Peter Parker will need his strength and his will to beat the Vulture in a final fight. Little does he know that his school life and his secret Spider-Man life are about to cross paths. The events that lead up to this are a bit of a surprise, so you can find out when you see what happens…

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a welcome change to the Spider-Man movies, and now that it folds into Marvel’s Universe, that makes it even better. The addition of Tom Holland as Peter Parker is terrific. He is much more in line with what a high school nerd kid should look like. Just because he has super Spider-Strength and Spidey-Senses, he still is awkward asking a girl out to a dance. Or even worse, learning to slow dance with his Aunt May…

All the casting is brilliant, especially Michael Keaton as the Vulture. The Toomes character does not get much in the way of development, but Keaton is great with a sarcastic line or a flinty, squinty sneer. All the high school related characters are fine, and the criminal gang of Toomes is also pretty good. Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau are again doing the roles that they do so well. Marisa Tomei does not have a lot of time in the movie, but she still makes an impression…

Overall, because there were six writers, I guess that some ideas did not have time to get fleshed out. Adrian Toomes goes from a blue-collar worker to an underground super criminal in a matter of minutes. Peter Parker’s experience with the radioactive spider is glossed over, so you can watch other movies to get into his back-story. Because Peter is a high school kid, he does not have a car, so getting around is more difficult. But he does make it to where he needs to go.

However, the overall attitude of the movie is refreshing and self-referential. It is almost like a PG-13 version of “Deadpool”. It has a humorous side, but it also gets into a father-figure situation between Peter Parker and Tony Stark. Plus there are some nice little cameo performances every once in a while: Chris Evans as ‘Steve Rogers: School Fitness Adviser’ on the school TV. Also, there is cute segment with Gwyneth Paltrow again playing Pepper Potts, helping Tony Stark announce the latest Avenger.

It’s enough to make your Spidey-Senses tingle…

The Last Face Movie Review

June 30, 2017 (updated July 28, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

I’m giving this film probably more praise than most because in its heart is such a good message and the performances are marvelous. It’s so well cast. Some scenes, though not many, are done staggeringly well. Theron knocks it out of the park as an international aid organization director, Dr. Wren Petersen. She hits a home run in this role! She’s a scene stealer more than once when she shows how vulnerable she is yet how powerful she can be when pushed. It’s downplayed but Bardem is sexy as Dr. Miguel Leon, a relief-aid doctor who has equal heart and hormones to give. When Wren sees this dark haired, male version of everything she has always wanted to be, she has to know him.

Sean Penn, two-time Academy Award® winner and the director of the film, loves a cause and this certainly fits the agenda, however, some of its significance may have been lost due to confusing the narrative of humanitarians and their work with a love story that seems out of place. Don’t fret. By the end of the movie, it does seem to come together but one shouldn’t have to put so much work into something to keep track of what the theme is.

It’s beautifully shot and is compelling; this story of international aid relief, but it seems to fall apart structurally. With this director, I can’t figure out why. Perhaps because you can’t fit a love affair into the middle of a ferocious battle of a Liberian Civil War. Are you losing your vision? Yes, I believe it’s possible to fall in love in any circumstance but maybe when we want to make a certain statement, stay the course rather than wander off into La-La Land.

When it’s on topic, this movie is brutal and hellish. Penn doesn’t pull any punches when he aims for the target. War is savage and in this very graphic film, he wants you to see it and maybe, for once, realize this is what people are living with every single day of their lives. It’s quite shocking to see an infant killed in front of its mother for no reason, villagers running for their lives, with bullets ripping through bodies of the people they are trying to outrun and babies die because they dare be born. It’s also horrific to see young soldiers being brainwashed and turned into monsters who can do despicable things without a thought.

No training prepares doctors for what they’ll see in Africa but they try to only see that they are needed and Penn wants you to see that they are always needed. Compassion is needed. People are starving. People are dying. People should be able to just be… like we can. Well, same goes for these two lovers. With their work keeping them apart, they want a chance to just keep this incredibly difficult relationship alive while staying alive themselves.

So, it may be almost impossible for some to keep up with the back and forth between past and present with these characters. The, ‘are they or aren’t they?’ gets a bit old when you aren’t 100% sure of the timeline you’re in but I think it’s worth a watch. Is it a theater watch? No. Wait for VOD. It’s worth it to see if this couple is a casualty of war.

Despicable Me 3 Movie Review

June 30, 2017 (updated July 31, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Despicable Me 3 is fun in that it keeps with the theme and the intent of the original… Good vs. Bad and that sort of thing but it lost one key element that is so very important to the big picture; The Minions! DM3 centers mostly around Gru and the girls. One could argue they all do but not to this degree. Minions have a finger on the pulse of why adults AND the children get tickets to see these films and to a large extent, they were absent from the third installment. They did get their own movie so maybe they were out spending lavishly and weren’t quite available, but I asked their publicist and this wasn’t the case. They weren’t included much, outside of Mel, for unknown reasons at this point. Illumination and Universal Pictures would have done better to have had more Minions in the film. They’re present, just not enough and at the end of the day, that’s the big takeaway here.

However, do not fear! DM3 is still very good. Gru and his new wife Lucy are fired when they are unable to stop, Balthazar Bratt, a former 80’s child star who hit puberty and was never heard from again, from stealing a very big pink diamond. Bratt is angry he has been thrown away by Hollywood and vows revenge. He has a good catchphrase, is a good villain and is often followed by some ‘neato’ 80’s tunes that he likes to dance fight to. The Minions would most likely take his side in a fight. Hmm… maybe they do? You’ll have to see.

The movie is full of cute and, of course, villainy. The girls, Agnes, Edith and Margo are very much a part of the story with Agnes and Margo having more focus than Edith. She pretty much ends up being more of the Jan Brady of the Trio. Adorable Agnes’ story centers on her finding a real unicorn and Margo has her first taste of boy troubles. The real meat of the yarn is Gru finding out he has a twin. There was a custody battle with his parents and his mother, who had lied to him about his father’s death, got the rotten end of the deal. Harsh. Poor Gru.

This angle smells of desperation a bit but it works and, to be honest, I’m looking forward to part four. I’m thinking they’ll have a few things ironed out, get all the Minions back on and signing new contracts and settle into what works best with films like this… the extraordinary. Give the people what they want! They don’t necessarily want NICE all the time. It’s cute when a Minion is sweet but let’s see the little stinkers for who they really are used more.

Baby Driver Movie Review

June 28, 2017 (updated August 6, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

Baby Driver is frenzied; just a CrAzY wild ride!! It was written, directed and edited with schizophrenic prowess. In the theatre this weekend, because I know you’re going to go see this, sit back and prepare to have your body attacked by an insanely high energy film where there will be no relief for you from the intensity of the madness playing out on the screen. Your eyes and ears will be assaulted and your body will stiffen but when you walk out of that theatre you’re going to say (I know you will) ‘I gotta see that again!’ The cinematography, stunts and the special effects are just that good.

The title refers to Baby (Elgort) who is an extremely talented driver of the getaway vehicles he drives for Doc (Spacey). Doc is the big crime boss of Atlanta; even has some city police in his back pocket. Not that Baby is long in the tooth, but when he was much younger, Baby did a stupid thing and took what wasn’t his; that thing belonged to Doc. A bit eccentric and untrusting of people, Doc never works with the same crew twice and ever since except for this exceptional driver. Luckily for Doc, Baby is paying Doc back by driving his bank robbing crew to safety until his debt is square. Luckily for Baby, who isn’t a ‘bad guy’ that time is coming soon. The film starts when he only has a few jobs left. He desperately wants free of this obligation because the crews that Doc is hiring of late are getting worse and things are getting more dangerous.

What’s so exhilarating about this flick is that we don’t go into the bank with the crew and see the heist. We’re inside the getaway car with Baby, waiting for them to come out and get them to a particular destination where they have yet another vehicle waiting for them to calmly drive away from the getaway car in case they were seen. When Baby has his earbuds in, we are listening to the music with him and the music makes a lot of these scenes. It’s a well-chosen soundtrack for us to jam to when he’s driving through the gorgeous city of Atlanta; running from cops at high speeds. Why he loves cars and why he’s into music is because when he was a child, he was in the car when his parents were killed in an accident. He was listening to music when the car rammed into the back of a truck and ever since, he has a ringing in his ears. Playing his music is the only thing that momentarily gives him peace from this affliction. That is until he meets Debora (James). She gives him hope that there can be a life for him after his criminal behavior. Debora wants what he wants and in their shared vision of the future, driving fast isn’t in the cards. However, with Doc in the picture, is driving slow an option?

See Baby Driver… today!! You’ll laugh, you’ll be shocked, and you’ll jump out of your seat. Its fast pace will get your adrenaline running and its ending will surprise you… so will the appearance of Paul Williams! Now, I KNOW you’re intrigued and I know you’re seeing it this weekend if not today, right? Have fun and enjoy one of the best and most unique action films to be released in a long time.

The Beguiled Movie Review

June 23, 2017 (updated July 21, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

The Beguiled is a film based on a film based on a novel. The previous film is from 1971 and starred Clint Eastwood. I haven’t seen the original but it is definitely in my plans for summer watching after seeing writer/director Sofia Coppola’s take on Thomas P. Cullinan’s written work. Before getting into the film, I’d like to mention that I’m glad it was made. Not only am I happy to re-enter the world of 70’s classics but this is another film that solidifies the reemergence of three of its stars careers, not to mention the director’s, as well. The Beguiled earned Coppola some praise from Cannes this year which means more films from her for me to watch; pretty well always a good thing. I had all but given up on Kirsten Dunst. She has worked throughout the years, but she needed a film to introduce her as a grown up and this seems to be that film. Nicole Kidman is always good but I want more of her. She has this innate ability to weave in and out of characters and makes them completely believable; she’s flawless. I applaud her work and with Lion and this, I believe she should be considered the new Streep. Work more, woman! Colin Farrell hasn’t been in much either but he seems to be choosing parts very selectively, of late. His roles seem to be more developed. With The Lobster, the best work he’s done in my opinion, and this, I think we’ll see him continue to play in the arena with the big boys.

Now that I’ve let you know you won’t be disappointed in the cast, let me tell you a bit more about the film itself. The Beguiled is set during the Civil War. It’s the story of a Union soldier in the south, John McBurney (Farrell), who after being wounded badly in the leg, is found by a kind little girl who gets him help. She takes him to her all-female boarding school. The school is being run by two women, headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Kidman) and a teacher by the name of Edwina Dabney (Dunst). They’re not too excited about a wicked man from the north being in their school but they are women of God and decide the Christian thing to do is to help him. Luckily Martha is good with a sewing needle.

The ages of the girls in the school range from around 10 to late teens, Alicia, (Fanning) being the oldest. The girls aren’t around men and are all aflutter when one so good looking is in their midst. Some aren’t happy that he’s a yank and want to hand him over to the soldiers on their side but still are smitten. This is incredibly delightful to watch play out. I was ecstatic that the film was directed by a woman because Coppola really plays to her female audience with the way the girls fawn over him. As he’s on the mend, each parades into his room to entertain him in every way they can think of. They pay more attention to their wardrobes, too, as they fall in love with their charge. It’s obvious to John, Martha and Edwina that the girls are batting their eyes quite a bit. While watching some of these scenes, you’re propelled back to a time when you felt the flush of love in your young cheeks. It’s adorable. Martha and Edwina have also noticed his lovely face, very friendly character and that he’s in terrific shape; makeup and jewelry become the order of the day.

John is aware that the women are in need of company and begins to take advantage of that fact. They entertain him in many ways as he plays to their affections. Sexual tension builds which brings out the comedic aspect of the film but also many dark elements as it, in many ways, gets to the heart of humankind. This being the case, you have a very well paced, well written, incredibly well-acted film that Coppola may consider her best to date. Each girl is very accomplished for her age, plays to her strength and is genuine in her role, particularly Rice whom I believe is the best find since her co-star Fanning.

This is a see this weekend. Take a wee small break from the summer actions or you’ll never forgive yourself. This movie deserves your attention. Okay, could the movie have ended better? Yes. It was so good but the ending does have some degree of disappointment, however, it’s quality work from awe-inspiring talent and you will not walk away unsatisfied.
*Limited release in NY and LA today; nationaly release on June 30th!

Transformers: The Last Knight Movie Review

June 20, 2017 (updated June 20, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Bayhem: defined as the non-stop assault of wild images and loud sounds that come at you from a movie directed by Michael Bay. That is what is expected from his movies, and “Transformers: The Last Knight” will not disappoint the Bay fans out there. It is a long, non-stop and nonsensical action meat grinder of a movie. Are there giant robots – yes of course. Are there gaping plot holes – yes of course. Are there spectacular scenes of motion and movement – yes of course. Will Bay fans eat it up – yes, without a doubt.

To sum up: Autobots are good guy robots that transform into various vehicles. Decepticons are the bad guy robots that fight the Autobots, and they also transform. Autobots are led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) who always pledges support to the humans. The robots go all the way back into history, back to the days of King Arthur. The last living descendant of Arthur, along with the “Last Knight” are needed to fend off an attack on Earth from the crazy robot who has taken over the robot planet and is going to smash it into the Earth. Or something like that…

Actually, there is a very broad outline of what goes on in this movie. There might be an overall plot line, but it is obscured by all the action set pieces. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) is a friend of Optimus Prime and is hiding a group of Autobots in a junkyard in the dessert. Viviane Wembly (Isabela Moner) is a Professor at Oxford in England, and she is the final one related to Arthur. Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins) is an English earl with a vast knowledge of the Transformers history and why they are always coming back and mucking around on Earth. William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) is a military guy who is sometimes helping Cade and most times chasing after him. Due a set of some unclear circumstances, they all get together to work with the Autobots and save the world.

The action scenes are fantastic, yet the excessive editing cuts made them all look very choppy. The visual special effects are overwhelming and overbearing. They are done professionally and look terrific, yet the images are just thrown at you for more than two hours. It can just wear you down. The audio sound effects are growling and grinding and full of a lot of noise. There is a bombastic score playing under everything else, which increases the sound level. It is impressive and disturbing at the same time, like not being able to turn away from a bad car crash.

The story meanders from the US to England, where Sir Burton has brought Cade and Viviane together. There is some special staff that used to belong to Merlin, but it was given to him by an ancient Autobot. Viviane is the only one who control the staff, since she is the last of Arthur’s line. Cade had been given a special talisman that identifies him as “The Last Knight”. So, the major money of this movie went to the visual effects and not the script. However, there are a handful of performances that are OK. The plot is secondary to the stunning special effects, so call it a wash.

Mark Wahlberg is always a great action figure, even if the movie bumps into crazy dialog that could come from “The Happening”. He plays the earnest and trustworthy guy who can fight off anyone with his brains and brawn. Isabela Moner does a fair job in her role, nothing too special, but plays it with no problems. Anthony Hopkins does a delightful job as the slightly befuddled old guy who has a glint in his eye and tells you he knows more than he says. Just hope that he does not consider you a “friend that he would like to have for dinner”.

Granted, if Michael Bay is your thing and you have a deep appreciation for all things ‘Transformer’, then by all means, this is the movie for you. However, everyone else still need to determine how much of an action-packed blast in the face you can stand. If you have extra bucks, you can even see the “No Reason to be 3-D” version. It has 3-D on top of the already crowded screen of visual ADHD fever dreams. There are few scenes that use the 3-D to a good effect, but it sails through the film just fine without it.

More than likely “Transformers: The Last Knight” will make a ton of money, either here or abroad. Can it be too much to ask that Bay finally give up ‘his’ franchise? Or will he get enough incentive to come up with a sixth movie… “Transformers: The Ring of the Register”?

Rough Night Movie Review

June 16, 2017 (updated June 16, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

“Rough Night” has a lot of promise, being a new original movie scripted and directed by a woman. It takes some cues from other raunchy R-rated movies, such as “The Hangover”, “Weekend at Bernie’s”, and “Very Bad Things”. However, the “Rough Night” turns out to be a ‘Rough Viewing”. There is a basic setup that could go on a beautiful honeymoon, but it fails to take its vows.

Five dorm buddies from 10 years ago now find themselves invited to a bachelorette party weekend in Miami. Jess (Scarlett Johansson) is finally getting married to her long-term boyfriend Peter (Paul W. Downs). Jess is running for state senate, but she needs some down time. Her best friend is Alice (Jillian Bell) and she is planning a crazy time. Also invited are Frankie (Ilana Glazer) and Blair (Zoë Kravitz).

When they are in Miami, they find that Jess also invited her friend from her Study Abroad trip to Australia. Pippa (Kate McKinnon) is new to all the other girls and there is some friction at first. But they do all do cocaine, drink a lot and dance at the clubs. When they get back, they stay at house that a donor has let Jess use for the weekend. Frankie calls up and gets a private male stripper.

Soon a man arrives, and he attempts to seduce Jess. Jess turns him down, but Alice gets a little too wild. The guy bangs his head and bleeds out onto the floor. All of the women start to freak out, but they decide to dispose of the body. They are at a beach house, and Pippa takes a Ski Jet out to dump the poor guy in the deep briny. But they are discovered by the creepy sex-pervert couple next door. Blair needs to keep them, ahem, distracted.

Soon another guy arrives in a police outfit. They knock him out and find out he is the stripper. But then who is the dead guy? Meanwhile, Peter thinks that Jess in trouble, and he has no other option than to do the “Sad Astronaut”. That means driving straight from D.C. to Miami with no stops, wearing a diaper and drinking Red Bulls.

Then the situation gets resolved, but it really has taken a turn for the worse. The women are hysterical, crude and morally indefensible. They keep adding worse choices on top the bad ones they have already made. The scenes all seem forced and not very pleasing to watch. There are some talented actresses in the movie, but none of them are making too much of an effort. Scarlett Johansson appears to be biding her time until they make a solo “Black Widow” movie.

The most awful is Kate McKinnon, who is most annoying with the fake Australian accent. It is like the movie part was written for an actual Australian (perhaps Rebel Wilson), but instead McKinnon came up and decided to do the part. Her character just removes any hint actual comedy or true drama that could have been there.

The movie could have been a hot ticket with the female audience and having a female director. But all of that gets wasted on the plot that just plods along without any pulse. The parts when Paul W. Downs is on screen are little be more fun, because his character is such a doofus with such a big crush on Jess.

There is so much promise and way to little to be enthused about. However, if you see this movie, do wait until the very final shot at the end of the credits. It brings back a missing item (or two) from earlier in the movie. It’s like finding ‘a girl’s best friend’…

47 Meters Down Movie Review

June 16, 2017 (updated June 16, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

Perhaps quite a few people are uneasy about being in enclosed places, and then just as many are queasy about getting close to sharks. If that is you, well — get ready for “47 Meters Down”, because your personal spooked-out meter will be peaking in the red zone. This movie will take many of the scariest things you can imagine and blend them into a nice smooth frightening shake.

Two sisters are in Mexico for a summer trip. Kate (Claire Holt) and Lisa (Mandy Moore) are getting away on a vacation. Lisa tells her sister it is because her long-term boyfriend broke up with her. He thought that Lisa was too boring. Lisa and Kate meet a couple of local guys, and they hit it off. They convince Kate to go on an underwater scuba trip to see the sharks. Lisa is much more sensible and does not want to go. Kate tells her that if she goes on the tip, she will prove she is not boring.

They meet Captain Taylor (Matthew Modine) who owns the worn-out old boat and the crappy-looking equipment for a shark dive. They don the scuba gear and get in the cage and start to descend down around 20 feet. They have only limited oxygen in their tanks, and they have limited experience underwater. But that is about to change. The cable holding the shark cage snaps, sending them down to 47 meters below the surface.

Both Kate and Lisa know that they cannot swim straight up to the surface. Once they go up, every 20 meters or so they would need to stop and let their blood handle the nitrogen bubbles, or they could die from the bends. They have no communication with the boat on the surface. So they take turns to try things out. One will swim up to try and get radio contact, then the other will trace down a mysterious flashlight brought down with a different cable hook. If they get it attached, they can be gently pulled up to the boat.

But, yes there are sharks in these here waters. So every attempt to get free or get back up to the boat is met with a potential big toothy grin. The guy who brought down the flashlight and the new cable was attacked and killed. Either Kate or Lisa could be next. The new cable turns out to be as useless as the first cable, and now they are trapped again. The Coast Guard has been called for a rescue, but they are an hour away.

Lisa and Kate almost run out of oxygen, and they two new tanks are sent down. But the new tanks can keep them alive. However, being down for so long can bring on nitrogen poisoning. This could lead to hallucinations and feelings of a dream-like state. They will both need to keep an eye on each over to make sure the other one does not get crazy ideas. After all, there is a rescue operation just about to begin…

To say anything more would deprive you of getting your feet wet and seeing this movie. The story is pretty straight-forward. Put two nice ladies in peril, and spend the rest of the movie trying to figure out how to get them freed. Mandy Moore and Claire Holt do a decent job, but much of the dialog is scuba breathing and screaming. They prove to be intelligent characters, except for the fact that they got on such a dumpy boat to begin with.

The setup gets going really quickly, and the part underwater is intense and spooky. Each of the sisters does her best to comfort the other one. But it is hard to find any comfort when you are more than 150 feet below the surface. Since this movie is so tense and spooky, I will need to lighten it up…

Once I threw out all the chopped up fish and fish guts into the water, the sharks got real chummy.

Cars 3 Movie review

June 16, 2017 (updated June 15, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

After a pretty successful spin in “Cars”, Pixar went and made “Cars 2”, but it went right off the track. So, Pixel has made a third outing with the NASCAR-influenced “Cars 3”. This is the first third attempt at a series from Pixar since “Toy Story 3”. That one was critically acclaimed and much beloved by the general audiences around the world. Will “Cars 3” get the green flag and maintain a high-octane level of excitement? Or will it sputter off to the junkyard? Let’s kick the tires and find out.

Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is a famous racing car in the alternate world of vehicles only (and no people). He has run and usually won every major race, including the grand prize – The Piston Cup. He has fond memories of his mentor, and old-school racer named ‘The Fantastic Hudson Hornet’ (voiced by the late Paul Newman). McQueen spends his time in Radiator Springs, with his pals from the first movie – including Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). But McQueen has his heart in racing and winning.

But then some new next-generation race cars come onto the scene. They are sleek and custom-designed to be better than the older cars. Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) is one of the new super-fast cars, and he wins while McQueen crashes and sits out the remaining season. But his sponsors have special news for McQueen. They have sold Rust-eze to a new owner named Sterling (Nathan Fillion). He has created a state-of-the-art facility to train new racers. McQueen goes there and meets Sterling and a peppy trainer named Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo). McQueen is excited to start off with the training, but Cruz wants him to go slow.

Cruz and McQueen have different ideas about how to train. McQueen wants to get his tires dirty on the old-fashioned dirt tracks, just like Doc. Hudson taught him. Cruz wants to go high-tech, with lots of equipment. Sterling gives McQueen one chance to get another win, and then he will need to retire. McQueen wants his chance to beat Jackson Storm just one more time. So, he goes out to train in secret. He ends up in a demolition derby by mistake with Cruz. But they both learn some things about how to handle bad conditions. McQueen goes on a country-wide search to find Doc. Hudson’s old crew chief.

They find Smokey (Chris Cooper) and a bunch of Docs old pals in a worn-down speedway. But they still have some tracks and ideas for McQueen so he can compete in the next big race and beat Storm. Cruz and McQueen find out old secrets about the early days of racing and the origins of fast cars. They become good friends with Smokey and Docs old racing pals. But they all know that the upcoming race in Florida will take all that McQueen has got. And Cruz says that she would have been a racer, but when she had her one chance, she backed out and never even tried.

The Florida 500 will be the big race for Lightning McQueen. But will his practice and his skills be enough for a super-slick racer like Jackson Storm? Can the help of experienced crew, led by Smokey, help McQueen during each lap? There will be a lot of fans rooting for Lightning McQueen, rooting for his comeback and his success. Will McQueen find his greatest joy in winning another time? Or will he see a way that will make his future match the path of his own mentor – Doc. Hudson?

Pixar has gotten a lot of mileage (so to speak) from Cars. But in this movie, you can see that the quality that makes Pixar special. All the animation is gorgeous and sharp in every detail. All the characters are spot-on with the voice acting. There are family-friendly storylines and lessons throughout. There is a 3D version that makes the screen look like a place that you would want to visit.

From the original Cars characters, such as Lightning McQueen and Mater, and now including new characters – Cruz Ramirez and Smokey and others, this Pixar franchise still has some gas left in the tank. So give “Cars 3” a green light and ‘Cruz’ into a local theater to watch it.

Category: Reviews