Lots of Old Movie Reviews to Clear My iPhone!

 3/24/19  Capernaum (6)

     This was one incredible movie.  So many pictures I can't get out of my head after seeing it - the birds-eye-view of Beirut, tall buildings with tire-covered roofs going on for miles and miles.  Slums.  Poverty, unimaginable poverty.  Refugees from Syria and Ethiopia who end up here.  Real eye-opening, almost documentary-type information.  Directed by a female.  Gritty.  The young man who played Zail, whose real name was also Zail, was truly amazing.  Wow.  Got to give it a 6.

6/9/19 ??  Wonder Park (2.5)

     With Tristan.  Another one of those cute, animated stupid movies the kids seem to enjoy.  Not me.  When I asked Tristan what he would rate it, one being not very good at all and five being the best, he said he would rate it a 4......  2.5 for me.

5/3/2019 Long Shot (4)

     It's fun to see a funny, feel-good movie once in awhile, and there haven't been many appearing lately.  I totally enjoyed the story - a female Secretary of State and a male journalist, very strong in their convictions (similar to mine, which is a plus) as they fall in love.  It was cleverly pulled together without either one of them having to let go of too much.  The 10-minute ending/happily ever after/aftermath was just wonderful to see.  I'm so glad there was an ending that actually worked! Yep, I do indeed like HEA.  Both main actors were wonderful, Seth Rogen was certainly Seth Rogen-y, and Charlene Therizon showed more than I've seen before.  Pretty cool.

4/28/19  After (4)

     Mechanicsburg on the Carlisle Pike with Ella on a Sunday afternoon after a picnic in the car.  This was a very sweet teenage romantic flick without a sad ending...just a feel good movie with some decent acting and storytelling.  No complaints from me here!  Ella rated it a 5.5.  I'll go for a 4.

6/9/19  Dark Phoenix (3)

     Well, stupid me.  I did not realize that this was an X-Men movie.  Even though I had no background, I was able to follow it pretty well.  It was interesting until it came to the end scenes that were just those crazy (boring) battle scenes that make me roll my eyes.  Lots of big names in this one, but for the life of me I couldn't warm to the main character, Jean Grey.  Didn't care what happened to her, which unfortunately was exactly what the entire movie was about.   Oh well, an early summer rainy Monday evening entertainment.

6/21/19  Pets II  (4)

      I took the kids, a really cute movie, very humorous, very much better than most of the animated movies I see - don't like many of them.  I've got to give this one a two thumbs up.  Really loved the humor.  

6/30/19  The Dead Don't Die  (4)

     2 o'clock at the Majestic in Gettysburg.  Note: It's so much fun going to this theater!   What a funny, ridiculous, creepy, random movie.  I guffawed through all the creepiness and violence of killing the poor zombies, I hate to admit.  Bill Murray and Adam Driver played off each other so perfectly, I loved them.  And to throw in the OMG-what's-this-all-about funeral director was so random and bizarre and added to the WTF format.  The entire movie was a  WTF!!!  It was also really fun to watch.  

8/11/19  Dora  (2.5)

     With the kids on a Sunday afternoon.  Kids really enjoyed it, I expected more.  There were some really cute touches, heralding back to the TV series, but otherwise it was just a little too silly/stupid.  I've been looking forward to it, so was disappointed.

8/17/19  Where'd You Go Bernadette (4)

     Camp Hill.  The movie certainly kept the integrity of the book, not changing information but giving it at different times and different ways, which was kind of fun because it kept you on your toes.  I loved the book and very much enjoyed the movie.  It was good, but not great.

8/29/19  Peanut Butter Falcon (5)

     Saw at Camp Hill, but it's not being shown in a lot of the major theaters.

     Clever and very different story of a Down Syndrome young man, a down-and-out Outer Banks fisherman, and a young woman whose mission in life seems to be to help others.  Zach, also the real name of the actor who plays the part, is 20-years old, his family has apparently abandoned him, and the state has placed him in an old folk's retirement home so he can be "watched over."  He wants to get out and live his life.  So one night he sneaks out (soaping his body to wriggle between barely opened bars on his window) and all he has as he runs away are his tightie whities.  He hides and falls asleep in a decrepit fishing boat under a tarp, and that's how he meets Tyler.  The two go on the run together and it's pretty darn heartwarming how they make friends and fulfill promises.  It was a wonderful movie...good guys and bad guys, people caring about other people, scraping by by the seat of your pants.  Definitely liked this one a lot. Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson starred, Shia LaBeouf particularly did a really good job.

9/14/19  The Goldfinch (5)

     I think this was a wonderful adaptation of the book, all the same information and facts but told in a bit of a different way.  Instead of telling the story this happened, then this happened, then this, and this is how it ends.....they started near the end and told much of the story in flashbacks.  I think it was quite cleverly done, actually.  Loved the actors.  I wonder what people who have never read the book think.  I've read so many books that I only remember the general gist of most of them, but nothing specific.  For some reason I didn't forget most of this story, and it's been years since I listened to it on audio.  I wonder why that is.  Other than it being particularly long - I guess it had to be - I really liked it.  Well done.  It cracks me up that the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes only gave it a 25%!  I'll have to go read why, but it's probably all technical stuff that I could care less about.

12/13/19 Jumanji: The Next Level (3.5)

     With Laura, Tristan and friend, Ella and friend.  Funny, funny, funny and clever.  Great actors taking on the affectations of others extremely well!

1/23/20  Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (3.5)

     The first 45 minutes were so incredibly boring that I wanted to leave and almost did.  It picked up after that.  It had the requisite flying crazily through the galaxy, saber sword fights, and running and jumping around.  Carrie Fisher was in quite a bit of it, they used outtakes from the previous movies of her face and speech, working it into the dialogue.  Interesting.  I DO love Adam Driver!

2/13/20  Downhill (2, and that's stretching it)

     A complete waste of time.  Over-acting.  Looks like it should be a comedy with two major comedians and it wasn't a comedy at all, just a sad story with of lot of pissing me off.  I can't believed it actually made it to the big screen.  And it opened on Valentine's Day - absolutely ridiculous.  This is so not a Valentine's Day movie!  When is a decent movie going to arrive?

2/25/20  Sonic the Hedgehog (3.5)

     Saw with Tristan, of course.  Surprisingly, a really fun movie!  Didn't realize James Marsden or Jim Carrey were in it, so that made it an added treat.

      

Movie - Knives Out

PG-13 (2:10)

Wide release 11/27/2019

Viewed 1/4/2020 in Carlisle, but myself

IMBd: 8.1/10

RT Critic: 97   Audience: 92

Critic's Consensus:  Knives Out sharpens old murder-mystery tropes with a keenly assembled suspense outing that makes brilliant use of writer-director Rian Johnson's stellar ensemble.

Cag:  4/Liked it

Directed by Rian Johnson

Lionsgate

Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, 

My comments:  Although the pace of the movie was a little plodding, the story was excellent.  Daniel Craig was nothing special, but the girl who played the lead protagonist was not only gorgeous but was really fun to watch.  The murder wasn't as convoluted as I had expected it to be, and there was a great deal of very subtle humor which I enjoyed a lot.  Chris Evans is such a doll!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in KNIVES OUT, a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death. With an all-star ensemble cast including Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, KNIVES OUT is a witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.

Movie - Little Women

PG

Wide release 12/25/2019

Viewed 12/29 in Carlisle with Sandy

IMBd: 8.3/10

RT Critic:  95  Audience:  93

Critic's Consensus:  With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig's Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless.

Cag:  5.5/Loved it!

Directed (and written) by Greta Gerwig

Sony Pictures

Based on the book by Louisa May Alcott

Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep

My comments:  What a fabulous movie, really cleverly written, going back-and-forth between the time of the original book and seven years into the future.  For the most part well cast, but there were a few that I wasn't so crazy about, particularly John, the tutor then husband of Meg...and there didn't seem to be enough chemistry between Amy and Laurie, at least not for me.  A wonderful movie to watch, hope it earns some awards.  Particularly loved Laura Dewrn as Marmie.  

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author's alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig's take, the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

Movie - Yesterday

PG-13 (1:52)

Wide release 6/28/19

Viewed 7/9/19 with Ella at Gettysburg RC Theater - first time here.  Great theater!

IMBd: 7.0

RT Critic:  63  Audience:  89

Critic's Consensus:  Yesterday may fall short of fab, but the end result is still a sweetly charming fantasy with an intriguing -- albeit somewhat under-explored -- premise.

Cag:  5/Loved it

Directed by Danny Boyle

Universal Pictures

My comments:  This was a fun movie with excellent actors and great music.  The story of a young man who, after an earthquake, awakens to find no one in the world remembers the Beatles or any of their music --- except him.  Lots of other little surprises along the way.  Super fun!  One that I'd watch again.  The lead guy sings all the songs himself.  Impressive.
     Ed Sheeran was in it and played himself.  VERY fun.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC's Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed... and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.

MOVIE - All Is True

PG-13 (1:41)

Limited release 5/10/2019

Viewed Memorial Day, 2019 at the Maple Theater in Bloomfield, MI - a pretty cool theater

IMBd: 5.9/10

RT Critic:  72  Audience:  76

Critic's Consensus:  Impressively cast and beautifully filmed, All Is True takes an elegiac look at Shakespeare's final days.

Cag:  5/Loved it 

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also starred

Sony Pictures Classics

Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench 

My comments:  A pretty decent movie.  All is true?!?  That's what I kept wondering as I watched this movie...how much is true and how much is just of the author's imagination?  How much is based on tidbits of information?  There's so much controversy about Shakespeare, the man and the myth, lol!  There's even a huge faction that say it wasn't even a guy named Shakespeare that did the actual writing of any of the plays.  This movie was totally interesting, thought-provoking, and whether it is true or not, was a great piece of historical storytelling.  The poor older gent behind me fell asleep, I suppose it was slower going than the adventure-packed stuff that is thrust down our throats for the last couple of years.  I really enjoyed this one a lot.  And Branagh's depiction of the bard is a blast to watch!  AND with Judith Dench as Anne...be still my heart!

RT/ IMDb Summary  The year is 1613, Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground, and devastated, Shakespeare returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters. In so doing, he is ruthlessly forced to examine his own failings as husband and father. His very personal search for the truth uncovers secrets and lies within a family at war.

Movie - Breakthrough

PG (1:30)

Wide release 4/17/19

Viewed Sunday, May 19th, 2019 in Chambersburg

IMBd: 4.5/10

RT Critic:  60  Audience:  83

Critic's Consensus:  Like its lead character, Breakthrough is fiercely focused on faith -- but its less subtle elements are balanced by strong performances and an uplifting story.

Cag:  4.5 Liked it a lot despite so many religious overtones

Directed by Roxann Dawson

20th Century Fox

Based on the book by the mom, Joyce Smith (not the Joyce Smith I grew up with....)

Topher Grace, Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Mike Colter

My comments:  Interesting, well-done, and not too religious.  Based on a true story.  A faith-based movie about a young man who drowned and should've never lived, but did.  Without brain damage, without lung damage, and with the whole town pulling for him.  Definitely a miracle, but was open ended enough so that if you don't believe in "God" it gives you lots of food for thought.  I didnn't feel like faith or belief-in-God and Jesus was being shoved down my throat.  My favorite person to watch was Topher Grace, who played the pastor.  He was just terrific, as was Mike Colter who played the firefighter who finally found John and pulled him out of the water.  A solid 4...maybe even a 4.5....

RT/ IMDb Summary  BREAKTHROUGH is based on the inspirational true story of one mother's unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith's adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John's recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. From producer DeVon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven) and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds) from Joyce Smith's own book, BREAKTHROUGH is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle.

Movie - The Hustle

PG-13 (1:33)

Wide release 5/10/19

Viewed on Mother's Day 5/15/19 RC Hanover Theater, early afternoon
IMBd: 5.3

RT Critic: 14   Audience:  48

Critic's Consensus:  The Hustle's stars might make an effective comedy team in a different setting, but this gender-flipped remake of a remake adds little beyond its feminine twist.

Cag:  4/liked it quite a bit, funny
Directed by Chris Addison

MGM

Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway

My comments:  Well that was fun.  Cute and entertaining.  Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson played off each other really well as two con artists working both against each other and together.  Entertaining, lush setting, and funny.  Not hysterical, but enough good laughts.  Finally, a comedy that is funny but not stupid, yippee.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway have winning chemistry as a pair of con artists plying their trade in a stunning seaside town in the south of France. Josephine Chesterfield (Hathaway) is a glamorous, seductive Brit with a sprawling home in Beaumont-sur-Mer and a penchant for defrauding gullible wealthy men from all corners of the world. Into her well-ordered, meticulously moneyed world bursts Penny Rust (Wilson), an Aussie who is as free-form and fun-loving as Josephine is calculated and cunning. Where Penny amasses wads of cash by ripping off her marks in neighborhood bars, Josephine fills her safe with massive diamonds after ensnaring her prey in glitzy casinos. Despite their different methods, both are masters of the art of the fleece so they con the men that have wronged women. Wilson's talent for physicality and Hathaway's withering wit are a combustible combination as the pair of scammers pull out all the stops to swindle a naïve tech billionaire

Movie - Five Feet Apart

PG-13 (1:56)

Wide release March 15, 2019: Streaming 6/11/19

Viewed April 6, 2019 with Ella Bella

IMBd: 7.2

RT Critic:  55  Audience:   79

Critic's Consensus:  Elevated considerably by Haley Lu Richardson's performance but bogged down by clichés, Five Feet Apart doesn't tug at the heartstrings quite as deftly as it should.

Cag:  4 Liked more than I care to admit, despite the tears....

Directed by Justin Baldoni

CBS Films

Based on the book by Rachael Lippincott

Haley Lou Richardson, Cole Sprouse

My comments:  I did not...I repeat I did NOT want to go see this movie, but Laura didn't want to either, so guess who took the person who really, really wanted to see it?  I knew it would be a tearjerker and I certainly wasn't wrong.  First half of the movie was great, learned a lot about cystic fibrosis.  I greatly enjoyed the splendid cast.  The second half of the movie is when all the tearjerking started.  Very poignant.  You could hear the sniffling and nose blowing throughout the theater.  Ella grabbed my hand many times.  She tried not to sob.  She'd read the book, so she knew what was going to happen and when I asked she said the movie was following the book fairly well.  I learned a lot, shed tears I did not want to shed, and was left terribly depressed.  How to rate?  Tough.  If I went with my emotions it would be very low, but it was well-done and memorable with terrific acting.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an impossibly charming teen who has the same illness. There's an instant flirtation, through restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction.

MOVIE - Captain Marvel

PG-13 (2:08)

Wide release 3/8/19

Viewed Sunday evening 3/10/19 in Carlisle

IMBd: 7.1/10

RT Critic: 79   Audience:  62

Critic's Consensus:  Packed with action, humor, and visual thrills, Captain Marvel introduces the MCU's latest hero with an origin story that makes effective use of the franchise's signature formula.

Cag:  3.5

Directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Marvel Studios

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law

My comments:  Not much to say, hard to follow at the beginning, somehow came together near the end, as usual a lot of battle scenes that I'm not very fond of - I'm sure most of the younger kids watching in the theater with me didn't understand much of what was going on but, oh well.

RT/ IMDb Summary  The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

MOVIE - How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World

PG (1:50)

Wide release 2/22/2019

Viewed after school on 2/25/29 with Tristan at Carlisle 8

RT Critic:  91  Audience:  87

Critic's Consensus:  The rare trilogy capper that really works, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion.

Cag:  3.5 

Directed by Dean DeBlois

Universal Pictures

My comments:  Definitely better than some of the previous "animated" movies I've seen...kept me entertained and Tristan enthralled.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Now chief and ruler of Berk alongside Astrid, Hiccup has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and Toothless must leave the only home they've known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. As their true destines are revealed, dragon and rider will fight together-to the very ends of the Earth-to protect everything they've grown to treasure.

MOVIE - Isn't It Romantic

PG-13

Wide release 2/13/19

Viewed date at 2/18/19 with Ella in Carlisle

IMBd:  6/10

RT Critic:  70  Audience:  51

Critic's Consensus:  It follows as many genre conventions as it mocks, but Isn't It Romantic is a feel-good rom-com with some satirical bite -- and a star well-suited for both.

Cag:  3/liked it

Directed by  Todd Strauss-Schulson

New Line Cinema

Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine, Priyanka Chopra

My comments:  Very cute movie, wish there was more singing and dancing.  The finale was great, a song a dance number in the middle of an empty midtown street in New York City.  Ella love it.

RT/ IMDb Summary  New York City architect Natalie works hard to get noticed at her job but is more likely to be asked to deliver coffee and bagels than to design the city's next skyscraper. And if things weren't bad enough, Natalie, a lifelong cynic when it comes to love, has an encounter with a mugger that renders her unconscious, waking to discover that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare -- a romantic comedy -- and she is the leading lady.

MOVIE - Glass

PG-13 (1:50)

Wide release 1/18/19

Viewed 1/22/19 at Carlisle 8

IMBd: 7/10

RT Critic:  37  Audience:  74

Critic's Consensus:  Glass displays a few glimmers of M. Night Shyamalan at his twisty world-building best, but ultimately disappoints as the conclusion to the writer-director's long-gestating trilogy.

Cag:    4/Liked it a lot

Directed by M. Night Shyamalen

Universal Pictures

Bruce Willis, James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson

My comments:  Good move, what I would call a psychological thriller.  James McAvoy was wonderful as the multi-split-personality creepo that he apparently portrayed in the movie Split a year or so back.  Wish I had seen it.  Then I discovered that the Bruce Willis character and the Samuel Jackson characters were in a previous movie together, and this must've been somewhat of a continuation?  It didn't matter because you didn't have to see either one of those to totally get drawn into this one.  I was a little nervous that I was not going to understand, at the end, what we really going on, but they did give enough information to make it completely understandable.  It take place in Philadelphia and was filmed in Philadelphia and Allentown, apparently.   Good entertainment.

RT/ IMDb Summary  From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast. Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb's superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.