Now Playing

Here's a look at the films that I saw this week. Not a lot to choose from as there were no big releases last Friday.

Gulliver's Travels
Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, and Amanda Peet
Synopsis: I wanted to hate this film. The trailer looked awful. It's an awful idea. And Jack Black is one of my least favorite performers. I went into this movie with a spirit of dread. Perhaps that's why it was a pleasant surprise, but my guess is that it has more to do with the fact that the filmmakers here maximized their potential. They got the most they could out of Black, the most they could out of the supporting players, and the most they could out of this odd attempt to adapt a classic novel to an 87-minute holiday comedy. There are some fun pop culture jokes, there are some decent laughs, and it moves along at a good pace. I wouldn't pay to see it in 3D, but as a 2D comedy, you could do much worse. That's about the highest praise I can give this film. It's better than you think, but it's still not going on an all-time favorites list.
Rating: PG for brief rude humor, mild language and action.
Verdict: Two stars out of Four.

Tangled
Starring the voice talents of: Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore
Synopsis: In an era where animation is about the digital format, the jokes, and the big name stars serving as voices, this film feels like a throwback. It calls back the classic Disney animated films. It's based on a fairy tale story, it's an ensemble voice cast, and it's a musical. This is in the line of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," but probably not as iconic. Levi adds some nice dimensions of comedy and Moore, a singer/actress, is good enough to carry the lead role. The film is mildly amusing at times and has a decent story. It's probably close to the second-best animated film I've seen this year. By far and away "Toy Story 3" is the gold standard, but "Tangled" and "How to Train Your Dragon" are at that next level, and I wouldn't be surprised to see those three nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Film.
Rating: PG for brief mild violence.
Verdict: Three stars out of Four

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more