Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) - Run Time: 1h59min

Plot:

"The legend of Jumanji continues as the game comes to life once again. In the new adventure, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan are pitted against stampeding rhinos, mambas, saber-toothed tigers, and a jungle full of traps and puzzles, forcing them to play the ultimate game of survival."

Review:

So remember what I just said in my last review about sequels?  Well this one is a rare exception.  Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the original movie.  I'm actually not sure if this should be called a sequel or a re-make, but I'm going with sequel just because it doesn't take the same form as the original movie.  In all fairness, the original did come out way back in 1995 and starred the amazing Robin Williams - so expectations in comparison to this one need to be kept in check.  However, I remember seeing the first Jumanji when it came out way back then (I was 11 at the time) - and even back then it was TERRIBLE.  I loved Robin Williams but even as a child in the target age group I HATED this movie!  I found it sooooo boring!  The 2017 version is far from that!

I really loved how this movie tried to update the original and bring it into this century.  There is even a nod to the original near the beginning.  A man jogging on the beach finds the Jumanji board game in the sand and brings it home to his teenage son, who, as a video game addict, comments "who plays board games anymore?".  So, the board game itself creates a video game version to bring more people into the game.  And thus, this movie becomes relevant again.

First off let me say this was a PG movie, and there were a ton of kids in the theater when I went to see it.  However, it has a lot of humour aimed at the adults in the room that would go right over kids heads.  On top of that, there was some wearing throughout, which I heard several kids comment on.  So if you are a parent planning on taking your kid to this, just be aware, this is not a G rated movie for a reason.

I think the thing that made this movie as good as it was, was the amazing casting.  The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) was hilarious in his roll, and no one can play a teenage girl trapped in the body of an old man quite like Jack Black!  They kept me laughing throughout the entire movie!!  There was plenty of kid humour and slapstick comedy, intermixed with jokes meant to keep the adults entertained.

On the down side, I found this movie to be a little long, especially for a movie aimed at kids.  This one almost hit the 2 hour mark, and by 1 1/2 hours I found myself eagerly awaiting the end.  Funny or no, it seemed to be unnecessarily long, especially given the simplistic plot.  There were a few parts that could have been cut down or just plain cut out.  It was also predictable - but I won't hold it against them as this WAS a kids movie.

I'm glad I saw it - it was fun and entertaining - however this isn't one I'll be likely to watch again. 

Rating: 7/10 - if I were rating the original, I would have given it a 2, so this one is a huge improvement over that one.  It just seemed to go on a little too long.  If it had been 45min shorter I probably would have given it an 8.  

Pitch Perfect 3

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) - Run Time: 1h34min

Plot:

"After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren't job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time." 

Review:

Obviously, this is a sequel, which in and of itself should automatically lower expectations.  Rarely does a sequel come close to it's original.  Unfortunately, that remains true in this case as well.  Let me be clear, I still enjoyed it, it was still plenty entertaining - but when compared to the first, it was utter crap.

Bad Points:

First off, several important characters who were in the original do not make appearances.  Jesse (Skylar Astin), Bumper (Adam Devine), and Benji (Ben Platt) are nowhere to be seen (along with any of the other Treblemakers).  Now I get they were probably trying to go somewhere new with this one and didn't want to fall back on the same old plot lines they had before, but these boys added some looks and serious humour to the movies and I for one missed them.  On top of that, Stacie (Alexis Knapp) was barely in it and she was also one of my favourite characters.

Lets talk about the plot - without giving anything away let me just say that some of what happens to the Bellas on their USO tour is absolutely ridiculous.  It makes no sense and is a completely bizarre direction to take the movie into.  This movie is by far more farcical and slapstick than the previous two.

Finally, while there was some great singing (and a lot of awesome covers), there was a lack of mash ups, which is a hallmark of Pitch Perfect movies, and another one of my favourite components.

Good Points:

Although I felt that some important characters were lacking screen time (or simply just lacking in full), there were some awesome new editions to the cast.  For one, Ruby Rose (who plays Calamity, a member of another group performing in the tour) is great.  Her voice is fantastic (I am assuming it was actually her singing, as that seems to be something required of cast members),she's funny and she adds some of that banter and rivalry missing from the departure of the Treblemakers.

The singing in this one was awesome - it certainly did not disappoint.  I loved many of the songs they chose to cover, and they introduced characters who used instruments to play and not just A Capella, which adds another dimension to some of the performances.

Overall, I think this was definitely the worst of the 3 movies by far, however the music may have been better than the second one.  Having said that, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was totally entertaining and I'm glad I saw it.  If you saw (and enjoyed) the first 2 films I definitely recommend seeing it, just lower your expectations a little before you sit down.  

Rating: 8 1/2 /  for music, 7 for plot and overall movie - worth a watch but not nearly as good as the original.   

Prisoners

Prisoners (2013) - Run time: 2h33min

Plot:

When two little girls go missing, a father (Hugh Jackman) goes to any length to find them.  Meanwhile, a local police officer (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to find the kidnapper before time runs out for the little girls.  This movie has a huge cast of big names that play supporting roles, including Maria Bello & Viola Davis as the distraught mothers, and Terrence Howard as the other father who tries to keep his friend from going to far in search of their daughters.

Review:

I don't know what it is with Hollywood these days making movies that run well past the 2 hour mark, and I sure hope it isn't a growing trend.  Having said that, this is yet another very LONG movie that doesn't feel that long while you are watching it.  I had high hopes for this movie, mostly due to the cast, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.  As I have said before, I am no movie critic - all I want is to be entertained, and this movie delivered.  It is suspenseful almost right from the start, and keeps the drama and suspense coming right to the very last second.

Hugh Jackman gives a great performance as the father who will do whatever it takes to get his daughter back.  I think what I love best about his performance is that you absolutely feel his fear and anger, and you totally understand why he is doing what he is doing.  BUT ... at the same time you wonder if he isn't taking things a bit too far.  This conflict between supporting his motives and disliking his methods creates even more drama.  Maria Bello plays his wife and I have to say I think she is a bit underutilized in this film.  I love her and basically all she does through the entire movie is lay in bed and cry.  While I understand this, I am used to seeing her play much stronger characters and I would have liked to see her do a LITTLE bit more than fall apart completely.  Jake Gyllenhaal's character was a bit strange for me.  On the one hand, he played the "cop" very well and even managed to bring a bit of humour into an otherwise very dark movie, but on the other hand, for some reason they (or he) decided to give his character what I can only describe as autistic/Asperger's type qualities.  He is not very good when dealing with other people and has this weird little blinking tick thing going on.  I think it took away from his otherwise great performance and didn't really seem to fit with the rest of his character or seem necessary.  I did like his character, he was just sometimes hard to watch on screen (which I didn't think could be possible for Gyllenhaal!).

Now for my few critiques: First, there were some great plot twists in this movie, but I found that I was able to guess them 5-10 minutes prior to them being revealed in the film.  If you are going to come up with such great twists, don't let your audience see them coming!!  Second, there were several times throughout the movie where I found myself shouting (in my head of course) "WHY WOULDN'T HE JUST _______!!!" Overall, I found this film to be fairly realistic and the characters relatable, but every once in a while someone would do something that made no sense.

Overall, I really liked this film.  As I said, I was certainly entertained and it didn't feel as long as it was.  There was some graphic violence in it, but I don't think they took it too far and it was always for a reason.

Rating 8/10 - Some minor flaws but definitely worth a watch. 

I'm Back!!

Well, what can I say - much like the many diaries of my youth, I started this blog with good intentions and high hopes, and then .... stopped.  BUT I'm back and I will say that I certainly didn't stop watching movies while I was gone!  I'm hoping to keep this up on a much more regular basis and if I have extra time, I will try and make up for my absence by adding some extra reviews for some of the movies I have seen over the past few years!  And if anyone is still reading this, thanks for sticking with me!!

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips (2013)- Run time: 2h14min

Plot:

Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) is leading a container ship which gets taken over by a crew of Somali pirates who plan to hold the ship captive for a ransom. It's a true story based on the real hijacking of a U.S. ship in 2009. Captain Phillips tries to keep his crew safe while the Somali pirates hope for a large payout.

Review:

Let me preface this by saying I am a HUGE Tom Hanks fan and there is little this man does that I don't like. I went into this hoping to be entertained but not expecting much. I figured that most of the suspense was probably given away in the previews and was not expecting much more from the movie. I did know that it was based on a true story, although I don't remember hearing about it in the news at all back in 2009 when it took place. I also didn't realize the movie was over 2 hours long. Having said all that, I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie. Besides Tom Hanks as the title character, the only other face I recognized was that of Catherine Keener, who plays Captain Phillip's wife and gets about 5min of screen time (which is a shame because this woman can be great). This film was suspenseful from start to finish and I certainly did not feel like I was sitting there for over 2 hours - the time flew by. The action kicks off pretty quickly in this movie, which is great as many other 2+ hr movies take forever to get to the good stuff.

This movie did an excellent job of taking you through a range of emotions. At various points throughout the film I felt scared, angry, sympathetic, frustrated and a million other things I can't even describe. The relationship between Captain Phillips and the captain of the Sumali pirates is one built on false trust and survival. Each need something from the other in order to survive. As always, Tom Hanks was superb in his role of Captain Phillips - although I have to say his accent was really annoying - NO idea what part of the US he was supposed to be from! Aside from that, he put in a great performance, as did most of the cast. I also think the movie did a great job of keeping things realistic in terms of emotions, reactions and motives. There wasn't a "USA is the BEST" vibe from this movie at all - and the characters were all believeable. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie - it was better than I expected it to be, which is always a nice surprise!!

Rating 9/10 - it was better than expected, and it didn't feel nearly as long as it was. Having said that, it's not the kind of movie you are probably going to watch over and over. Definitely worth the watch though!

Hall Pass

Hall Pass (2011) - Run time: 1h45min

Plot:

Wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) are sick and tired of their husbands (Owen Wilson & Jason Sudeikis) checking out other women right in front of them, and after talking to an older psychologist friend (Joy Behar), decide to grant them a Hall Pass: one week off from the restrictions of marriage, in hopes of improving their marriages. Basically they are given the opportunity to cheat on their wives with no consequences and to live out all their horny teenage boy fantasies that they believe would be reality if not for their wives. Meanwhile, the wives have some fun of their own after retreating to a beach house for the week.

Review:

So despite everything I had heard about this movie, I still had high hopes for it. In general, Owen Wilson can usually hold his own in a comedy situation and I am a HUGE fan of the Office and Fischer's character on that show. Christina Applegate is also become a huge comedy queen in the last few years. So like I said, I had high hopes. I was disappointed. It wasn't the WORST movie I have ever seen but it fell far short of the comedic gold it could have been. Basically it is a movie filled with stereotypes, male chauvinism and bad jokes that have been used over and over. If you like penis jokes, men complaining about their wives and all the hot chicks they could be banging if not for them, and a lot of really bad cliches then this is the movie for you. I'm sure men across the country loved this movie, it's basically the opposite of a chick flick. Now this is from a purely critical standpoint - it's utter crap. BUT, like I said, it's also not the worst movie I have ever seen, not by a long shot.

I'm the kind of person who goes to the movies to be entertained. Generally speaking I don't really like having to think while at the movies, I go to relax, unwind and rest my mind (there are however some exceptions to this rule). From a purely entertainment standpoint, it's not a bad flick. I went on cheap Tuesday and I'd definitely say it's not worth $11 but if you have a gift certificate or talk someone else into paying, then go see it. If not, I would recommend waiting until it comes out on video and rent it.

Overall I found it predictable, overwrought with bad jokes we've all heard a million times, and bad sight gags - but still gave me a few good laughs. Oh yeah, warning to all you parents out there, it's rated 14+ but I think that's pushing it a bit. There is nudity (both female AND male full frontal), swearing, sex, masturbation, dirty jokes and adult content. I wouldn't let my kid see it that's for sure (if I had one that is). I also wouldn't have thought the older crowd would like it much but there was an elderly couple right behind me in the theatre who laughed more than I did, so who knows.

Rating 6/10 - one to rent for sure - considering the gems that have come out in the last little bit I found it disappointing.

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass (2010) - Run time: 1h58min

Plot:

Teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a comic book lover who decides to become a real life superhero and fight crime on the streets of New York. He orders a wet suite off the Internet and turns himself into Kick-Ass. Along the way, he meets Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who are fighting their own battle against the drug lord who framed Big Daddy (an ex cop) years ago and sent him to jail.

Review:

I'll tell you right now, I'm not into comics - at all. I also tend not to really enjoy movies based on comics (as Kick-Ass is). I watched Batman when I was younger and it was ok - but it didn't really do anything for me. I don't think I've even SEEN X-Men or The Watchmen, and don't really have any plans to. Having said that, when I saw the trailer for Kick-Ass a few months ago, I knew instantly it was one I wanted to see. Unlike most comic book movies that seem to take themselves too seriously, Kick-Ass looked extremely funny. After seeing the movie I have to say that it is NOT AT ALL what I expected, but in a good way. It was definitely funny (even funnier than I anticipated) but it was also, umm, I don't even really know how to describe it!! When you watch the trailer, it looks like some silly Power Rangers version of a super hero movie made for teenage boys. I have to admit I didn't even look at the rating when I went to see it but now I definitely know why it earned the 18+ (or R for you Americans out there). It was INSANE!! Imagine Kill Bill, only with a geeky teenage boy for a hero and a foul mouthed 11 year old in the part of Uma Thurman. Literally, it was that gory and violent.

So here's the deal, I LOVED it - I honestly could not believe how much I liked that movie. BUT, for all you parents out there I highly recommend NOT letting anyone under the age of AT LEAST 15 see this movie, and even then, it's pushing it. It is extremely violent and gory and is filled with bad language and even some nudity. If you didn't like Kill Bill because of the violence and language then you definitely won't like this. I've read several articles on this movie and critics are really divided over it. There has even been a bit of controversy over the things said by the 11 year old star (Moretz). Personally, I think she was hilarious, and did an amazing job considering the challenges of the role and her age. Nicolas Cage was also fantastic in this movie, but I pretty much love all of his stuff (with the exception of the odd few bombs he's been in). He somehow manages to make a completely deranged man who CLEARLY shouldn't be a parent into a completely lovable character. As for the movie's main star (Johnson), all I can say is I have a major crush on this kid now. I have a soft spot for those geeky yet lovable characters and he plays it to a T. Right from the start you root for him to get the girl and outsmart the bad guys and he keeps you hooked up until the very end.

On a side note, since developing my ridiculous crush on Johnson - I did what any good female fan would do and googled him. He is actually a little older than I thought he was in the movie (19), but during my google search I came across a startling piece of trivia. Apparently, while filming another movie he started dating the film's 43 YEAR OLD DIRECTOR!!! They are now engaged and she is pregnant - ewwww. I still think he's adorable though!!

Anyway, back to the movie. If you love action movies and comedies and aren't offended by foul language and dirty jokes then you should definitely see this movie. If hearing an 11 year old girl say the words c*ck and c*nt is going to be morally offensive to you, then steer clear of this film.

Rating 9/10 - a solid 9, maybe even a 10 to be honest - although I'll stick with a 9 just because of all the gore and language.