MOVIE - Masterminds

PG-13 (1:30)

Wide release 9/29/16

Viewed Sunday, 10/20/16 at Century Gateway

RT Critic: 32   Audience:  46
Critic's Consensus:  Masterminds' great cast and stranger-than-fiction true story are largely wasted on a scattershot comedy with a handful of funny moments and far too much wackiness.

Cag:  3.5 Great fun!

Directed by  Jared Hess

Relativity Media
Based on a true story, believe it or not!

Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis

My comments:  This flick was a freaking riot - a funny, farcical movie!  Just plain stupid and fun...over-the-top, non-stop laughs with nothing drawn out or overdone, time flew by.  How they could do all they did without cracking up constantly is beyond me!  It siad at the beginning this this was based on a true story, and a bit of research proves that is true, which is really hard to believe!  At the end they showed photos of Galifianakis and Wilson with their "real" counterparts.  Crazy!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  In this action comedy based on true events, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite; Nacho Libre), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people's money with no escape in sight. The only glimmer of excitement is his flirtatious work crush Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) who soon lures him into the scheme of a lifetime. Along with a group of half-brained criminals led by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and an absurdly faulted heist plan, David manages the impossible and makes off with $17 million in cash...only problem is he foolishly hands the money over to this wild group of double crossers and has been set up to take the fall. With the bandits blowing the millions on lavish and ridiculous luxuries, they leave behind a glaring trail of evidence. Now on the lam and in over his head, David must dodge the authorities, evade a hilarious hit man, Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis), and try to turn the tables on the ones he trusted most.

MOVIE - Nine Lives

PG (1;27)

Wide release 8/5/16

Viewed Monday, August 15, 2016 at the Carlisle-8

RT Critic:  8  Audience:  44
Critic's Consensus:  Not meow, not ever.

Cag:  3.5 Great fun even if not top-notch literature

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

EuropaCorp

Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner

My comments: For such a low-rated film, Ella and I certainly enjoyed it! It was light family entertainment...even any nail-biting parts were not actually nail-biting because it was the kind of film that you knew everything would come out all right in the end.  Well worth a couple of hours in recliners with a big bucket of popcorn!

RT Summary:  Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a daredevil billionaire at the top of his game. His eponymous company FireBrand is nearing completion on its greatest achievement to date - the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere. But Tom's workaholic lifestyle has disconnected him from his family, particularly his beautiful wife Lara (Jennifer Garner) and his adoring daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman). Rebecca's 11th birthday is here, and she wants the gift she wants every year, a cat. Tom hates cats, but he is without a gift and time is running out. His GPS directs him to a mystical pet store brimming with odd and exotic cats- where the store's eccentric owner- Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken), presents him with a majestic tomcat, named Mr. Fuzzypants. En route to his daughter's party, Tom has a terrible accident. When he regains consciousness he discovers that somehow, he has become trapped inside the body of the cat. Adopted by his own family, he begins to experience what life is truly like for the family pet, and as a cat, Tom begins to see his family and his life through a new and unexpected perspective. Meanwhile, his family adjusts to life with an odd and stubborn cat, and his son David (Robbie Amell), steps up in ways Tom never expected. If any hope exists of returning to his family as the husband and father they deserve, Tom will have to learn why he has been placed in this peculiar situation and the great lengths he must go to earn back his human existence

MOVIE - Blended

PG-13 (1:31)
Wide release 5/23/2014
Viewed last week of August, 2014 at cheap theater
RT Critic:  14   Audience:  66
cag: 3 As ridiculous as it was, I liked it
Directed by Frank Coraci
Warner Brothers Studio

Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore

My thoughts:  I knew exactly what this movie was going to be - stupid and silly and funny and mostly pointless.  It was all of that.  But it was Adam Sandler and it was funny, yup, stupidly clever all over the place.  It was a waste of time and it was just what I needed.  Both.

RT Summary:  After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week in "Blended," the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

MOVIE - Grown Ups 2

PG-13 (1:41)

Wide Release 7-12-13

Viewed at Century Cheapies on Kolb, Friday 11-22-2013

RT Critic: 7 Audience:  57

Cag: 3 liked it although it was REALLY stupid (it HAS made over $133 million dollars!)

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Sony Pictures

Adam Sandler et al

My comments:  I liked Grown Ups (the first one) and I knew this would probably be the last chance to see this version on the "big screen," so off I went.  I really like to see a movie after school on Friday, and I've been shooting for light faire (Friday is a really tough day at school, full and intense) so this actually fit the bill perfectly.  It certainly wasn't profound or cleverly funny; it was just plain silly and fun to watch.  Yup.  Fun.  It was perfect for the mood I was in, just what I'd expected (and I always enjoy Adam Sandler, no matter how stupid....).

Rotten Tomatoes:  The all-star comedy cast from Grown Ups returns (with some exciting new additions) for more summertime laughs. Lenny (Adam Sandler) has relocated his family back to the small town where he and his friends grew up. This time around, the grown ups are the ones learning lessons from their kids on a day notoriously full of surprises: the last day of school.

MOVIE - Austenland

PG-13 (1:37)

Limited release 8/16/2013

Viewed 11/14/2013

RT Critic 32: Audience: 71

Cag: 3/Liked it a lot more than I thought I would

Directed by Jerusha Hess

Sony Pictures Classics

Keri Russell

My commentsThis was the very last day this was playing .... forever ... on the big screen, so I decided to go see it, even if it did look stupid AND I'd not liked the book at all.  Pleasant surprise.  I liked the movie!  Although I knew the major "stuff," it didn't matter, it was a just-plain-fun movie.  Keri Russell was fun to watch after seeing her play an entirely different role all last season on The Americans.  Lots of places to guffaw.  (However, it didn't add to my dislike of Jane Seymour....)

Rotten Tomatoes summary: Twilight author Stephanie Meyer makes her first foray into film producing with this romantic comedy about a 30-something woman whose lifelong obsession with all things Jane Austen lead her to an eccentric theme park based on the author's writings, and into the company of a handsome young suitor. For as long as she can remember, Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) has treasured the writings of the author behind such literary classics as Emma, and Pride & Prejudice. For years, Jane had been stashing away funds in hopes that someday she would be able to afford a trip to Austenland - a place where the die-hard fan can be completely immersed in the elegant world of the beloved author. When Jane finally manages to save up enough, she excitedly packs her bags and books a room. Upon arriving, Jane quickly discovers that Austenland is everything she had ever imagined. Every detail is exquisite, save for one small exception: Jane's limited funds mean that she can't enjoy the same luxury experience as the other, wealthier bachelorettes who currently populate Austenland, but she decides to make the most of her trip regardless. Later, when Jane falls into a romance with a dashing young servant, a lifetime of dreams suddenly begin to come true.

27. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich

#14 Stephanie Plum
Audio read by Lorelei King

7 unabridged cds

Macmillan Audio, 2008

310 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.98

My rating: 4/Really good - very, very funny

Adult "murder" mystery

Setting: contemporary Trenton, NJ

1st line/s:

My comments:  Okay, this one was funny (yes, ridiculous.....) but funny!  I've found that you have to read these with tongue-in-cheek.  Stephanie's antics seem to be calming down quite a bit, but Lula's are still going strong, and the variety of odd characters that Stephanie acquires - and accepts - without questions is wonderfully fun.  And Grandma Mazer.....I want to meet her...or BE her...in another 25 years!

Goodreads summary:  Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.

The Crime:  Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars.  Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one. The Cousin:  Joe Morelli.  Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family.
The Complications:  Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux. Less than a week after Dom’s release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He’s getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.  The Catastrophe:  Moonman.   Morelli hires Walter “Mooner” Dunphy, stoner and “inventor” turned crime fighter, to protect his house. Morelli can’t afford a lot on a cop’s salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.  The Cupcake:  Stephanie Plum.  Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She’s a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she’s involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.  The Crisis:  A favor for Ranger.  Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie’s evening activities.  The Conclusion:  Only the fearless should read Fourteen.

Tree Ring Circus - Adam Rex

Harcourt Inc., 2006
"the first book he's written"
$16.00
32 pages
Rating: 4.5
Endpapers: Thick, vertical two-tone yellow stripes

"One seed in the ground,
three miles out of town.
One dark little rain cloud,
then two clouds,
then three.
One fast-growing trteet where the seed used to be."

And ok, what a tree. As more and more animals -- and a clown -- perch in the tree, we see a traveling circus arrive. Now eight cages of circus animals get loose and join the tree-sitters. What happens next made me snicker out loud.

The way that Adam Rex illustrated the chanting, rhyming verse of all the animals together is a sight to behold.

"a cat who climbed up but can't find her way down,
3 chipmunks,
two sparrows,
a whopping big bee,
five mice and a raven
all live in the tree."

Grandpappy Snippy Snappies - Lynn Plourde

Illustrated by Christopher Santoro
Harcourt, 2009
$17.99
Ages 3-6t
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Red

I usually adore Lynn Plourde's writing - rhyme, rhythm, clever wordplay and wonderful words. However, I didn't seem to get caught up into these snappin' red suspenders. So I read it a second time, and a third. And I got into the silliness - and the cleverness - and now I can't wait to read it to Ella!

Grandpappy snaps his red suspenders to "fix" things -- and flixes them in crazy ways. Cows stuck in mud end up flying through the sky raining milk. He sends the derailed mail train to Mars. But when all the snippy snappy goes out of the suspenders....and just as he's about to save Grandmammy from a flock of crows --- well --- you'll never guess what happens!

Yes, this is perfect for little 'uns - say 2 1/2 to 5ish...