Eddie the Eagle

Eddie the Eagle

Rating 7 out of 10

Back in the 80s there was a young man in England that had braces on his legs to correct bad knees.  He had nearly zero athletic ability, yet after watching the Olympics on tv he was determined he would somehow make it to the Olympics.  Not win a gold medal.  He didn't set the bar that high.  He just wanted to make it to the Olympics.  This was a true story.  I kinda remember the press talking about Eddie back in the 1988 Olympics.

He tries several different events that might take him to the Olympics before settling on being a ski jumper.  It did not matter that most ski jumpers start at the age of six and he was in his early twenties.  Nor did it matter to Eddie that England had not sent a single ski jumper to the Olympics in fifty plus years.  Or that the English Olympic committee thought he was a joke and wanted nothing to do with him embarrassing the country at any event.  The problem was since they had no other ski jumpers not much was needed to qualify.  Eddie gets a loan from his mother and heads to Canada to learn how to jump.  There he finds a begrudging ex-jumper (Hugh Jackman) who likes him but sees more of a chance of making it to the ER than the Olympics.  He likes Eddie (Taron Egerton) and of course eventually comes around.

This is a sweet and harmless movie.  It won't set your hair on fire nor will you regret seeing it.  I was entertained and cheered a few times when I mostly knew the outcome.  It's a good movie you can take the family to.

Royce's Oscar Predictions 2016

Royce's Oscar Predictions 2016

As I say every year I don't really watch the Oscars.  Rarely agree with the nominees much less the winners.  I wait for Ted Cashin's recap.  This year I am pleasantly surprised at the good movies and actors nominated and am a Chris Rock fan.  I will probably record and watch the next day to fast forward thru the bloated musical numbers.  Here are my predictions.

Best Picture

The Big Short- Enjoyed this movie alot.  Paid for a second viewing as I was pretty sure I missed many of the details the first time.  I will most likely buy the dvd.  Good acting. Well made. Deserves the nomination.

Bridge of Spies- Well made documentary type of movie.  Can't go wrong with any movie with Tom Hanks.  A little on the slow side often and in my opinion has no chance of winning.

Brooklyn-  The only nominated movie I have not seen.  Heard good things about it and plan to see on dvd.

Mad Max- Fury Road-  I am shocked at the award attention this movie is getting.  I thought it was okay as an action movie, but not particularly well made.  A mostly basic plot in a type movie that satisfies action movie guys and then goes away.

The Martian-  My favorite movie out of the bunch.  It started strong and seems to have lost steam a bit.  Very entertaining.  Could have been a little better.  I'd be happy if it won, but don't see it happening.

The Revenant-  The type of bloated, big name actors, lots of nature shots video that often wins the Oscar.  I thought it was okay.  Too long. Pretty basic plot that is told in the two minute preview.

Spotlight- Great acting and good story telling.  A little surprised by it's nomination even tho the Academy does like to push the envelope.

Who Should win- I'd like to see the Martian or The Big Short win.

Who Will Win- It's looking like Leo will finally get his statue and The Revenant is coming along for the ride.

Best Lead Actor

Bryan Cranston for Trumbo.  I have heard it was pretty good.  Cranston is a great actor.  I'll watch on dvd.

Matt Damon for the Martian- Some I know had reservations of Damon in this role.  I thought it was great.  Can't think of anyone that would have been better.

Leonardo DiCaprio for the Revenant-  As I said I think this is Leo's year.  I thought he overacted a bit, but what the heck.  He crawled inside a dead horse.

Michael Fassbender- for Steve Jobs-  Deserves the nomination.  Some didn't think he did enough to look like Jobs. I thought he did a great job.

Eddie Redmayne for the Danish Girl-  Not my kind of movie. I'm sure he does a good job.

Who should win- I would probably give it to Fassbender or Damon.

Who Will Win-  Congrats Leo.  Now leave us alone.


Best Lead Actress

Cate Blanchett for Carol- I'm sorry.  I think Blanchett is the most overrated actress working.  Don't care for her at all. Didn't see this movie.

Brie Larson for Room-  Never saw Room, but thought she was fantastic in Trainwreck.  This movie looks kinda weird.

Jennifer Lawrence for Joy-  I have heard she is good in this movie.  Could not bring myself to see this tho.  No one else did either.  Big box office flop.

Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years-  I have never heard of Rampling or this movie.

Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn-  Didn't see this movie either. She is a good actress.

Who should win-  Didn't see any of these movies.  I like Brie Larson the best of the bunch.

Who Will Win- People are betting on Larson so I hope she wins.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale for The Big Short-  They got the right movie, but picked the wrong actor.  Steve Carell was much better.

Tom Hardy for the Revenant-  I am a big Hardy fan.  I just don't think he did that much in this movie.

Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight-  Ruffalo was intense in this movie and did a good job.  Deserves the nomination.

Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies- I hated this creepy character in the movie.  That shows me he did a good job.

Sylvester Stallone for Creed-  Stallone is fantastic.  Thought it was his best bit of acting.

Who should win- Sylvester Stallone

Who will Win-  Give Stallone the statue now.

Best Supporting Actress


Jennifer Jason Leigh for The Hateful Eight-  She was very good as the nasty toothless bad girl.

Rooney Mara for Carol-  Didn't see this movie and don't really care for her much.

Rachel McAdams for Spotlight-  I like McAdams and she was okay but nothing special here.

Alicia Vikander for the Danish Girl-  I like her in other movies.  Didn't see this one.

Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs- Winslet is excellent as the only woman who will stand up to the scary and powerful Steve Jobs.

Who should win- I think Kate Winslet went most out the box with her character.  Many did not realize it was her until the end of the movie.

Who Will Win- Oddsmakers are picking Vikander.  I stick with Winslet.

How to Be Single

How to Be Single

Rating 6 out of 10

I had a roofers rain day and wanted to catch a movie.  Had to decide between How to Be Single and seeing Deadpool again (still plan to see that again).  Expectations were very low for Single so I thought I'd give it a try.  Overall it was better than I thought it would be, but as I said the bar was set pretty low.

The movie centers around four females in different phases of being single.  Alice (Dakota Johnson) takes a break from long time boyfriend and goes to the big city to find herself.  Her older sister Meg (Leslie Mann) is a doctor that works all the time and feels no need for a man.  She soon meets Robin (Rebel Wilson) who is the wild and crazy one determined to train Alice to drink alot and sleep with many men like she does.  The forth lady is Lucy (Alison Brie).  A romantic the lives above the local watering hole that is determined to find her future husband.

I got tired of Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy schtick about thirty minutes into the first Pitch Perfect movie.  Glad to say even though she loads it up here she is a fairly small part of the movie.  The movie plays along for a few years in the life of very different single gals.  It's funny at times.  Sad in others.  The main actors are good enough and some of the background guys are good too.

I was mildly entertained.  I think for a ladies night it would make a good enough outing.

Deadpool

Deadpool

Rating 9 out of 10

This is not your normal Avenger/X-men type of superhero movie.  That turns out is a good thing.  I'm glad to say a very anticipated movie is as good as the hype.  I'm also lucky enough to have a Hottie that wanted to see the movie as much as I did even tho there seems to be a holiday this weekend.  I am a lucky guy.

Wade Wilson (the fantastic Ryan Reynolds) is a fairly low level thug tough guy that inflicts revenge on people that need it for money.  He is a hard drinker that likes the females and has a very quick wit.  All this until he meets Vanessa (The beautiful Morena Baccarin) who is his match in every way.  Life is going great until he finds he has late stage cancer and not long to live.  When a mysterious stranger offers him a way to beat the odds at first he resists. Realizing the only way to stay with Vanessa is to deal with the stranger he commits.  He quickly realized he made a mistake and these are very bad people.  They rid the cancer and they also make him indestructible.  The problem is he is hideous to look at.  He vows for revenge and in a rough and ugly way.  This is a HARD R rated movie and not for ten year olds.  The fighting is pretty brutal at times.  A couple sex scenes.  

What makes the movie above average is Ryan Reynolds.  This is the part he was born to do.  He is so quick witted and funny.  I can't remember a movie I have laughed at as much as this one.  The movie has it all.  If the blood gets to you this might be one to skip.  I was highly entertained and am already making plans to see it again.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Rating 5 out of 10

Every two years when I renew my Man Card at the Manly Man Institute I have to fill out the questionnaire.  Have you left the toilet seat up on several occasions?  Check.  Have you refused to hold a womans purse while she went to the bathroom?  Check. Have you maintained control of the remote at all times?  Check.  Have you gone to see a movie you were pretty sure would not be good just because it had hot women killing Vampires, Nazi's, Ninja's or Zombies?  Check, check, check and check!  It's all part of the things we have to do.

It's been a while since I saw Pride and Prejudice and to be honest I think I slept thru part of it.  In this version back in the 1800's England there has been an outbreak of zombie attacks.  They have built a wall and a moat around London to try to keep them out.  The upper crust as you would expect have sent their kids off to Japan and China to learn the art of fighting to be able to fend off the zombies when they attack.

Four sisters are at the center of this tale as concerned with finding a good husband as they are dealing with the undead.  There are other parts to the story but it really does not matter.  The zombie killing scenes are entertaining.  The rest not as much.

I was mildly entertained and got to check a box.