The Huntsman: Winter War

The Huntsman: Winter War

Rating 6 out of 10

This movie was one I wanted to see at first glance.  I like the actors and generally like this type of movie.  I didn't realize it was a kind of sequel to the 2012 Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart that I didn't care for much.  Even tho this movie is getting killed in the reviews (17% on Rottentomatoes.com) I make it a point to see every movie that Jessica Chastain puts out.  Turns out the Hottie has the same mission with Chris Hemsworth is in.  So contractually we had to go see this movie.

This movie starts out just before the Snow White saga and then continues.  No Snow White or Kristen in this movie.  We have the two queen sisters Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and Freya (Emily Blunt) each more evil than the other.  When a bad thing happens to Freya early on she turns from kinda good to a very bad version Elsa in the Frozen cartoon.  She moves to the North and gathers an army intent on ruling the world without any version of Love.  She takes children from the kingdoms she defeats and raises them to server her as warrior (Huntsmen).  In the first group of kids is Sara (Chastain) and the Huntsman (Hemsworth).  They are the ultimate warriors and soon fall for each other.

The battle scenes at best.  Filmed way too close and choppy.  The story is thin but mildly entertaining. It's better than the reviews are giving credit.  This will make a good rentals just for the good actors involved.

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book

Rating 9 out of 10

I like most everyone one else on the planet is a big fan of the Jungle Book cartoon by Disney. I know the Bare Necessities song by heart.  Well, the first line or two anyway.  Then I just hum along and dance like a chubby bear.  From the first viewing of the trailer for the new version I was in.  I am happy to say everyone reading this needs to head to the theaters.  I even saw the movie in 3D and I hate 3D movies.

I never read the book by Rudyard Kipling.  I am guessing this movie follows the book more than the cartoon version did as while it's similar there are differences.  I like this version better.  This biggest star of the movie is the animation.  The animation is so good in this movie had this been released forty years ago these people would have been burned at the stake as witches.  It is nothing short of amazing.  So hard to believe the kid is the only real thing in the movie.  Everything else is animated.  All the animals, trees, grass, river, ect.  Amazing.

That said the kid that plays Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is so good I think he could be nominated for an Oscar next year.  The rest of the voices are perfect.  Bill Murry, Ben Kinglsey, Scarlett Johansson and Idris Elba.

The animation is so good it might be too much for small kids.  The tiger pouncing had the hottie jumping out of her seat more than once.  The monkeys were a little scary at times.

This is a good movie folks.  You will want to see it in the theater.

Criminal

Criminal

Rating 5 out of 10

Seeing the preview I thought this movie looked interesting.  It's getting pounded by the critics (26% on www.rottentomatoes.com), but critics rarely like action movies like this.  That's what I told myself.  It has an A+ cast.  Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Gal Gadot (the new Wonder Woman) and even that Mexican guy I like from the Prison Break tv series.  It has to be good with that cast.  That's what I told myself.  It is better than the critics gave it but should be left alone until it hits Red Box.

As the movie starts we are following CIA agent Bill Pope (Pretty boy Ryan Reynolds).  He is in downtown London and realizes as he is talking to his lovely wife (Gadot) that he is being followed by bad people and is in trouble.  He is in charge of a computer nerd that has figured out how to control all of the US weapons and want's to sell it to us before those bad guys get to him.  When Pope is killed before he can let his CIA bosses know where he stashed the guy they call in the experimental Dr Franks who can merge his still warm brain cells with the right guy so he can tell them where he is before he blows up the world with our own nukes.  The problem is the only guy it will work on is Jericho (Costner), a worst of the worst criminal in a deep dark prison.

When the brains are merged Jericho does get some of Popes thoughts but he also has many of his own bad thoughts.  Everyone is now after him.  The movie has some decent action yet suffers from too many movie cliches. Jericho only has 48 hours before Popes memories disappear.  The probably should have gone a little lighter on the star power and spent some of that money punching up the script.

I was mildly entertained but would wait for a rental on this one.

Zootopia

Zootopia

Rating 9 out of 10

I like to catch the animated movies when they come out.  I get to hijack one or more of my grandkids for the day and the kid in me have always loved the cartoons.  I would have seen this sooner had it not been for the painful trailer of the main characters going into the DMV and getting a sloth to help them.  Some thought that was very funny. It was scratching on a chalkboard for me.  Luckily it was a small portion of the very entertaining film.  After hearing from several people how good it was the hottie and I grabbed my sweet granddaughter Rylee Rose and headed to the AMC theater.   Good times for all.

The movie begins in the suburbs with Judy Hopps.  She is a spunky rabbit who spurs thoughts of continuing in the family carrot farm instead sets sights of being a police officer in the big city of Zootopia.  This is crazy talk as no rabbit has ever moved to the city much less become a cop.  She is determined and eventually her dream comes true.

She finds it difficult when her sergeant only wants to put her on easy jobs like writing parking tickets.  When she stumbles upon a clue to a big crime spree she is off and running with the help of a small time criminal fox.

Zootopia has a good story that keeps the kids involved yet enough jokes to keep the adults amused too.  The voices were perfect with Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as the two leads.  The animation was as amazing as you would expect.  You can count the hairs on the lion's head and city life is detailed perfect.  The only thing keeping this from being more than a 9 for me is it gets a little preachy at the end.  Still I was greatly entertained as was my hottie and granddaughter (it was her third viewing and she sat still the whole show).