Spies in Disguise

Super spy, Lance Sterling has the world at his fingertips until he is framed and his agency turns on him. With no other options he seeks out Walter, a quirky scientist with a thing for birds.

This was weak...and soooo long. The running time is an hour and forty five minutes and it felt like an eternity. The plot is extremely predictable and has very few truly comedic moments. Small children will absolutely lose interest as will adults like myself with the attention span of a four year old.

*1/2 Maybe you can Netflix it...oh wait, it is a Fox movie...
Disney+ it.  

Rated PG (for violence and rude humor)

Ford vs. Ferrari

A business deal between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari goes wrong. In an attempt to avenge his pride, Ford spends over $25 million and thousands of man hours in an attempt to beat Ferrari in the world's most prestigious car race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fun and extremely interesting, the film is well paced and the story quite tight, considering the two hour and thirty two minutes of running time (well over three hours if you include the previews). Definitely worth the watch.

***1/2 Must See

Rated PG-13 (for language and thematic elements)

Little Women

A new screen adaptation of the book Little Women (1868) written by Louisa May Alcott.

This was...OK I suppose. It is edited oddly, starting towards the end of the story when Jo heads off to New York to work as a governess and then told in flashbacks and flash-forwards. I'm sure this style was chosen in an effort to see this remake as fresh or unique, but for those that have never read the book or seen other versions of the story, be it film or on the stage, this leaves us with a confusing if not convoluted storyline.

I took two of my nieces with me - the fourteen year old who has read the book, commented that she didn't like how the story was "mixed up and told backwards." The eleven year old was completely confused and had no clue what was going on and asked questions the entire time trying to clarify the timeline.

Also the casting director seemed to take the term "little" literally, as all of the girls looked to be the same age and their leading "men" appeared as though they were twelve. So yeah, it wasn't that great.

** Rentable

Rated PG (for thematic material) 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Well kids...it's here...Episode IX...the end.

So admittedly I went into this with very low expectations as I was so very disappointed with The Last Jedi (2017), I don't know that it helped.

This final installment though much better than its' immediate predecessor was still a tad lack luster. For the deliriously devout Star Wars fans, they will be delighted with the way things all tie up nicely with a bow, the extensive homage that is paid to the original three movies (episodes, IV, V & VI) and the fact that the basic plot very much mirrors that of Return of the Jedi(1983). 

On the other hand, for the critics and the cynics there are a few things that bring into question the realm of the force and stands to reason that if this is the reality of the galaxy far far away why did it take nine movies to get here...?

**1/2 Must See for the Devotees

Rated PG-13 (for violence and thematic elements)

Jumanji: The Next Level

Our four heroes re-enter the video game version of Jumanji and this time they bring along some new friends.

This was funnier than expected but not nearly as clever or as original as it's video game version predecessor.

The new characters bring a slight - albeit predictable twist to the new version but the pacing, the wit, the plot and most importantly overall 80's vibe were all off if not missing entirely.

** Rentable

Rated PG-13(for language, violence and some suggestive material)

Frozen 2

Elsa, the Snow Queen and her sister Anna continue their adventure as they leave the Kingdom of Arendelle to search out the mysteries of the enchanted forest and the origin of Elsa's powers.

Meh. It was totally underwhelming. The original Frozen (2013) was a unexpected sensation. Disney was completely unprepared for how eminent it would become - the music was fabulous, the story was excellent as it poked fun of the traditional fairy tale romances that Disney has become known for over the past century, mix that all together and it was an absolute hit.

The sequel...not so much. No doubt this will make just as much money...it's not as memorable, not as creative, just not as gratifying. The music is decent - but I didn't leave the theater thinking; "I need to buy that soundtrack" or "I want to see that again." Nevertheless if you have little's in your life it's not the worst way to spend two hours.

** 1/2 Rentable

Rated PG(for some peril and thematic elements)

Knives Out

A southern sleuth is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy patriarch, which leads to the questioning of the peculiar and quirky family.

A fun who-done-it that is a mixture of Clue (1985) and Murder, She Wrote (1984-1986). The eccentric movie has a slow hypnotic pace and you may find yourself getting a little fidgety during the two hour and ten minute running time, nevertheless it is still clever and worth the watch.

**1/2 Rentable

Rated PG-13 (language, violence and thematic material)

Charlie’s Angels

This new reboot was a huge let down. The pacing was so off, it felt like it struggled to get out of first gear and had neither the timing of a comedy or the throttle of an action movie to be worth the effort. Predictable plot was way too drawn out and not funny enough to be tongue in cheek nor exciting enough to be taken seriously.

⭐️⭐️ - Rentable 

Rated PG-13 (for language and violence) 

Joker

The origin story of the notorious Batman nemesis, the Joker.

This is an unsettling twisted look at how a sociopath might come to be. What is the most disturbing part is that you find yourself sympathizing with a character that you should despise. Is he the villain or the victim?

Far too dark and way to realistic to feel like a "comic book" movie, Joaquin Phoenix does a spectacular job of creating a character that is terrifying yet somehow tragically affable. This blurred and perplexing interpretation of the protagonist, while likely award winning, is also reason enough to keep impressionable children or impressionable people in general from seeing this movie as it could confuse or ignite vulnerable minds.

Likely to touch raw nerves of many this DC installment may have a hard time finding a place in a genre that is typically designed for an under-aged demographic.

*** Must See

Rate R (for violence, language and brief nudity) 

Brittany Runs A Marathon

A party girl is given a wake-up call when she haphazardly visits a doctor in hopes of scoring prescription drugs.

This is a funny and slightly sad reality for anyone that hopes to make changes in their life and the surprising places that they find their cheerleaders.





**1/2 Rentable

Rated R (for strong language throughout, sexual content and drug use)