La La Land

La La Land

Rating 2 out of 10

Normally this is not a movie I would go see.  Not a big fan of musicals.  This movie was getting such glowing reviews I thought I'd give it a try.  A reviewer on NBC morning news called it the best movie of the decade.  Give it the Oscar now.  Reviewer Jim Slotek of the Toronto Sun says "I have yet to meet someone who's watched it and come out in a bad mood". Well Jim, here are two.  The Hottie and I didn't care for it a bit.

Again, I'm not big on musicals.  Especially not musicals where most if not all the songs are jazz.  I like both the lead actors, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.  Ryan is a struggling jazz musician.  Emma is a struggling actress. They don't like each other a bit when they first meet.  Then of course fall in love.

If this is your type of movie you will love it.  I'm sure it will win awards.  Not from me and the Hottie.  We were bored and tired.  Left before it was over.  The only thing up in the air was trying to figure which one to blame out of us two for picking it.

Passengers

Passengers

Rating 6 out of 10

This was one of the Christmas movies I was really looking forward to seeing hoping to add it to my Top Ten list in a couple weeks.  Sadly it is a good movie (mostly because of the actors) but not a great one.

If you have been near a tv or talk show in the past several months you know that Passengers is about a time in the future when earth is getting way overpopulated and people are paying hefty prices to travel to far distant planets to live.   The planets are so far away everyone included the crew has to be put to sleep for 120 years to be awaken in time to start their life in the new world.  Only problem is due to a malfunction in the ship Jim (Chris Pratt) wakes up ninety years too early.   Soon after Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up.  They together try to fix a plan to solve their sleeping problem and also fall in love as two good looking young people will do.  Ultimately the problem that caused the original malfunction comes to a head and Jim and Aurora need to find a way to save everyone.

Visually the movie is top notch.  The huge space ship really is amazing.  Where the movie lost points for me is it is mostly slow.  Jim trying to cope with being alone then them as a couple living alone on a big ship.  The many trailers and commercials on this movie show most of the plot and pretty much all the good parts.  The story is a little predictable too.  Not long in you can guess what the outcome is going to be.

The two stars make the movie entertaining.  It's good enough rainy day movie or maybe a rental.  I was hoping for better.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rating 8.5 out of 10

You might remember from my review that I didn't really care for the last Star Wars movie.  It was bloated, predictable and not very good.  I am glad to say this movie is none of that.  Rogue One moves right along at a zippy pace, has a great cast and WAY better than the last Star Wars movie.

If you haven't seen the original Star Wars since 1977 I'll remind you that the key to young Luke Skywalker blowing up the Death Star and saving all the good guys was someone slipping the information to Princess Leia where the weak spot was.  She then gave the plans to R2D2.  This movie  explains how they got those plans.

Young Jyn watches her father being hauled away by some of Darth Vadar's henchmen.  He has the knowledge on how to build the Death Star. Jyn escapes and takes on crazy jobs until fifteen years later when she joins the revolution.

The cast is spot on.  There are some very funny scenes.  Some touching scenes.  Good action. Good movie.  I was entertained.

Edge of Seventeen

Edge of Seventeen 

Rating 6.5 out of 10

Rainy days are unpaid vacation days for us roofers.  That often means a trip to the movie theaters for this roofer.  I narrowed my choices to this movie and the Harry Potter prequel.  This movie fit my timetable.  Plus a friend of mine recommended it.

This is a cute coming of age movie about young Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) as she copes with high school life.  Not really alot more you can say about it.  She deals with the loss of a parent.  She has the ultra good looking athletic brother that everyone loves. A kinda crazy mom.  She is looked at as the nerdy type and not many friends.  She has a crush on the school bad boy that doesn't know she is alive.

It's funny in parts.  Sad in others.  The type of movie that used to be the After School Special type.  Ms. Steinfeld does a great job and I think she is already getting some award nominations.  Woody Harrelson is great as the apathetic teacher she is able to confide in.

This movie will make a good rental shortly as it's almost out of theaters now.  It only had one showtime.  I was entertained.