Category: Reviews

Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated October 10, 2018) Published by

Twas the night before Halloween – and it was all going fine,
Until two kids found a manuscript written by R. L. Stine.

And now Slappy the Dummy is on the prowl in that town,
He is making an Apocalypse Nightmare come down.

With Witches and Ghosts and Goblins and Gnomes –
Slappy is bringing terror to folks in their homes.

But then Sam, and Sonny, and his sister Sarah,
Find a way to end Slappy’s Evil Reign of Terror.

Then even R. L. Stine shows up to help with that fight –
“Trick or Treat” is for all, and to all a “Fright Night”!

“Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween” is the new sequel to “Goosebumps”. If you are middle-school aged child, this probably means a great deal more to you than it does to older folks. The series of R. L. Stine books called ‘Goosebumps’ is the coin of the middle-school realm. And when a new movie comes out with that name, there will be kids a-plenty that will go to see it. And in this case, that will be a good thing. Because this is very light-hearted ‘scary’ movie, in the mold of an average Stine book.

Two young boys in the town of Wardenclyff are waiting for the fun of Halloween night.  Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and his friend Sam (Caleel Harris) have started a small business where they will clean out junk. They are called to an abandoned house to remove all the debris. But hidden away in this house is a secret room. The boys don’t know that R. L. Stine once lived at the house as a boy. Stine left an unfinished manuscript, and the boys take it with them. But from nowhere, a ventriloquist dummy called Slappy (voiced by Jack Black) comes alive after Sonny reads a magic spell. Slappy wants a new family, so he comes home with them.

Sonny’s sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) finds out that Slappy is alive. They all try to get rid of the dummy, but he will always return. Slappy decides to kidnap Sonny and Sarah’s mom, named Kathy (Wendi McLendon-Covey). He will turn her into a dummy, just like Slappy. Then he will have a new Mom. But Slappy needs some allies and other scary monsters to help him out. He visits the local store and turns all the Halloween merchandise into real Ghosts, Goblins, Witches and Yeti monsters. Slappy even turns the store manager Walter (Chris Parnell) into an Igor type creature.

Sonny and Sam, with the help of Sarah, locate the Stine manuscript and find out it has the power to shut down Slappy. But they need help to get into Slappy’s new hiding place. The kids call on their neighbor Mr. Chu (Ken Jeong), who is all in for every Holiday. He has the best Halloween display in town, so he helps them get ready to go ‘undercover’ in some spooky outfits. Sarah even tries to call a number of someone who might know R.L. Stine. Maybe he can help bring the evil Slappy back in line and make him stop his evil efforts to turn their mom into a wooden dummy. Slappy and his crew are hiding out at the out Tesla power station, and he is ready to bring all the Tricks, and none of the Treats.

This movie is designed for the kids that grew up reading Stine’s spooky books. There is not too much depth to the story or the overall production. But it comes across as a very decent effort to give the audience of pretty good time. It is fun to watch the bedlam, but it is within PG limitations. There are no gory or gruesome scenes, because it’s all just for a good, scary fun. The best part of the side characters played by quality people such as Chris Parnell and Ken Jeong. Just keep your eyes peeled for a return of Jack Black, as R.L. Stine.

First Man Movie Review

October 12, 2018 (updated October 8, 2018) Published by

“First Man” is a gripping personal view of one of humanity’s crowning achievements. When three astronauts traveled to the Moon, and two of them touched down and explored the lunar surface, it was a stunning accomplishment. Now there is a movie that defines the inner drive and personal demons of that initial person who put down a boot onto the crusty dust of the Earth’s satellite. That person was Neil Armstrong, and he was the “First Man” to get that historical privilege. This movie is a reminder of the technological push of the 1960’s that took America to the Moon and back.

Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) is an engineer and a test pilot at NASA. He is not one of the military-bred astronauts that first rose in the ranks of the Air Force. Yet his cool-headed ability to think deeply, even in extreme circumstances, makes him a valuable addition to the group of space-bound pioneers. He and his wife Janet (Claire Foy) have a perfect 1960’s marriage. She tends the home front, and he ventures into space. Neil and Janet have a young daughter named Karen, but she passes away from cancer. Even with all the up-to-date technology, their little two-year-old could not be saved. They already have a son, and soon after, they have one more boy. But Neil is shattered inside from the pain of his loss. He is introverted and a shy person to begin with, so the loss does not help.

Neil has skills and knows how to take high-level math equations and then using that knowledge to fly and pilot a spacecraft. He has experience with the experimental rocket planes, and he jumps at the chance to get into the Gemini program. That space program will be another step on the way to the big cheese – the Moon. The Gemini craft will hold two astronauts, and the planned Apollo mission will carry three. When Neil gets selected, he is very pleased to be working for former astronaut Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler). The Gemini missions will be important to pave the way for Apollo and moon landings. The mission that gets Neil into space goes well, and the docking tests go smoothly. That is, until there is a problem with the thrusters…

Neil and his fellow astronaut are soon spinning out-of-control. Neil figures out a way to reverse the bad thruster, and gets the Gemini under control again. It uses up most all the fuel, so the mission needs to be aborted. But one bad mission left the astronauts safe. Not so with the first testing of Apollo 1, with all three astronauts on-board in the capsule. In the simulated launch, there was an electrical spark that ignited the pure oxygen in the capsule. All three died in the test, and the Apollo missions were delayed for a while. But then Neil was picked for Apollo 11, as was Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) and Michael Collins (Lukas Haas). This was the mission that would go to the Moon, land and explore the surface, and get the three explorers back in one piece.

Neil and Buzz make it to the lunar surface, and they are true explorers. But every step of the way was a catastrophe that did not happen. Every piece of equipment had potential for failure, no matter how many engineers worked on the design. Some of the people lost their lives along the way to Neil’s ‘one small step’.  He knows that, and he knows that his safe return is only the best of the calculated odds. His trip is successful and NASA still explores into space.

Damien Chazelle has taken the story of the first man on the moon and explored the difficult personal journeys of the people involved. There is always an emphasis on the characters and what they can see and how they react to all the events that surround them. Even with a ground-breaking walk on the moon, there is the inner pain of Armstrong’s loss of his daughter. The launch is not shown as a breath-taking wide shot of the rocket zooming into the sky. There is a real person strapped into the Spam can attached to the top of a big firecracker. The sounds of creaking and straining bolts make you think at any moment it will become the Fourth of July.

Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong ass a very soft-spoken and subdued man. He is always examining and recalculating the situation, to make sure there is way to continue the mission. That includes his marriage. Claire Foy also gives a powerful performance as Janet; the wife who needs to raise her kids but is not afraid to raise her voice. The other actors have also been cast with an idea as to how well they would fit in the 1960’s Space Race.

“First Man” is nearly fifty years in the making since the actual events that mesmerized the world. It tells of real adventure in the outer space, but still keeps in focus the difficult emotions of Armstrong’s inner space.

22 July Movie Review

October 10, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

‘22 July’ is shocking, stirring, it’s heart wrenching, unsettling and hard to wrap your mind around. Greengrass is best known for making several of the ‘Bourne’ films and ‘United 93’ which was a real-time account of United Flight 93, the plane that was hijacked on 9/11, but crashed due to passengers willing to take drastic measures to stop the terrorists in their tracks. ‘22 July’ is, again, the story of a terrorist’s actions as he carries out brutal killings only this time it’s a right-wing extremist named Anders Behring Breivik, played very coolly by Anders Danielsen Lie, in 2011 near Oslo Norway, who feels that he, as a white man, is being discriminated against.

He attacks what he refers to as a political summer camp which is located on an isolated island. He sees this camp as a place where the ‘Marxist, Liberals and members of the elite’ send their children to learn to accept minorities.

Dressed as a police officer, he packs guns, plenty of ammo and explosives and leaves the house. He drives a van near the Prime Minister’s office and parks. He gets out, lights a fuse, and slyly walks down the street where he easily slips into another vehicle and drives away, headed for the teenagers who await their fate like sitting ducks. He gets onto the island where the children are and starts, one by one, picking them off. They run but he knows there is absolutely nowhere for them to go. He’ll get them all eventually.

The explosion is well done, along with the confusion in its aftermath, but watching the children run screaming is brutal. Anders goes into a building where people are hiding and tells them, ‘You will die today!’ It’s hard not to put yourself in that scenario once you start thinking of how often murder in the name of someone’s beliefs goes on in this world.

One child, Viljar, gets a call off to his mother to tell her what has happened. She’s involved in politics and was near the explosion so she’s able to alert the police about what her son informed her of and they head to the island immediately. An intense scene shows us that, sadly, Anders is still shooting and gravely injures Viljar. When he’s found by his parents, he’s only clinging to life. Greengrass does a beautiful job of making all the events seem as realistic as possible. What follows is how these people restore their lives in the wake of such a tragedy but on top of that, being very much alive, the gunman has ways to still twist the knife. He doesn’t care about his victims, he tells his lawyer, Geir Lippestad, he would do it all again for the cause. He also tells Geir his demands or a third attack will be coming. He wants the liquidation of the political camp and a ban on immigration. This is where my interest was piqued even more. I knew of this story but it so parallels what’s happening in my own country today which makes it more relevant than I thought it would be.

It’s frightening to take a good hard look at certain activities in our world, but I rather like that films are bringing these subjects to light. It’s important not to hide racism and pretend it’s not going on.

The rest of the film is court filings, Viljar’s struggle to come back from what happened to him and the Prime Minister realizing where he went wrong. All of this is notably well done. It’s an explosive, captivating story of good versus evil with meaningful dialogue and pacing that doesn’t bore. Don’t think for one minute you have to see it on the big screen to appreciate it. Netflix is doing more and more and with this proves they’ll continue to get better and better. But if you’re lucky enough to be in a city where it’s coming out… it would be good to experience it that way.

In case you were curious, the only reason ‘22 July’ didn’t get a higher score is for the few times it felt as if it went a little long and one other mistake that writer/director Paul Greengrass made, which was crucial, and that’s where we first find ourselves in the story. Coming in at two hours and twenty-three minutes, he captured us by getting straight to the meat of the matter. That said, to the viewers, it felt as if he had nowhere to go but down. Turns out that it’s quite enough to be considered a must-see, but had he stretched out the action a bit… had the action happened a little later in the film, instead initially introduced to us some of the characters, it wouldn’t have become the long-lasting drama it felt it became. Then again, maybe this was done on purpose because what these Norwegians endured didn’t end with Anders Behring Breivik’s massacre of seventy-seven people, not to mention the hundreds of others he injured. The slaughter was only the beginning.

*22 JULY will debut Wednesday, October 10th globally in select theaters and on Netflix.

Free Solo Movie Review

October 5, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

What a cliff-hanger! Okay… I’m sorry but I had to say it. However, that’s exactly what Alex Honnold, the subject of this documentary, is! A guy who climbs and literally hangs on cliffs. What was most frightening to watch was how he doesn’t use a rope or even hang by a thread! He’s literally free of anything but a few tools he might need along the way. Like an insect crawling up a wall, Alex scurries up the side of a mountain as if he was meant to be there. Myself, I do like to hike but prefer a nice, safe, well-traveled trail, not to take the risks Alex likes to take. One little slip, just one little mistake, and Alex is a memory.
Of climbing, Alex says, ‘I don’t wanna fall off and die either but there’s a satisfaction to challenging yourself and doing something well. That feeling is heightened when you’re for sure facing death. You can’t make a mistake. If you’re seeking perfection, free soloing is as close as you can get. It does feel good to be perfect, like, for a brief moment.’ And realizing he comes across as cold when he says it, he does believe it and says it anyway, ‘If I kill myself… life goes on.’ Well, I guess we all have to die sometime, right?

This is a terrifying watch but an intensely gripping watch at the same time. In fact, there may be moments where you have to turn your head, as the cameraman shooting the documentary does several times. What Alex achieves is nothing short of spectacular and this is your chance to witness history as closely as you would if you were hanging on the side of the mountain with him.

 

Alex has traveled everywhere while hiking and climbing but rare are the people who let you join them in this manner if at all. It takes great skill and concentration to accomplish a climb such as this and the last thing you need is a camera crew to distract you. However, this crew is made up of climbers, as well, and they know the dangers and liabilities of not only getting in his head space but getting in his path. The crew gets to know his movements by watching him plan and practice his route and they organize themselves way ahead of time. They take every precaution they can to see that they are not a variable in what he is about to tackle.

We, learn his path the names of the routes, too. He’s ascending the mountain, El Capitan in Yosemite, CA. Never before has anyone climbed it without using the safety of a rope and this film is about Alex’s journey to be the first. Along the way, we discover his past, what and how he eats, how he prepares, how he has changed and what climbing El Capitan, Free Solo, means to him. He explains that he’s obsessed with reaching this goal and that for him it’s not any different than winning a gold medal in the Olympics is for an Olympian. Forgive me for saying but an instant freefall to your death doesn’t generally come with the territory in the Olympic games, but I understand what he means.

Outside of the final climb, what I found most intriguing was watching him with his new girlfriend, Sanni. He said a girlfriend wasn’t in the cards because she could never be as important to him as climbing. In fact, new in the relationship, he falls twice and injures himself badly. Is she the ultimate cause? How she factors into things is exciting and how he handles it, what she’s willing to go through for love and if he can give enough of himself for love is compelling to watch. This is everything you’d want out of a documentary and then some. See ‘Free Solo.’ It’s an adrenaline rush. If you don’t catch it at the theatre, watch it at home but watch it on a big screen. You’re going to enjoy this documentary no matter the platform you choose to see it but there’s no replacing the feeling you get from viewing it at the theatre.

 

*SHOWING IN PHOENIX AT HARKINS SHEA 14

The Old Man and the Gun Movie Review

October 5, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

‘The Old Man and the Gun’ is one of the most curious films of 2018, so far, that’s for certain. I’m not saying I disliked it but it’ll take some maneuvering to describe just what it was I liked about it. You’ll see what I mean by that when you see it and I recommend that you do. The way the story is told is incredible. It’s set in the 80’s just as the country was coming out of the 70’s with its long hair and darker colors but before florescent clothing and the mullet hairstyle hits. The country is open to change but isn’t quite there yet. To structure the film properly, Director David Lowery used all the tools he could, such as a grainy, VHS quality look to the picture, its comfortably casual canter, it’s pitch and vernacular appropriate for the time and as I mentioned, the drab color scheme everywhere. He doesn’t miss a thing. What’s particularly special is this… to make it feel even more real Lowery uses clips of Redford from films of his past. Very clever.

Lowery designs his films in such a way that you get deeply involved in the characters and take the utmost interest in their survival and success; no matter what it is their entangled in; good or bad. Honestly, I thought his film ‘A Ghost Story’ was one of the best and most overlooked films of 2017. Like ‘A Ghost Story,’ people may not appreciate ‘The Old Man and the Gun’ or see the brilliance right away but given the talent involved, I do hope you overlook any criticisms and view it despite anything you hear. It’s different but there’s nothing wrong with different. In fact, it’s refreshing.

 

Redford plays Forrest Tucker who has spent most of his life in and out of trouble. He’s been in prison and has escaped over fifteen times for which he has become famous. He even escaped from San Quentin. Did I mention this was based on a TRUE story?! So, we meet him, learn of his criminal activity and then move directly into discovering who he is on the inside. He meets Jewel (Spacek) and is smitten with her right off the bat. He tells her who he is and what he does, but she doesn’t believe him. No one would be honest about a thing like that, right? He’s an elderly, seemingly trustworthy fellow and is very kind so she warms to him as they sit in a café getting to know one another. This is what’s so exceptional about Lowery ’s technique. He makes us aware of the two-sided nature of Forrest that even Forrest isn’t cognizant of. You, as does Jewel, immediately like his gentle personality.

As you watch, you see that one side of him just wants to do what it’s told it can’t do. This is what he and his friends have been doing for years… robbing banks. He’s the gangs’ guy who nonchalantly strolls in, tells the bank manager or the teller that he’ll need their money and he exits with no fuss. He always keeps everyone calm, doesn’t bring attention to himself by smiling, being polite, hurting no one and then he leaves.

He and the audience are aware that perhaps his age has brought him to a moment in time where he’s finally conflicted with this side of him. Maybe it’s time to stop running and settle down?

 

Detective John Hunt (Affleck) knows of Forrest after he and his son happen to be inside one of the banks he robs. He makes a personal commitment to himself to bring this thieving gang of old-timers to justice. The character of John Hunt isn’t all that impactful at first but toward the end of the film, you realize how important he was in the grand scheme of things. As his search widens, he gets to know Forrest more and gets to respect the man he was and who he’s become.

I told you this would be a bit difficult to analyze for you but let me finish with this. It’s short, it’s a fascinating mix between comedy and drama and the cast is spectacular. It opens this weekend. Go see it. I can’t think of one reason for you not to.

A Star Is Born Movie Review

October 5, 2018 (updated October 4, 2018) Published by

“A Star is Born” was first created in Hollywood in 1937, and then remade in 1954 and again in 1976. So, while this current release is not ‘new’ in that sense, it is a quite respectable addition to the prior versions. This is the story of an alcoholic major star meeting an unknown talent and bringing her talent into the world. Then he watches her flourish, even while his popularity sinks — it is typical melodrama boiler-plate material. That is, unless you have some very high-profile stars play in the main roles and have an incredibly talented director and musical talent. Check off all those boxes for this one!

Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is the real thing, being a well-loved singer/songwriter with a country background and a huge following. His fans are not privy to his heavy drinking habits, and his difficult issues with hearing loss. His half-brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) is his manager and he knows all of Jackson’s faults. But he steers him in the right direction, so he can keep up a good front. After a late-night concert, Jackson is being driven to a hotel, but he decides to stop for quick one. He happens into a bar where a young woman named Ally (Lady Gaga) is performing a soulful song. He sticks around and takes Ally with him, while they go to different bars. Ally is discovered to be a songwriter as well as being a damn good singer.

Jackson sends a car out to get Ally in the next few days at her house. Her father Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay) is thrilled that Jackson Maine has taken a shine to his daughter. She goes to meet Jackson at a concert. He had taken her song that she played for him on that first night and made an arrangement for his band. He insists that Ally come out on stage to sing it with him. She resists at first, but when he finally does, the audience is ecstatic. Ally becomes a major name overnight, and Jackson and she both begin to tour together. They create beautiful music, both onstage — and in the bedroom.

 

Bobby gets upset at Jackson for not taking the music seriously, not using his hearing aids and for using prescription drugs with his alcohol. He quits as his manager, and he wants Jackson to sober up and become a man. Jackson still has enough money and talent to do what he wants to do, even if what he wants becomes self-destructive. Ally sees a big part of this, but she believes that Jackson will settle down and get himself right. But she also meets a big music producer named Rez (Rafi Gavron) who wants to make Ally into a superstar. This involves more elaborate dance numbers in concerts, and changing her hair color for various tours. Ally is unsure, but Jackson says it is all good, so she starts to become a huge star.

An older retired musician named Noodles (Dave Chappelle) is Jackson’s friend. He convinces Jackson to propose to Ally. They are married and there are various tours and recording sessions that follow. Jackson spends more time at his house, while Ally is away touring. He dunks himself deeper into the bottle, rather than making himself useful and more productive. His star begins to quickly fade, as stories of missed concert dates and awkward behavior in public. Rez, Ally’s manager and guru, thinks that she needs to dump Jackson, before he brings her down. Bobby meets up with Jackson, and also tries to convince Jackson that the bottle will take him to his grave, just like it did to their father.

Everything is going right for Ally, and her debut album is being honored at the Grammys. Jackson is to be there for a tribute song, but they take away his voice. The producers want him to play guitar, but not sing the song. Disheartened, Jackson drinks more than usual. His actions are seen in front of a national audience, and he totally humiliates himself. But it is harder on Ally. Jackson promises to dry out and become a true believer for Ally’s Army. But he remains on a destructive path, and he cannot pull himself out of a tragic downward spiral.

This movie bears the stamp of Bradley Cooper all over it. He stars as Jackson, but is also directed and co-wrote the movie. It is a complete work of passion for Cooper, and his portrayal in this movie proves it. He transforms himself into a realistic hard-drinking, gruff-throated singer. His vocal quality resembles the voice of his co-star Sam Elliott. Elliot is also wonderful to watch in the handful of scenes that he is in. But Cooper is a rare talent to be so effective in all those different areas.

 

Lady Gaga is also good in playing Ally. There are several events that somewhat mimic her real rise to stardom. But in all truth, Gaga is a superstar vocalist performer, one that is now performing ‘acting’. But most of the acting is playing a fictional version of her real self. Bradley Cooper changed himself to become a singer, but Lady Gaga is a singer who is acting at being a singer.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga star in a profound yet tragic love affair. Hope there’s no ‘Bad Romance’!

Night School Movie Review

September 28, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

‘Night School’ is Kevin Hart writing for himself to offer you, Kevin Hart. If you like his previous movies, you’ll like this one, too. Some of the juvenile pranks and jokes do fall a little flat, but it doesn’t kill the film overall. Hart knows comedy. If he’s your brand, don’t miss this. That said, allow me to remind you that he does add a little something extra special to this movie that he also produced… Tiffany Haddish. Their chemistry is simply off the charts. Malcolm D. Lee worked with Haddish in ‘Girls Trip’ so he knew these two would gel perfectly. A Kevin Hart comedy, in my humble opinion, is always worth a watch but a Hart/Haddish twosome filled with frenzied back-and-forth verbal sparring, and a little sparring in the Octagon, as well?! Sign me up. I adore these two and one thing’s for certain… they have to work together again soon, though I wouldn’t mind seeing Haddish take the lead next time.

During his high school years, Teddy (Hart), not being the most gifted of students, a fact his sister likes to remind him of, decides he doesn’t want to continue his high school education. He wants to skip this part of life and move straight into working. He plans on being wealthy without working for ‘the man’ and believes his decision will help him get a jump on everyone else. While in school Teddy made a few enemies. One of them was Stewart (Killam) who later becomes the principal of that very school.

Teddy eventually procures almost everything he wants. He has a nice car, a smart, gorgeous, wealthy girlfriend named Lisa (Echikunwoke) who loves him. The career? Well, that hasn’t gone quite as he had hoped. He does do well enough to get by but only as a salesman at a store that sells barbecues. He gets by because he’s such a good salesman but it’s not where he ultimately wants to be in life. However, he soon finds out he’ll get the store when the owner retires which will finally give him a chance to be the man he always knew he could be.

That’s all before the ‘accident’ where he causes the store to blow up. Up to this point, Teddy has been lying to Lisa about the money he makes. In fact, he’s on a strict allowance and is having trouble staying afloat. Now with the accident obviously causing the store to close, his hopes come crashing down. He needs to get something soon or, he fears, he’ll lose everything that matters to him. Ben Schwartz plays a financial adviser, and Teddy’s best friend, who can get him a position at his firm and clear up any of Teddy’s worries. He also informs Teddy that his hands are tied about one matter. Teddy can’t work there until he gets his GED. He has no choice but to go to night school and as fate would have it at the very school he stopped attending years earlier.

When he goes to his night school classes, something he’s doing behind Lisa’s back, Teddy meets his teacher, Carrie (Haddish), who he has already had quite a hilarity filled and memorable run-in with. They instantly don’t like one another but both want the class to succeed. They eventually have to form an alliance and work together, against the principal, to protect the integrity of the system and get Teddy moving forward in life.

With a great cast of character actors playing his fellow students, including Rob Riggle and Romany Malco, Hart manages to get himself out of what could have been a disaster. With so many writers involved with writing the script, it’s easy to picture a scenario where story concepts and jokes were getting thrown out that shouldn’t have and others hitting that shouldn’t have. I say this because at times the plot could be weak, rather sophomoric and unoriginal. It seems maybe something was lost in the shuffle. But as I’ve previously mentioned, the cast alone makes it worth your trouble. Might I suggest seeing a matinee if you decide to head to the theatre?

Smallfoot Movie Review

September 28, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

You may be surprised to hear this but when you get to the root of the message within this film, it gets rather philosophical. I wasn’t quite expecting for characters in an animated feature to attempt to heighten my awareness. ‘Smallfoot’ insists I always question things that I’ve been told, by using cute, Yeti characters who warn that ignoring your gut instinct is the proper thing to do. The way to get their complex message through to the audience, writer/director, Karey Kirkpatrick and a team of six other writers, have an elder exclaiming to his tribe to ‘push it down’ if anyone wants to examine things closer and to never believe what they see and hear with their own eyes and ears. Sound familiar? Anyway, written on stone is ancient text that tells them how to live. ‘Always be true to the stone!’ says the elder or ‘Stonekeeper’ (Common). If they do not, they will be banished. This is where we meet our protagonist, Migo (Tatum).

Being told they do not exist, Migo comes across a smallfoot, a human. With his own eyes, he watches a plane crash and sees a man get out. He runs to tell his clan that people really do exist and wants to show everyone his proof. Nothing seems to ever really work out for the poor guy which is part of the delightful aspects of the storyline that endears you to his character. He is a big goober who never does anything right but now he has something that will get him much desired acclaim and attention… or so he thinks. What it gets him is banished. The Stonekeeper isn’t interested in the truth coming out but hiding it no matter the cost.

On his own, Migo meets up with the SES, Smallfoot Evidentiary Society, led by Meechee (Zendaya). Together, they form a team to show proof of other beings by using science-based theories. Migo agrees to be lowered into the clouds where they believe a new world awaits discovery. Once he actually falls below, something you know will happen based on what has already occurred to our hapless hero, he sees a town and wanders toward it. Here, we meet up with Percy, a YouTube-type star looking for ratings for his wildlife show. He wants to capture video of and show the world that the Yeti is real and asks his assistant Brenda (Shahidi) to dress like one, for which she promptly refuses. Percy and Migo eventually stumble upon one another. What occurs next is hysterical, adorable and at times very moving. It’s deliberate on the part of the writers and the animators to ensure children see how important it is that we all listen as well as communicate properly to secure the very survival of our own kind. At points, the film is almost chilling but never once is it not impressive.

Well done Warner Brothers for bringing us something that entertains as well as educates the children without them realizing what’s hitting them. I love the idea that little nuggets of wisdom are dropped into young minds without their fully realizing it. Here, we touch on a great many subjects, those I’ve mentioned plus many others such as the environment. See ‘Smallfoot’ with the family this weekend to not only be amused and charmed but to be thoroughly engaged and enlightened.

The Children Act Movie Review

September 28, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

In ‘The Children Act’ I believe I can safely say that Emma Thompson’s portrayal of a Judge named Fiona Maye, who’s going through the turmoil of making a life and death decision on a landmark case while at the same time her own life is going to hell, was the best part of the film. She very much makes ‘The Children Act’ worth seeing. Thompson was remarkable in this but then, when isn’t she?

The film opens on a different case involving whether or not to separate conjoined twins. The stronger infant would be saved if the procedure were to be done but the weaker of the two would die. Fiona has studied hard and tells the parents, who don’t want to risk losing one child over the other, as only God has the right to decide on life, that the court is a court of law, not of morals, and grants the hospital the right to perform the separation. This was a profoundly dramatic opening and totally captures your imagination with regards to her personality and how far she’s going to be willing to go to fight for, as the title suggests, a child.

 

In the meantime, we see that her husband Jack (Tucci) has been neglected. So much so that he informs her that he would like to have an affair. Since they live only her life, schedule things around when she can do them, give pecks on the cheek in passing if they pass one another, they’ll never get around to be the more adventurous couple they once were. This argument in movies against women working usually gets to me because it has never bothered men when they were the ones constantly working while the woman at home, but times have changed so if done correctly, it makes for a satisfying addition to the storyline and here it does the story justice. She stays stoic as she takes in what he’s doing and, though she doesn’t condone or accept his view of their marriage now as being ‘open,’ won’t show him exactly how much he has hurt her and how deeply she wishes she could stop him. In essence, make her judgment and stop him from ripping her heart out. Marriage doesn’t work that way.

 

She has plenty to keep her mind occupied, however. Her next case is to save a teenager named Adam (Fionn Whitehead) who’s just shy of his eighteenth birthday. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness who has Leukemia. Once again, a hospital can try and would most likely save his life if they could be allowed to give him a blood transfusion, something his parents strongly oppose. The doctor explains to Fiona that Adam’s red and white cell counts are dropping, that he’s fighting to breathe, could suffer blindness and brain damage because his body is no longer producing its own blood. Most likely, he’ll die an extremely horrible death. This weighs heavy on her as she listens to Adam’s father, Kevin (Chaplin) advocate not on behalf of his son’s life but on the will of the church. Yes, Adam wants to do what the church has told him is good for him but at his terribly young age, is dying good for Adam? Fiona makes the decision to go and meet with him because she wants to be sure he understands what’s at stake and will make her decision afterward. This is where the story goes off on a bit of a tangent. Not her decision on the case but, honestly, the rest of the film. For me, it gets chaotic and somewhat ridiculous, straying from the captivating story about this magnificent judge’s world crumbling to the ground to the tale of a love-sick teenager. Had it not strayed, this would have been a contender for awards, but the ending simply doesn’t hold water.  The idea that she’s now responsible for his life, doesn’t get by me but at the same time, reverses the narrative about the fact that, though a flawed human being, she is a damn good judge! I would suggest seeing it. The performances are worth it but maybe wait for cable.

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