Movie - Despicable Me 4

PG (1:34)

Wide release 7/3/2024

Viewed 7/29/2024 with Tristan at the Carlisle Theater

IMBd:  6.3/10

RT Critic:  56  Audience:  88

Critic's Consensus:  Fast paced and teeming with slapstick gags, Despicable Me 4 is as overstuffed as a piñata but full of enough candy to give audiences an enjoyable sugar rush.

Cag:   4/Liked it a lot 

My comments:  I wasn't looking forward to it (animated!) but Tristan said he'd like to go, and I'm taking every opportunity to spend time with this now-14-year-old!  It ended up being a very good movie that I liked a lot.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Gru welcomes a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who's intent on tormenting his dad. However, their peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru.

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 - Smallfoot

PG (1:49)

Wide RELEASE 9/28/18

Viewed 10/1/2018 with Tristan

RT Critic: 75   Audience:  65
Critic's Consensus:  Smallfootoffers a colorful distraction that should keep younger viewers entertained - and a story whose message might even resonate with older audiences.

Cag:  2

Directed by Karey Kirkpatrick

Warner Brothers

Channing Tatum

My comments:  Actually fell asleep, a first....

RT/ IMDb Summary  An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all-star cast, Smallfoot turns the Bigfoot legend upside down when a bright young Yeti finds something he thought didn't exist -- a human. News of this Smallfoot throws the simple Yeti community into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village, in an all new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery.

MOVIE - Sherlock Gnomes

PG (1:26)

Wide release 3/23/18

Viewed with Tristan, after school on Thursday, March 29, 2018

RT Critic: 27   Audience:  36
Critic's Consensus:  Sherlock Gnomes is sadly, utterly stumped by the mystery of the reason for its own existence.

Cag:  1

Directed by John Stevenson

Paramount Pictures

My comments:  Always fun to take T to a movie, just the two of us, and he enjoyed this.  But for me, yuckety yuck yuck.....

RT/ IMDb Summary:  When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing there's only one gnome to call SHERLOCK GNOMES. The famous detective and sworn protector of London's garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.

MOVIE - Despicable Me 3

PG (1:30)

Wide Release 6-30-17

Viewed 7/27/17 with Tristan and Ella (Carlisle 8)
IMBd: 6.4/10

RT Critic:  61  Audience:  58
Critic's Consensus: Despicable Me 3 should keep fans of the franchise consistently entertained with another round of colorful animation and zany -- albeit somewhat scattershot -- humor.

Cag:  2

Directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, Eric Guillon

Universal Pictures

My comments:  Yup, cute...another cute movie.  Got the biggest kick out of watching Tristan and listening to Ella, who kept giggling.  The Minions had a very small part, unfortunately.  I like those little guys, especially listening to them talk....

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters-Margo, Edith and Agnes-and the Minions in Despicable Me 3. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination's Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud. Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central's global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon. Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who's grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the '80s, and proves to be Gru's most formidable nemesis to date. 

MOVIE - Trolls

PG 91:40)

Wide Nov. 4, 2016

Viewed July 10 with Laura, Ella & Tristan (Dollar Morning Summer Movie) at Carlisle 8
IMBd: 6.5/10

RT Critic:  74  Audience:  68
Critic's Consensus:  Trolls brings its instantly recognizable characters to the big screen in a colorful adventure that, while geared toward the younger set, isn't without rewards for parents.

Cag:  3 Liked it - very cute

Directed by Walt Dohrn & Mike Mitchell

Studio Dreamworks Animation

Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christine Baranski

My comments:  This was an extremely cute movie.  I didn't really want to see it, I just wanted to spend some time with the kids.  So I went.  And I enjoyed it!  Anna Kendrick spoke and sang the lead and Justin Timberlake, although he didn't sing until the end, played Branch, the other protagonist.  The evil chef, preparer of troll stew, was unmistakably Christine Baranski.  very cute with, of course, a great moral - everyone has happiness, or the possibility of it, inside themselves.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  DreamWorks Animation's TROLLS is an irreverent comedy extravaganza with incredible music! From the genius creators of SHREK, TROLLS stars Anna Kendrick as Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch, played by Justin Timberlake. Together, this unlikely pair of Trolls must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they've ever known.

MOVIE - Boss Baby

PG (1:37)

Wide release 3/31/17

Viewed 4/21/17 with Tristan
IMBd: 6.3/10

RT Critic:  52  Audience:  51
Critic's Consensus: The Boss Baby's talented cast, glimmers of wit, and flashes of visual inventiveness can't make up for a thin premise and a disappointing willingness to settle for doody jokes

Cag:  2.5

Directed by Tom McGrath

DreamWorks Animation

Alec Baldwin (BossBaby voice)

My comments:  Friday night with Tristan - incredibly far fetched concept that doesn't really make sense in multiple ways, but entertaining nonetheless.  Tristan seemed to enjoy it, cut could't really tell me what it was about or what his favorite part was.  The teenager sitting beside me laughed all through it so it certainly help appeal for some! I've certainly seen worse.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  DreamWorks Animation and the director of Madagascar invite you to meet a most unusual baby. He wears a suit, speaks with the voice and wit of Alec Baldwin, and stars in the animated comedy, DreamWorks' The Boss Baby. The Boss Baby is a hilariously universal story about how a new baby's arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator, a wildly imaginative 7 year old named Tim. With a sly, heart-filled message about the importance of family, DreamWorks' The Boss Baby is an authentic and broadly appealing original comedy for all ages.

MOVIE - Secret Life of Pets

PG (1:30)

Wide release 7-8-16

Viewed end of August, just before returning to Tucson for the last time, with Ella and Tristan

RT Critic:  74  Audience:  62
Critic's Consensus:  Fast-paced, funny, and blessed with a talented voice cast, The Secret Life of Pets offers a beautifully animated, cheerfully undemanding family-friendly diversion.

Cag:  3  Liked it

Directed by Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud

Universal Pictures

My comments:  Cute.  Didn't drive me too crazy. Both the kids enjoyed it.  Really not too bad.....

RT/ IMDb Summary:      For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in The Secret Life of Pets, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.

MOVIE - Finding Dory

PG (1:40)

Wide release 6/16/16

Viewed twice between August and September, 2016

RT Critic:  94  Audience:  84
Critic's Consensus:  Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor's classic story.

Cag: 4 

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus Maclane

Walt Disney Studios/Pixar

My comments:  Although I saw this twice - once with each set of grandkids - I never wrote down my actual reaction/review at the time.  I don't usually like animated films, but this one was not too bad, 90% of them I'd never go to twice!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  "Finding Dory" reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the true meaning of family along the way. The all-new big-screen adventure dives into theaters in 2016, taking moviegoers back to the extraordinary underwater world from the original film.

MOVIE - Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Road Chip

G (1:26)

Wide/ release 12/18/15

Saw it on 12/23/15 at the Carlisle 8 with Ella and Tristan
RT Critic: 14   Audience:  60

Cag:  4/Actually liked this one a lot
Ella:  "Very funny, cute fictional movie, totally worth going."
Tristan:  "It was good."

Directed by Walt Becker

20th Century Fox
Justin Long did the voice of Alvin, but also co-wrote, which is kind of cool...

My comments:  I've yawned my way (or rolled my eyes through) the previous Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, but this one was cute and entertaining.  Of course, the two cutie pies sitting on either side of me helped my personal enjoyment a great deal!

RT Summary:  When Dave (Jason Lee) introduces Alvin, Simon, and Theodore to his new girlfriend Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and her troublemaking son Miles (Josh Green), the chipmunks begin to panic at the thought of Dave proposing to her while on a trip to Miami. Fearing that they will be sent back to the forest if the relationship becomes too serious, the three decide to head to Florida to stop the proposal. Luckily, Miles isn't thrilled with the idea of having a stepfather, so he decides to accompany them on their zany road trip

MOVIE - Frozen

PG (1:25)

Wide Release 11/27/2013 

Viewed January 1, 2014 (We tried during Thanksgiving vacation, but it was sold out) with Ella at the Carlisle 8

RT Critic: 89 Audience:  90

Cag:  4.5/Liked it a whole lot  Ella:  6/Awesome

Directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee

Walt Disney Pictures

Idina Menzel (Elsa) Kristin Bell (Anna)

My comments:  This was a great story - at the end it said it's based on the story of the Snow Queen, which I'm apparently not familiar with, so I'll have to look it up.  The faces of all the characters were really beautifully crafted, giving each a distinct personality.  And the winter-ness of it all was just spectacular!  (Both Ella and I really enjoyed the little snowman, Olaf, and all his antics...)

Ella's comments:  I really liked crystals and freezing.  I loved the end when Anna turns to ice and her sister hugs her and starts to cry. I really liked the music - everything about it...the singing, the songs, and the singers.

Rotten Tomatoes:  Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, "Frozen" is the coolest comedy-adventure ever to hit the big screen. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

Movie - Monster's University

G (1:35)

Wide Release 6-21-13

Viewed With Ella at Carlisle

RT Critic: 78 Audience: 86

Cag: 4 - Liked it a lot

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Walt Disney Pictures

Rotten Tomato Summary:  "Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn't always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. "Monsters University" unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends." 

My comments:  I hadn't seen the first Monsters movie, so I had no idea what it was about.  I've gotta say, this was a pretty darn decent movie.  It was fun to watch Ella as she watched it, but I became quite engrossed myself.  A good flick, I'd watch it again (which is pretty high praise from me, since I'm definitely NOT an animated movie lover).

MOVIE: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Chipwrecked

Date night with Ella!
Wide release 12/16/11
Thursday night 12/29/11 with Ella in Carlisle
G (1:27)
RT: Critics 13% Audience: 53%
cag:  Liked it (it was cute)
Director:  Mike Mills
Focus Features

Dave takes Alvin, Theodore, and Simon, as well as the Chipettes, on a cruise.  They live it up, but when parasailing without Dave's permission, go sailing off the ship, over the ocean, and landing on a a deserted island. 

Ella's favorite part:  When the Chipettes sing.

MOVIE: Gnomeo and Juliet

Ho Hum
Released 2-11-11
G (1:24)
3-1-11 at El Con with Rachel G.
RT: 54 cag: 58
Director: Kelly Asbury
Voices include James McAvoy and Emily Blunt
the music's by Elton John, and if I remember right, he produced it, too.

Next door to each other, in contemporary England, live the garden gnomes of the Capulets and the garden gnomes of the Montagues. They come to life whenever there's no human in the vicinity. They, too, hate each other for no remembered reason, just as the humans do. They are constantly trying to outdo and out race each other. Then Gnomeo and Juliet meet and fall in love. I more or less follows the same story, but they don't die at the end, they life happily ever after.

It wasn't boring, but it sure wasn't great. It was rated G and a movie I could take a ten-year-old lady to see. So it served its purpose.