vchimpanzee Reviews

Vampire Academy (2014)

I don't care for vampires or the supernatural, but Rose and Natalie were appealing

[28 April 2024]

There was something about how this movie started that told me in spite of it being about vampires, I would like it. Okay, I still didn't like it that much, but Rose was not only pretty but quite likable with attitude and determination. I sort of enjoyed her various storylines and her attempts to deal with acts of hate and solving the mystery of a favorite teacher. Lissa was somewhat appealing but not that great. However, later on a bubbly and quirky character was introduced who was even more appealing, in her way. I finally found out it was Haley from "Modern Family" but she was a very different character. When she went to the dance, she was really pretty. The performance took on a new dimension later which didn't make me happy.

Stunt fighting was quite interesting, with what might have been different styles of martial arts.

The listing that came with my DVR didn't call this a comedy. It was funny enough at times (especially with Rose's attitude), but I would tend to agree that it needed more humor for comedy to be included as a genre.

There were other male teen characters who were somewhat appealing but no one stood out to me that much. With the accents, so many acting performances seemed good. I will say the ultimate mean girl Mia was very unpleasant and I would say not well acted. Not pretty either.

Oscar the cat was cute but not used enough, and I won't say why but he really wasn't as much a part of the movie as I would have liked.

What an elegant style of architecture. Reminded me of Duke University. The buildings all looked so good, inside and out. And great looking stained glass.

As one would expect for a movie for teen girls, the music was terrible in my opinion. Probably the worst song of all came during the first half of the credits, and assuming the songs in the credits were listed in the order they were played, the band was Chvrches. I did hear lyrics that matched the title, so I'm sure I'm right. The quality of the song, for those who think alternative rock is actually quality music, did seem superior to the pop garbage teen girls tend to like. But I personally found it quite unpleasant.

Family friendly? I think not. Some violence, some of it quite disturbing, and occasional stereotypical vampire behavior. Good makeup, I guess. Some sexual content too. I don't even want to know what the boys were doing in that one scene.

Do I recommend it? Well, don't go into it with high expectations.

The Super (2017)

Not my taste, but a couple of good performances

[21 April 2024]

This isn't the sort of movie I would choose to watch, and I can't honestly say I was rewarded. I liked Julio well enough, and Beverly was certainly pleasant as well as pretty. Mr. Johnson was sufficiently creepy but not really a bad person. Mrs. Grey was nasty so something that happens should make people happy, I tried to like Phil, but he had some difficult scenes and sometimes I thought he went overboard.

The whole building is creepy on several levels, if that's what you like. Some areas look as nice as if they were new, but after all, parts of the building are luxury apartments. Those who can't afford those apartments ... well, those aren't so nice. One floor doesn't seem to have any lights other than the red light used when developing film, also used when the elevator is stuck. And Walter's apartment is full of religious imagery. Sound effects, scary music, and some kind of chanting add to the atmosphere.

And there is the obligatory exciting ending. But a number of developments you might not expect.

If there is any reason to praise the movie, it's the young actress who plays the little girl. I can't say just why she is so good without giving something away you really don't want to know, but she comes across in a way that makes me think she could have played Wednesday Addams, except in a more friendly way than that.

And of course there is Val Kilmer. I'm not that familiar with him but I recently saw another movie where his cancer affected his ability to speak, and that added something to the other movie, as well as this one. This man is beyond scary.

Another good thing about the movie is the use of a good song in one scene. It's not that often music that good is played in a movie.

Should children watch this? No, they might get nightmares.

Can I recommend this? I'm no expert on how to tell if a thriller/horror film is good. Maybe. But definitely not a classic.

The Back-up Plan (2010)

Standard but enjoyable rom-com with some naughty moments

[14 April 2024]

Okay, it's not the best rom-com ever, but it's different. They all have something distinctive even if they fit a formula. And who wants realism? We're here to get away from reality.

What is it people have against J-Lo? So she is beautiful. That doesn't mean she can't act. I thought she was good in "Gigli"! I found her appealing enough, and I don't just mean good-looking. She looks like she is having a good time, when she is. Though it must be stated she has a beautiful face and an amazing body, which she is willing to show off as much as possible. One scene shows her from the back wearing as little as TV will allow, and maybe there is more I didn't see because of editing, such as another scene where she is facing the camera. Even when she is supposed to be pregnant, her legs still look great, and she is amazingly limber in the doctor's office before the procedure that makes her pregnant. Not sure why she covers her legs at the gym. And even with less makeup, she still has a beautiful face. There is one scene where she is showing photos to her boyfriend, and it's not really like acting. There's just something genuine about her in that scene.

Enough about J-Lo. I'm not familiar with Alex O'Loughlin but he is also quite appealing. Part of that is that he looks like Michael Rosenbaum, the most likable villain I can ever recall other than J. R. Ewing. But it's not him. And Stan is a good guy.

Linda Lavin is wonderful as Nana. It's good to see her playing a positive character once again, because she has played a lot of nasty old women in recent years. Also, Nana doesn't seem old. Her friends are still quite active. Others have some trouble getting around but that's fine.

That's more than we can say about Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham and Father Dowling to me), but he is likable even if he is obviously old. I sure would like to have seen more of him in other productions, even at that age and not in the best of health.

Robert Klein is so good as the doctor. I really liked him.

Anthony Anderson has a couple of good scenes as a frustrated father who isn't really warning Stan to get out while he can, because occasionally there are good times. The censor did get to the s-word (I think) but it's hard to tell. What father says that, multiple times, in front of his young son who has ... picked it up from the sandbox? But if you can accept such a disgusting joke, somehow the word needs to be there. Multiple times. The kid is good too.

Michaela Watkins makes a good best friend. She has one standout scene but it's the first one, where she seems to hate her kids. Other than that, she's just there. Those kids never appear again. Maybe one. I don't remember.

Melissa McCarthy is a quirky support group leader. One of these overly positive types. I'm not sure whether to use the word hippie.

And about that group. I'm not crazy about some of its members. There are the stereotype lesbians, though I don't think they speak. I shouldn't mention the outtakes yet, but I have to because there's one unpleasant scene that was apparently left out of the movie. And yet according to some imdb user reviews, that scene was in the movie, so maybe it didn't make it to TV. Just as well. If you're lucky, you won't see the woman giving birth in the water except with the credits.

There is a cute and helpful baby store employee who has a couple of good scenes.

Now let me say you have to stay for the outtakes at the end. They are funny. I don't like dogs and particularly not this one, but they have to try over and over to get the dog to walk up a ramp into ... well, I don't know what to call it. A fancy doghouse, maybe? It has a bed and looks like where a dog would go when indoors.

Some music I liked and some I didn't. I don't like J-Lo as a singer or others performing in the same style. Or the type music I believe her fans like. Some wedding music was familiar but performed in a different style then the best-known recording. No, it's not who you think getting married.

Should kids watch this? No! There is almost nothing, not even the scene with the kid at the playground, that kids should see.

If you can't find a great rom-com, this can be your back-up plan.

Fruitvale Station (2013)

You root for Oscar, but we know something bad is coming

[7 April 2024]

I wasn't familiar with the story and didn't bother to read what the movie was about. But a video reminiscent of Rodney King starts the film (the quality is poor and for those not familiar with the story, it doesn't help), so it can be assumed there is some tragedy, and as we get to know Oscar, we have to assume he will be the victim.

Still, Oscar is not a bad person. He does a lot of good things and he is very loving to his daughter. But he has made mistakes and he can get angry at people. It appears he has no other choice but to go back to his old life, but we want him to succeed some other way. Mostly, since he has no real source of income, he manages to get away with stealing when he won't get caught, and in one case his friends do the same. I didn't see the name Michael B. Jordan until later, but when I did ... oh, THAT'S why he was so good. I've seen him as a flawed but basically good guy in "Parenthood" and maybe a couple of other movies such as "Creed".

I've seen a lot of Octavia Spencer lately and she does a fine job here as his mom, holding it together when she has to, and resisting the temptation to make things too easy for her son.

Melonie Diaz is the patient girlfriend who as responsibilities and gets tired of seeing her man mess up. She has some really good scenes when the tragedy takes place. Plus she looks great in underwear.

Another standout performance comes from Kevin Durand, who seems to be the officer in charge in the real-life incident this movie is based on. While he is being unreasonable and not listening to those who say these men weren't the guilty parties, he seems to think he has to win at all costs to do his job right. It's not clear whether he was racist and maybe the casting has to match the real events, but all the officers seemed to be white and those being mistreated were Black.

I really liked Ahna O'Reilly as the young woman Oscar helped in the store where he claimed he worked and just had a day off. She shows up later.

The scenes with Oscar and his daughter are some of the most enjoyable. For all his faults Oscar is a great father. I would even say, as I did with a previous film I reviewed, it would be possible to take just the scenes of the two together and make a kid-friendly movie out of it. But of course most of this shouldn't be seen by kids.

And we get to laugh in a number of scenes. Knowing what's coming, or knowing something's coming, we might as well.

At least when I saw this on TV, it wasn't clear exactly what happened toward the end. I don't even know which officer is supposed to have messed up or why. There is a description of the findings and trial result before the end credits, but the movie does leave something to the imagination. There is blood but the violence isn't that explicit.

As one might expect with a movie with mostly Black characters in the hood, the so-called music isn't pleasant for someone with my taste.

It's a mostly good effort with a tragedy that can't be avoided because that was the main point.

Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)

Fine job with minimal dialogue, and fun and funny for all ages

[31 March 2024]

At long last, a movie the entire family can watch. Because of the way I choose movies, I haven't seen a family-friendly movie in weeks. I knew nothing about Shaun the Sheep, but I recognized the "Wallace & Gromit" style of animation. I am not a fan. Nevertheless, everything looks amazingly realistic except for people and animals. And an enjoyable story is told with no dialogue other than nonsensical sounds or animal noises such as "Baa" with the occasional "Uh-oh", "Uh-uh" or whatever essential word is necessary to communicate.

No words are really needed for a really funny story. And there are even sad scenes. But we can assume everything will turn out all right. The intelligence of these animals is amazing.

There is just the right amount of physical humor and this isn't really too violent, though a teddy bear with no apparent owner is the victim of an advanced weapon used by the evil Trumper, the Animal Containment worker. That weapon is probably the most concerning part of the movie, but still not too intense for young kids.

Several scenes have what could be described as toilet humor but they're probably not inappropriate for young children. A bag labeled "Manure" is probably the worst thing. What is inside is not processed but looks like what would have to be cleaned up. And someone ends up in a pile of what I assume is the same thing.

The only understandable words other than the few that are needed are song lyrics, usually recorded music, but the sheep also sing as a "Baa-baa shop quartet". There is music for just about every taste, including classical and conventional movie background music. There is also loud rock music in the city and in many scenes with Trumper which I found really unpleasant. The traditional country style music in the farm scenes was nice. Even though this seems to be British, what Americans call country music originated in part with traditional Scottish and Irish styles, and I assume these styles influenced the music on the farm.

This was a worthy effort.

Cell (I) (2016)

Not what I would choose, scary in my opinion, Jackson, Keach good as usual

[24 March 2024]

This is what I get for not bothering to find out what a movie is about before deciding to record a movie shown on Channel 48. The title "Cell" seemed familiar for some reason and I concluded it would be an entertaining movie about technology. Well, it was, sort of.

Okay, Stephen King wrote the book, according to the opening credits. I don't read books, and I'm not a fan of horror though Stephen King movies are said to be better than the average horror film. I've seen some of them (some apparently really good), and a TV series he was even in. It was a big shock to find out how bad things got so quickly. And the movie's theme tells me King must hate cell phones and technology and wants to make them the villain.

But Samuel L. Jackson is there to save the day! Well, not really, but he is there and as long as he is around, everything will be all right, eventually, for at least someone. Not everyone will survive but it's not for Jackson's lack of trying. The important thing is that he is always entertaining and even has some funny lines. Yes, there is humor here. Example: A Black man with a crowbar about to face a Second Amendment extremist. Well, here, take a baseball bat instead. Oh, yeah, that improves things.

Stacy Keach has the other really good performance. Yes, I said the other. As the headmaster of an exclusive looking boys' school (or are there girls who fled or were "converted"?), he offers his theories for what is happening and even makes it sound positive. He is gracious to his guests.

I know the name John Cusack and have seen some of his movies. I just don't remember anything about what I have seen except that I remember him being good. I suppose he is serviceable here. I at least like the character and want him to get what he wants. Still, he seems to have created the movie's villain as a comic book artist. Is he imagining everything? Or did he cause it all? And one character I thought was the villain ... it's not him. Who it is ... well, that's awful.

Clark Sarullo (that's a woman's name) is pretty and has a brief good scene as Clay's wife, and Ethan Andrew Casto also has his brief scenes as the son. And scenes where we hear him if we don't see him.

In my opinion, the creepy creatures did quite well. Just extras looking and sounding weird? There were too many of them to audition them all, but perhaps they did and I thought the results were good. I found them plenty scary, but I find movies scary that some people don't. And then there are a couple of scenes where there are so many they must be CGI. Effective, I believe.

Towers, both cell and electric transmission, look really good. Several locations were chosen with a lot of transmission lines, with different tower designs. Didn't another King production use them?

There is one really fun scene in what I thought was a restaurant but I keep seeing it referred to as a bar. Much needed when things are so negative.

And, as one might expect, there is a survivalist. I guess Anthony Reynolds, whoever that is, was good in the role.

Whatever is happening, it is never really explained, and what happened is widespread. That's one of the scariest parts.

Immediately, there is a terrifying moral dilemma. All these weirdos must die! Is that really the case? Well, the decision must be made over and over.

The weather changes quickly. First it is snowing, then it is really snowing and everything is covered, and then it never snowed at all. Maybe more time passed and more distance was traveled than we realized. We only see what is essential. Some imdb reviews pointed out a lot of stuff was missing. Yeah, I guess so. What can you do in the time you are given?

It seemed like there couldn't be a happy ending. What I saw may have been one, but I saw a description of the movie where something very different happened. One imdb review said the reviewer checked behind the credits. Did I stop the recording too soon? I did stop where I thought the credits stopped. I've heard of movies continuing after that. I'd rather assume what I saw was the end.

Where was the sex? The v-chip rating had an S. Maybe that means the content was so bad they had to add as many letters as possible. I think it goes without saying kids shouldn't watch this until they're mature enough.

Was it any good? Not a classic, I'm sure. Not one of King's memorable movies.

Brothers (I) (2009)

Well done but a little too normal at home, often disturbing over there and then later

[17 March 2024]

Of course, with a title like "Brothers", we know the movie will surely be about both brothers, and the fact one of them is said to be dead doesn't make sense. At first. I sure wasn't prepared for what happened next to Sam, and it was really hard to watch, even if it wasn't that graphic. This was balanced by an almost normal life back at home, with some humorous moments. In fact, it was a little too normal. After some time had passed, it looked like everyone was coping quite well. Did they even miss Sam? Well, the situation is not simple at all and what happens later is hard to watch but to be expected. And I wondered how it could end. There was almost an ending that we wouldn't have liked, and the movie didn't so much end as stop. Yes, this happened. So what comes next? We can only wonder, but for now, this is something we can live with.

The attitudes of the enemy are understandable, and the actors are effective, but there are a number of moral questions. There isn't really an attempt to resolve these, but survival is the objective.

Tobey Maguire does an amazing job and, yes, I read some comparisons to his Danish counterpart. That doesn't matter as this is the movie I saw. Though he did seem kind of young to be a captain. A fine, upstanding marine and family man, dedicated to his country and serving with honor, and determined not to do anything wrong, no matter what. Until he can't. And then, it's a matter of coping.

Jake Gyllenhaal offers a contrast, a man who has made mistakes and is still somewhat of a loser who will never please his demanding father. But his evolution is a pleasure to watch, even if it appears something unfortunate will happen as he is able to live life and improve himself. Then he really shows what he is capable of.

Natalie Portman is a strong mother who has to hold it together and manages quite well. A little too well, as I have said. And then she has more challenges when things change.

Bailee Madison is quite talented for such a young girl. I think I have heard the name, and no wonder. While most of what she and her onscreen sister do is fun or funny and light-hearted, she has some real challenges and meets them. The other young actress is quite appealing.

Sam Shepard is a father whose expectations are too high, but even he shows flaws and eventually he shows a more accepting side.

Mare Winningham gives her usual good performance. She is a little more caring and logical.

Patrick John Flueger is the other POW in Afghanistan. It's hard to watch what he goes through. And Carey Mulligan is his wife back home, who may have to face an unthinkable truth. She does okay but we know the truth and have to wonder what it will be like if she learns what she won't want to know.

And it was nice to see Ethan Suplee, who I know best in a different brother role, where both brothers were losers but he was the bigger loser. Here, his role is much needed comic relief, though he's not the funniest one of the group. I don't know which of the "three amigos" that was, but at home, we needed normal life.

I was grateful to see this cleaned up for TV, but I wouldn't recommend this at all to kids the age of those shown in the movie. If it was possible to see the movie with all the bad parts cut out, that might be a different matter, because there were plenty of kid-friendly scenes.

The music in this movie wasn't my taste at all. Maybe people who like war movies would enjoy these styles of music.

It's a worthwhile effort if you can deal with what can be quite hard to watch.

Friends with Kids (2011)

Unconventional, works in some ways, not in others

[10 March 2024]

Ever since her great sitcom about having a baby, I have wanted to see Jennifer Westfeldt whenever she was in something. I saw her in another movie but it has been a while, but my memory of how much I liked her in the TV comedy endures. Here, she wrote, directed, and even acted. She is appealing enough, and while she says she isn't pretty enough ... well, compared to Megan Fox maybe not but her hair always looks perfect, even when she is struggling with her baby. Okay, maybe her hair does look a mess in some scenes, but she looks good most of the time. Not your ideal romantic comedy female lead, but this isn't your average romantic comedy. In fact, it's not really romantic, and it's not always a comedy. I like her enough even if the concept seems weird.

And the movie takes us on an emotional roller coaster, which we may not want to go on. We're somewhat more challenged than in a typical movie. But my perception is that it's worth it because it's a quality production that is not always meant to be liked or ideal.

Adam Scott was appealing as well, and even if Jason's connection with Julie was weird, there was something genuine about it. I don't want to explain or justify the ending, but I guess it's something we would want. I don't see him as a selfish brat like some might.

I'm not crazy about Maya Rudolph but she has always been good in whatever she did. Here it appears she will always be angry and a man who isn't doing his share. But that's not always the case and she's also caring. I don't really like her. I'm not supposed to.

I didn't really notice the other husbands. Jon Hamm, who I didn't really know (the name is familiar), stood out more later in a good scene where he was angry, and then later when he was apologetic.

I don't know Edward Burns but it just so happens I've been watching Ike Barinholtz on "Jeopardy". All I can say is he looks like Barinholtz, and other than that he's pleasant but not someone I'm enthusiastic about. A good man in real life but no fun in a movie.

Megan Fox ... wow. She could have been a spoiled brat but she wasn't. And she looks great. That's enough, right? I'm a straight man and do like rom-coms, but the girl has to be pretty. Okay, she's not the lead. She isn't wearing much in some scenes, and she even likes video games (I don't, but it means she's fun).

I found Kristen Wiig a big disappointment. She's always good, but here she's rarely used. Mostly she's just angry and cries, and she was simply wasted. But her hair always looked great.

Beautiful fall leaves, and several scenes with snow.

I was very grateful to have seen this on TV. While certain frank sexual humor was left in, a lot was left out. I could sort of tell that one word had been changed, and I couldn't believe the word it must have been belonged in the movie. I am very glad a line mentioned in several user reviews didn't make it into the version I watched. That would have been awful. In addition to sexual humor, there is potty humor. Literally. Why would anyone DO this online?

Some music was good, but most was bad in my opinion. Looking at the credits some people called The 88 were a good example of what I found bad. The song I was hearing at the time had lyrics that matched the last one in the credits and the last one in the movie, so I know it was them. I hate to say anything bad about James Brown, but no, don't play a song like that at Christmas. It has appropriate, religious lyrics (though the leads hated organized religion) but no, I don't want music like that at Christmas.

If you're a woman, and you're willing to be made uncomfortable and go outside the stereotype, maybe you'll like this.

LOL (2012)

Cute and sometimes funny, sometimes unpleasant

[3 March 2024]

First of all, I never stopped being the same age as these kids, except for the fact that as much time has passed since I was born as had passed for the clueless grandmother who chaperoned the party (what was even the point?) . Somehow I can find a movie like this entertaining. It won't win any awards except for how bad it is, but it's possible that these are realistic experiences for teens at the time this was made. I didn't have a typical high school experience but I've seen TV and movies.

With a title like "LOL" I immediately assumed a comedy where people communicate by text with abbreviations. That is actually what the movie is about. It's not always a comedy, but it's funny enough. And why did Lola say people called her "LOL" when they never did, not even in the many texts?

I actually liked "Hannah Montana" despite being way outside its target audience. I'm just sorry ABC couldn't bother to put more than one season on Saturday morning. I don't think Miley Cyrus is a bad actress and she has this great speaking voice. I would have been happier if she was happier, but she had to go through this range of emotions. Kind of a brat but likable enough. Maybe she deserved more punishment but ...

I have liked Demi Moore in a number of movies. I didn't recognize her but this was a mom in over her head. She couldn't seem to get through to her daughter half the time and just gave in when she should have stood firm. She couldn't resist the urge to get back with her ex-husband when she had needs. And yet somehow she was so loving. Maybe a little too loving. It didn't seem realistic for her to be so close to this girl in some scenes. A "Gilmore Girls" type relationship seems possible when there aren't any more kids, but in many of the scenes it wasn't like that. Oh, wait, I've seen this. It's called "Spencer Sisters". I can't really say whether Moore's acting was any good, but this is a flawed mom. Oh, yeah, and explain to me the nice apartment and "clients" when this woman isn't any more capable than this.

I don't know who Ashley Hinshaw is but she is pretty and quite likable, somehow familiar, and someone I'd like to see more of. Emily is basically a good girl but a little too adventurous. I enjoyed her various storylines, including an inappropriate attraction to her math teacher (more about that later) and another relationship which will be a surprise and cause a major conflict.

Adam Sevani was a nerd who hoped to be more.

All the other teens were typical and no one stood out in any way. I will say I liked Kyle (don't know Douglas Booth) and felt bad about his strict father, who was stereotypical and overdone but had a redeeming scene which didn't really make sense. A lot of things didn't make sense unless you are competing on Penn & Teller and the writers of this movie should get a trophy from them. Except they are entertained when they are fooled. Well, Penn is.

For the guys, there is the one locker room scene with girls in their underwear, and Miley in a towel at home and wearing shorts a lot of the time (indoors only in the winter).

Three other familiar names were in this movie, but the first looked familiar and I didn't know why. I finally realized it was Marlo Thomas. WHY? She doesn't belong here. She was sort of good, but in trying to be a cool grandma she messed up bad. Not just the character. The actress. Seems like at the party the actress could have looked a little more frustrated. I did like how she interacted with her own daughter, reminding her she was once like her daughter.

And Fisher Stevens, He's always good. Well, almost. He didn't get much use here. It's a shame.

Jay Hernandez I liked, but I didn't recognize him at first. Say what you want, but I liked him as Thomas Magnum on TV.

Nora Dunn looked familiar for some reason. A strict mother to Emily, which was what Lola needed.

One mom thought her daughter was nothing but good looks and that would get her far in life, but it was all she would have.

There is a trip to France, though at least for some characters, it seems doubtful. And this has some really funny scenes, such as the extremely old-fashioned house with strict manners and creepy decorations. And terrible food. My French class went to a French restaurant and ate escargot. I knew how those girls felt and don't know how anyone ever ate those things. We had the opportunity to go to France too but I didn't.

I mentioned the math teacher. The actor could have played one of the kids. Inappropriate relationship, but not on his end. He never did anything wrong. But they called him a trig teacher. I never once saw trigonometry on the blackboard. He solved a problem which didn't look like anything I ever saw in college, much less high school. Vectors? Was the kid being tutored taking some kind of AP course? I don't think the writers knew high school math.

Regarding the music, I was surprised I didn't really dislike it. I was once surprised at how much I liked a relatively new song by Ingrid Michaelson, and when I heard her in the movie I recognized her voice somehow. The credits proved I was right, even if it was another song. I don't really like the Rolling Stones, but in a teen movie something like that sounds great. The other music wasn't so bad either. Not what I call good, but not that bad. The band in the Battle of the Bands, though, got too loud. Is that style of guitar called grunge? Seemed overdone. If you have the same taste in music as teens in 2012, I guess the band was talented. Somehow the music in this movie seemed more "serious" than what teens usually like. While I don't care for Miley Cyrus as a singer, she has a wide variety of styles in her repertoire. She didn't sing here, which may have been a shame, but I have to believe she had some influence if there was more rock than "pop".

If no one but teens can like this movie, no one younger than that should see it. Even cleaned up for TV, it pushes the limits. I suppose teens are like this, but they shouldn't be.

And I will say if you are a teenager or never stopped being one, maybe this will be fun.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Great work of fiction, with a few real events

[27 February 2024]

I didn't watch this to be entertained, though I was. I watched it to be educated. At some point I thought the film was being overly dramatic and doubted that the events happened the way they did. What I have found is that few of those really dramatic moments even happened.

I was not watching this to see African American women experiencing discrimination and not being taken seriously (although I halfway expected women not to be taken seriously). I watched this to see strong intelligent women accomplishing a lot for the U. S. space program. And to some extent, I saw that. Maybe things didn't happen quite the way the movie says they did, but the scenes with Katherine Johnson doing the complicated math were quite effective. And I learned about a group of women called "computers" back when people hadn't yet learned to think of the word as referring to machines. I may have learned details of the specifics of discrimination and the protests that I didn't know.

Most of the scenes showing the women being treated as less than equal never happened, but if we pretend they did then they were quite well done. Maybe there was a little too much focus on what the women went through, which they may have, but not at the time depicted.

I'm not familiar with Taraji Henson but I didn't have to be. She became Katherine Johnson for me and that's all that mattered. And a great job she did. Imagine learning all that math! Maybe she had something like cue cards but that couldn't have been easy. Memorizing lines is one thing, but complex math?

I know Octavia Spencer better. The role that stands out the most for me was a nurse for troubled teens in a short-lived series. Here she inspired confidence and wouldn't let anyone stop her. Did Dorothy Vaughan really get the computer (machine) to work when no one else could? Who cares? It was great to watch. And she taught the women she "supervised" very well. At least the way this movie tells the story, the women taught those men a thing or two.

Janelle Monae was also inspiring but we didn't get to see much of what she did, and we should have.

The strikes meant CBS had to have a backup plan until scripted series were ready. As a result, I've come to see a very different Kevin Costner than the good but tough guy depicted in this movie. But the rich ranch owner was actually a good guy too. How can Costner be anything else? Here, he was threatening people but being very reasonable, with justified demands for changes that should have taken place. People were warned about him but his demanding nature was actually not scary.

And Jim Parsons did what he does so well: Playing an intelligent jerk who hates being told he's not perfect. Although I'm used to a more likable version who is at the same time quick to insult his inferiors. Here, his character doesn't really seem all that smart because Katherine Johnson seems to do his job better than he does, and that's just not right! But we know he must be good at his job in order to be one of the elite, and we just don't get to see it.

Glen Powell (interesting coincidence) made a great John Glenn.

The man Katherine ended up marrying was too nice and too good looking to be believed. Good job, though. Her kids were also likable too.

I won't give away too much but one of the final scenes will have you on the edge of your seat like with the events of Apollo 13. Amazing! And all of the scenes showing news coverage of the space program were quite effective. I will say I was expecting more, but this movie focuses on a much shorter time period than I had expected.

Great looking cars, though I would have been happier with older cop cars. Both cop cars shown (might have been the same one twice) were from several years after the events of the movie, and by that time cars didn't look quite as good.

Family friendly? I did see that the movie was edited for TV, and there's nothing too concerning in what I saw. Kids in school should see this as part of their education.

Regardless of whether it was real history, it was a fine effort.

Friendsgiving (2020)

Could have been better, but funny at times

[25 February 2024]

Why was this shown in February? It's a Thanksgiving movie. But maybe one should be thankful it wasn't shown then, when only the best Thanksgiving movies should be shown.

Once I saw the cast, I thought this would be a good movie. Not really. But it had its good moments.

I don't know anything about Malin Ackerman but she is pretty enough, I suppose, and I thought she did a good job acting. Not always pleasant, but she was the voice of reason surrounded by chaos.

Kat Dennings was the other star and I'm much more familiar with her. I first became acquainted with her when she was Bob Saget's daughter, but I don't remember much about her show except I like her. And when she joined Beth Behrs in "2 Broke Girls" she was great if raunchy and snarky. Here, she showed a lot of the negativity that made her so good in the TV series, but somehow I didn't like her quite as much. Abby tried to run things but she was overwhelmed. She had her good scenes.

I know Jane Seymour best as the politically correct and family friendly old West doctor, but here she was anything but. I would say she was pretty good and not bad looking for her age. The accent bothered me (why couldn't she just be British?). And she was as raunchy as broadcast TV will allow (and maybe worse, since a lot of words were missing).

I don't care much for Aisha Tyler even though I know her from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" I didn't like her all that much here but she had some warm and kind moments. And one that was a little too warm.

Deon Cole was the wacky ad executive on "Black-ish" whose behavior made one wonder how he kept his job. A little more logical and realistic here. But he still had some of the same personality and was open to unconventional relationships.

I didn't recognize her but I genuinely despised Chelsea Peretti as a "sha-woman". Maybe the character will appeal to enlightened vegan women who meditate and do yoga. But even if I had known she was on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", I didn't like her there either.

Jack Donnelly is a familiar name for some reason, but I don't really know him. He did a good job and was likable enough. Straight women and gay men should know he wears nothing or almost nothing early and is shirtless through most of the holiday event.

Three lesbian women invited as potential dates for Abby all did a good job but only one was anywhere close to appealing to me personally. One had this attitude which women might like. Each did a "dating video" looking at the camera with different lighting, and so did Abby later.

I can't really say I liked the three Fairy Gaymothers, part of Abby's dream, but the performances of the three actresses were good.

Even the baby (babies) was a good actor. Though the bloopers at the end include interruptions by crying.

What might be described as music was, in my opinion, mostly terrible and the longer the movie lasted, the worse it got. Don't people that age have better taste? I did like the salsa dance music in the middle. I saw Christmas music listed in the credits but don't recall hearing any.

Family friendly? The first scene has a dominatrix using a whip. Numerous words were not heard. What was heard pushes the limits of broadcast TV. How did these people drink so much and still manage to get things done? And then there were "shrooms" which resulted in some interesting visuals. And one lesbian kiss where one of the participants was presumed straight, witnessed by a child who needs it explained.

You have to stay around for the outtakes during the closing credits. They were great.

Not consistently good, but not all bad either, and often funny.

Bel Canto (I) (2018)

Julianne Moore was great, otherwise mildly entertaining

[18 February 2024]

I didn't bother to read what the movie was really about. And I know nothing about the novel. I had heard this title somewhere and assumed this would be something really good, so it was a shock to realize it would mainly be a hostage movie.

Still, the soldiers weren't all that evil, and the ones we got to know weren't bad people at all. Except for the leader, who seemed to be more reasonable as time passed.

I wasn't expecting comedy, but somehow this movie had some funny situations.

I've heard many good things about Julianne Moore and even seen some of her work. To me this movie was no exception. Though she's being held hostage, Roxane remains strong and positive and even delivers a few funny lines. I don't know enough about opera (or even like it) enough to criticize, though I saw some on imdb did, but I thought she did a great job pretending to sing. There was no way she was really doing that magnificent singing. No, that was Renee Fleming.

Sebastian Koch as the negotiator impressed but his character wasn't all that enthusiastic. He wondered why this was his job.

Ryo Kase did a great job as the translator who was much more.

Ken Watanabe was also good as the Japanese businessman.

There were plenty of other good acting performances, and it was nice to watch as over time the soldiers became friendly with those they held prisoner. Getting to know these people as individuals made the ending that much more horrible.

I won't say it was great, but it's worthwhile.

A Violent Separation (2019)

Pretty good with moral dilemmas, suspense as you wonder will the truth come out

[11 February 2024]

Because of the various strikes, the TV networks have had to find programming to fill slots with, so I have been watching "Yellowstone" to see what all the fuss was about. This movie reminds me of that series in a couple of ways. Though this movie is set in Missouri which is relatively flat, it does have beautiful scenery including farms, and is supposedly set on a ranch even though little of the work of running a ranch is shown. And the primary plot line is the coverup of an accidental killing. On the TV series, though, no one seems to feel guilty and what is covered up wasn't an accident. Here, the person who did the deed was just careless but now must carefully plan to cover it up, or else, yet he does feel guilty about it eventually. And his accomplice manages not to show regret, which makes him more like the TV series cast.

The movie tries to make it look like everything is normal while over time, details will eventually come out and decisions will have to be made. Only because the truth is hidden from others is there any sense that most of the people have morals. But even as people find out more, maybe the expected actions aren't what would be expected.

Two actors were familiar to me, but the first one I didn't recognize for a while, and the other I didn't recognize at all even though I had seen his name in the credits. Gerlad McRaney has played so many great characters over the years. Here, he is in poor health but determined to do as much as he can. He has to be vulnerable but you know it's hard for a proud, strong man to go through what he is experiencing. He pushes hard to do what he has to do.

The other actor I knew was basically doing what I know him best for. Ted Levine I know as a detective who can't seem to solve the murders without the brilliant Adrian Monk. Here, I didn't recognize him but he seemed competent as a sheriff who might have a murder case. But if he doesn't solve the crime, it's because others are doing a great job of covering it up. And maybe he does solve the crime. We're kind of left hanging at the end.

The other real standout actor would seem to be Alycia Debnam-Carey, the sister who starts out seeming to need mentoring from her older sister, but ends up being the strong one in the family and having to handle being in charge of everything, including her sick father. And she goes through a crisis later in the movie when she learns what she didn't know, but ends up leaving us wondering what is going on.

Brenton Thwaites is a steady force who eventually has to go through moral dilemmas. If he gives a good performance, it's just that he has to be the calming influence when he knows his life could fall apart at any time. He comes across as being like a more serious Topher Grace.

As his brother, Ben Robson shows more vulnerability has the more challenging job as a tough veteran but has to go through life wondering if the truth will come out.

I'm only guessing as to the identity of Ray's new girlfriend. Francesca Eastwood looks naughty but is actually quite polite and dignified.

Claire Holt is the sister who starts out seeming more mature, then turns reckless, then gets a little too playful in the scene where the big event happens.

A young child has a couple of good scenes. It's his mother who died.

There was good country music played at the Whisperin' Pig bar, and then loud music that didn't appeal to me. Music was used effectively in the movie, with some scenes making it obvious something bad was going to happen, or had happened.

Plenty of cleaning up had to be done to make this suitable for TV. A lot of words were missing and body parts or signs of violence or whatever made blurry. On the subject of editing for TV, the credits show four of the characters were played by different people when younger, but I don't recall seeing them.

It's not what I would choose to watch, but there's just enough to make it worthwhile.

The Possession (I) (2012)

The Exorcist Lite, with Jewish culture

[5 February 2024]

I've never seen "The Exorcist" beyond brief clips and I'm not sure I would want to. I don't really care for scary movies, and to me, this certainly was one, at least toward the end, with a few frights toward the beginning. But I find many people say movies aren't scary when I certainly thought they were. So that's what has to be considered when looking at my opinions.

However, there was much more here. I've enjoyed a lot of movies that started out as something else and became horror movies. Ignoring the frightening first scene, this starts out with the conventional theme "Dad no longer lives with us kids so we have to spend weekends with him". The parents don't get along, the mother has a new boyfriend, and at least one of the kids is frustrated with the situation. That by itself could have made the movie work (on the level of a Lifetime production), though it is the less troubled daughter whose behavior begins to go to the extreme and beyond. Eventually, the reality cannot be ignored and this is a horror movie. In my opinion, there is a lot of excitement when events reach their climax. Not necessarily pleasant.

I've never heard of Natasha Calis but she is amazing here when the demon takes over. Some of this is stunt people, but she seems quite talented at gymnastics. And she is good as an ordinary girl who is frightened by what she can't understand or even remember. Her enthusiasm for a vegetarian diet is admirable but not something I could deal with.

That alien voice supposedly speaking Hebrew was plenty scary, I don't care what you say. Music was effectively used in scenes that were supposed to be scary.

Other performances are good but for the most part this is like the conventional movie one might see on Lifetime. I would expect more from Kyra Sedgwick, but she is perfectly adequate and goes overboard with incorrect assumptions. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has his moments. He makes a good coach, and his best scenes include his determination when the situation becomes clear.

The scenes with Hasidic Jews seem quite realistic even if I don't know how they really are. The two most prominent members of the religion (are they rabbis?) do a very good job, and the explanation of what is going on sounds plausible enough. Descriptions of Jewish culture seem realistic too. I never considered that an exorcist could be Jewish instead of Catholic, but I guess it works. The one guy seems kind of confused later, but can you blame him?

Grant Show was a disappointment. I know him as the pleasantly evil CW version of Blake Carrington. All I can say is he looked familiar, and he was underused. Where was he? Even when he was there, he wasn't really worth talking about. Although he was attacked by the demon and what the censors didn't get to seemed quite good.

How convenient that the perfectly ordinary hospital had a large empty space for the necessary actions. And a spooky red light in at least one area.

Someone forgot that a bridge in the U. S. shouldn't say meters. Oh, well.

It goes without saying that younger kids shouldn't see this, but the censors did some work on this before I saw it, and I'm not sure what got left out.

The Birthday Cake (2021)

Not for me, but good music, nice decorations, and Gio is a pleasant enough character

[22 January 2024]

This is a case where I really should have read more about the movie instead of making an assumption from the title. And it seems I am still watching movies about Christmas a month later because I record everything, but I believe the station showed this after Christmas. Yes, that's one good thing about the movie. Nice decorations and good music. And a family celebration. More good music sounded like it came from the 50s, but don't mobsters like big band rather than doo wop? That would have been even better.

The main positive quality about this movie is that Gio was a pleasant enough character to watch. Oh, and Diane was pretty and nice. Uncle Tony was likable too. Everyone else had an attitude. Sure, it's New York City, but does everyone have to be so mean? It was nice to see Paul Sorvino, but then it wasn't.

I was unaware of what happened to Val Kilmer. His was the only name I recognized in a short cast list. When I saw the credits, I recognized a lot more names. I thought it was pointless and annoying to have to translate everything he said (and how did others understand him?) but instead they chose to challenge us and let him be who he is. An imdb review said that his difficulty talking was real and not something they did for the character.

I kept hoping for something good to happen to somebody, but it seemed like everything happening in the movie was bad. Diane may have been the only person who neither did anything bad nor had anything bad happen to her.

And even the priest? Aren't they supposed to be good people?

This movie may appeal to a certain type of audience, but all the violence was too much for me. And I'm grateful I watched on a TV station that censors language. Wow! Even the strippers got covered with blobs.

A Family Matters Christmas (2022)

Merry Switchmas! No, no Urkel but entertaining nevertheless

[14 January 2024]

Because of the movie's title, I feel obligated to get this out of the way first. This could have been a great movie on its own (well, not great but entertaining for kids) but someone had to bring "Family Matters" into it. One of the actresses from that show is a producer and appears briefly (she was Laura but those who remember Laura will probably be disappointed). Her mom from that show, Jo Marie Payton, does a great job in a brief role as a grandmother to bickering kids. I find the whole story of the grandmother telling misbehaving kids a story to be pointless, even if I really liked the grandmother in her brief appearance. I liked "Family Matters" as much as anyone, mainly because of Urkel, but let's face it. The movie stands on its own without the connection to the show, and it is well known Jaleel White would hate having to be Urkel again. And Aiden is sort of an Urkel, but far from being that appealing.

But I really enjoyed the story, and the movie should have been called "Merry Switchmas", to use a phrase Alternis did. Some people would say a movie like this doesn't require use of the brain, but this movie is a real challenge. You have to keep up with who is in what body, and laugh at how each kid can't be quite convincing as the person whose body he or she occupies. And yet all three actors do a good job of trying. And since no one can know about the body switch, that just makes it funnier. Aiden goes through a real transformation from nerdy kid to more assertive. Doesn't help him much with his bully, but his sister's performance is quite good. Less of an Urkel than earlier, but he was appealing in his way when he was himself. It's worse for the popular sports star who is really the nerd who, while he can't play, loves being the center of attention. The sister maybe has the worst time, as he is really the popular good-looking guy and has to watch "his" brother do so well except at sports. And yet she is impressing everyone by her previously unknown sports talent.

The kids all learn important lessons about getting along and about each other as they must work together before they can be switched back.

Stephen Fisher is quite a character, resembling a Santa's elf with pointy ears. He's not a bumbling idiot exactly, but he can't seem to do some things right.

Tamieka Chavis is the real standout actor here. She thinks so highly of herself, even if she is not the ideal woman. What a personality!

Is it family friendly? It had better be, since only kids could possibly think this is any good. Or kids who never grew up. A TV-G rating was shown on screen. Let's say the jokes would go over kids' heads. Emily has her period, but this is not explicitly stated. Tracie tells her potential date Curtis she will be on Santa's naughty list, and those of us who are older will probably understand that in a different way. There are a few other jokes like this, and one song not about pirates has the word "booty". Tracie's drawing of a Christmas tree suggests something not so innocent. Emily's behavior toward her best friend Vanessa suggests she would like to be more than friends, but of course the viewer knows that's really the guy who wants to date her struggling with his situation. A man and a woman are living together despite not being married and they are shown in bed together. On the other hand, one reference to the real meaning of the holiday, other than song lyrics, is shown. A spectator at the basketball game wears a shirt saying "Christ is Christmas".

I mentioned music. The term should not be used for most of the absolute noise that I guess is inevitable in a movie where many of the characters are black teenagers, especially at a dance. But even the more adult sounding material was not my taste. There was an atrocious version of "Silent Night" which sounded straight out a horror movie, but at least it didn't last long. "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker" gets mixed with rap and a song from my "Jack and the Beanstalk" LP that has been used in commercials. And some of the songs have Christmas lyrics but in my opinion that doesn't make them Christmas songs. At least there was pleasant background music.

Regardless of the music that accompanies it, the dancing in this movie is great. Several of the teens and even Aiden are really good. And so are the cheerleaders and some dancers in Christmas costumes at the basketball game.

The exterior shots of Washington, D. C. with the opening credits are great. It's a beautiful city. But where is the movie within the movie actually set? The Washington footage seems to be longer than the part of the movie apparently set there.

Whether this is any good, I guess, is based on what the individual likes. I'm pretty sure those looking for Oscar-worthy material won't be impressed. But it's a fun movie with valuable lessons, and that's what's important.

A Match Made at Christmas (2021)

Funny and cute, and not so cute, ideal ending

[7 January 2024]

At long last, I got the ideal ending watching one of these Christmas movies. You see, I record everything I watch. And sometimes I forget to double check to make sure the movie was the correct length. Most movies I watch run two hours. At the end of two hours this movie wasn't over, but in fact it was. In rom-coms, you see couples who aren't right for each other, but this man really, really, really was not going to be right for Holly. And the way it ended when my recording was over ... exactly how it should be.

So now I need to talk about what I did see. Micah Lynn Hanson did a great job, though she doesn't have that ideal look or ideal personality for this type of movie. To me, she's the girl who's not all that pretty but has a great personality (though not the rom-com style) . Not cute, but responsible and logical, even if it means she can't have what she really wants. As for her looks, she does look quite sexy in a "Flashdance" type top without the bra, and there is a scene in a hot dress that's way too short.

Oh, yes, that scene. Very funny but you can see certain characters getting frustrated about it. I saw this on "Gomer Pyle, USMC" when a computer dating service was scamming people (computers in the 1960s? That's part of the scam). The only thing missing was the woman faking a Hungarian accent at the wrong time.

Our male lead, as I said, was about as far from being the ideal man as you can get. Tim Llewellyn is very serious, confident and professional, ideal for a job that requires technical skill and doesn't involve interacting with others besides those he supervises or reports to. And if he's your supervisor, you'll hate him. In today's world, it's hard to believe a man like him has a successful career. Yet he does have his warm scenes and he knows how to have a good time. Eventually. He's just very uncomfortable around people. I know how he feels. Nothing that wrong with him, and he's not abusive, but he's just very honest about his feelings and won't fake interest in what he doesn't want to. I think the man's on the spectrum. And sadly, even though he appears to be evolving, he always goes back to the way he was. It's a good acting performance but you absolutely don't want this type of a character in your rom-com, if you have any hope of the miracle ending. Which for me did not happen.

Aubrey Shimek Davis was the kind of pretty I want in a rom-com lead, but she was kind of irresponsible. On the job I would assume she did fine, but she didn't seem to try too hard at planning her wedding. Holly's got this! Then when she has to admit the truth about certain things, she's really good. Maybe she's exaggerating, but maybe she's not. But she has a right not to be happy if she isn't. And the look on her face when she's supposed to be having fun--she's not.

The scenes with little actual dialogue were nice. The Christmas tree farm, with people just shopping and enjoying themselves, and later Chris taking photos to market the place, which was fun. Nice sets too, including the fishing business.

Leaves are slow to fall off the trees in this town, but that's fine. Fall leaves are pretty if they're not usually a part of Christmas.

I wasn't happy with some of the music, but in the Christmas tree farm scenes, there wasn't anything bad about it. It just wasn't my idea of Christmas music. Another scene had a familiar Christmas song done acoustic contemporary worship style. Not my thing. I guess some will like it.

Family friendly? I guess so. Just tell your kids that's not a way a man should behave toward a woman or how a woman should expect to be treated. I never saw a V-chip rating because the movie also started before the recording did but I really seemed to be at the beginning. But even the drunken bachelorette party wasn't anything too bad.

What can I say? It's different. Just enjoy what you can enjoy.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Bond. Ward Bond. ET smash!

[4 January 2024]

So a few weeks before I saw this, Daniel Craig was a brilliant detective who provided an amazing description of how he believed a murder happened. This time the mystery is Craig himself, and while he has difficulty solving it because he doesn't know who he is, he does a great job of defending himself against those who mean him harm, of speaking up for himself when he can, and he seems to be very intelligent and knows a lot about what to do in dangerous situations.

Olivia Wilde was also very good, once we found out the truth about her, and she looked good naked, or at least as naked as she could be on The CW.

Harrison Ford, despite being one of the greats, just didn't register with me here. When I figured out which one he was, I just knew I didn't like the character but his role was very important in solving the mystery and the crisis.

So this wasn't your typical Western. I guess if evil aliens are going to be the villains, this movie did it about as well as it could be done. Lots of excitement and good visual effects. Lots of destruction by the enemy. Not much in the way of character development for the aliens, which makes it more like "War of the Worlds", but some amazing efforts to defeat what seemingly can't be defeated.

And great scenery. And great sets for the big battle.

I can like Westerns and I can like movies with evil aliens. I wouldn't say this was one of my favorites, but it might be worthwhile.

Santa Stole Our Dog: A Merry Doggone Christmas! (2017)

Entertaining as long as you don't look for flaws

[31 December 2023]

If Santa Claus is real, then people shouldn't be surprised if things don't make sense, right? Well, even the various TV series with witches or super powers have rules. It bothered me for certain things not to make sense that should have, but really, the problems with this movie shouldn't take away from the entertainment value. I'll focus on the positives.

It's a fun story if you just accept that it all makes sense.

Ed Asner makes a good Santa Claus. Not the best, but a good one. When he is tired, he is quite convincing. It's obvious Asner is old, but in the scenes where he isn't tired, let's say he's still got it.

I'm not familiar with any of the other actors. Samuel Portugal stands out as an elf who has somehow gotten separated from the North Pole. Carole Stoller is great as Carol, Mrs. Claus.

Elaine Partnow is good as the grandmother who somehow doesn't want to leave the far north. Yves Bright mostly makes a good father, and Chase Pollock has the right amount of attitude as a young skeptical teen. Lexi Golden is adorable and spunky as the little girl who believes, and she shows talent in many of her scenes, though sometimes she's more like a real little girl than an actress.

Carrie Schroeder is entirely too serious for the most part, which is appropriate, but she shows a loving side.

If you like dogs (I don't) then I suppose the scene at the animal shelter is cute. Lots of dogs wanting to be adopted. And one in particular has this face that I assume makes people like him. I wouldn't know. He seems lovable, I guess.

The scenery up north is great. The workshop and elf costumes are quite colorful. "Elfis" is funny. The elves who talk apparently are on helium.

And there is an environmental message. Remember, the Arctic ice is melting.

Some of the songs are good. Dolly Parton has one song which some people will like. I can't say it's my taste, but you have to like Dolly. However, the first two songs and the one with the closing credits are terrible in my opinion. Christmas music just should not sound like that, and lyrics about Christmas just won't get it done.

Definitely a movie for the whole family, with a TV-G rating. There is one convincingly scary scene. Suzie screams really well. But you know it will turn out all right, so that's fine. There is also a description of a terrible event but it doesn't bother Suzie.

Now I just have to mention the negatives. Who casually drives across the frozen north in a car that isn't quite dependable? Towns aren't that close together so if you get stranded, you're in real trouble. But this doesn't matter to the script writers, and I guess if you have to have the events that take place, you have to take liberties.

Nathan has a beard and a mustache one minute, and just five o'clock shadow the next. Okay, this may be believable. Maybe he doesn't want to be clean shaven. And that trip across the north? It is dark one minute, the sun is out the next, and then it is dark again. Well, we are near the North Pole. Oh, and somehow the westernmost point in Alaska is also the northernmost. If you know Alaska geography, you know that's not true. Also, even if the car supposedly has heat, why is Suzie in short sleeves? And isn't a lot colder than it seemed in the Yukon and that part of Alaska at Christmas? I won't even ask why if you finally find out the North Pole is in the ocean, why are you still driving?

All of this seems minor when it is a fun story. It's supposed to be silly, and it is that, and meaningful at times too.

The Christmas Break (2023 TV Movie)

Different, not good clean fun, but funny

[24 December 2023]

Unlike so many Christmas comedies, this one isn't about a couple that may or may not get together, and it's not squeaky clean. It's actually kind of edgy at times. When cleaned up for Fox, for example, Jack says, "Shoot!" Then realizing he is around children he says, "I mean shoot." Well, that is what he said. If you don't see it on Fox, maybe that means he said something else. And there is some sex talk, and a funny scene involving an effort to sneak out of a store without people finding out about a pregnancy test.

The couple may in fact not end up together. They are having a disagreement, so there is still a will they or won't they factor. Plus a crisis that needs to be solved by a miracle. And it's not as simple as it sounds.

Jack is quite appealing and sort of a loser. I've seen Justin Long in a number of roles, and wonders how someone like him ends up with a girl as pretty as Caroline. I remember when that pretty girl was Zooey Deschanel. But Long has a positive attitude and a determination that makes the movie work, even if he is around all these tough or good-looking Irish men. And he is quite funny when he has to deal with a diaper, and any other crisis. There is even danger, and he scares easily.

Tom Moran is not tough but good-looking and seems to want Caroline back. Can it happen?

And like so many women in these movies, India Mullen, whoever that is, gives us a driven career woman. But she is somewhat pleasant and accessible, not at all like what one would expect from someone on her way up in a major company. And quite pretty. Except for the accent, I thought she might be the wonderful actress who develops the ability to see the ghosts that haunt her ancient British mansion in a TV series we in the States got to see because of a strike. No, not her, but she's almost as good.

Aoife Hughes is a delight as a girl who wants to play soccer ... What do you MEAN it's football? Oh, and I didn't know there is a version of the game where players can use their hands. Getting back to the actress, she is dismissed because she is a girl, but her brother Arlo Buchanan, who is also good, isn't talented like the real men think he should be.

I don't see Patrick's name in the cast, but he is a holy terror, just old enough to make people's lives miserable, a regular Dennis the Menace.

The Christian meaning of Christmas is included, as two live nativity scenes are shown. The stars of the movie are participants the second time and it doesn't go well.

Ireland is a beautiful place. If that's where they were.

I wasn't happy with some of the music. There is good singing when it is cast members, meaning extras rather than anyone we would know. But the first recording of music in the movie ... we have a green truck that comes every Thursday. I feel the same about what was played at the end. There is some good Irish music played during a soccer game ... okay, football.

Family friendly? Permissive parents might be okay with it. But some scenes go on the naughty list. TV-14 might have been too much. The letter S wasn't needed, as they weren't actually doing anything. It was just a noisy bed.

The Farmer and the Belle: Saving Santaland (2020)

Good job, Christian values included

[17 December 2023]

This is the best of the Christmas-themed romantic comedies I have seen this year. The title makes it look like it will be silly, but it has the ideal balance of silly and serious, with a positive message about real beauty. Still, I like physical beauty more than inner beauty, and the lead actress is certainly pretty, but beginning to show her age. The main point of the movie is Belle discovering or rediscovering what real beauty is.

I've never heard of most the people in this movie, but Jenn Gotzon is likable enough and certainly pretty. Her spoiled attitude goes away pretty quickly and she seems comfortable with her new situation, and it is almost believable that she will adapt to her new situation and make it permanent. And when she gets upset later (this is inevitable if you follow the formula) her attitude seems justified. According to the closing credits, she is telling her real story, or at least a fictional version of it. The characters are still said to be fictional.

Jim Chandler is also good, a believer in traditional values but kind and accessible. He has his flaws but they can be excused.

The two leads have a daughter which they chose to make the fictional daughter. She has her good scenes, but sometimes I wondered if she was twins, and whether one twin wasn't quite as good an actor. But when she is good, she's quite appealing.

Corbin Bernsen is the one actor I actually heard of, and he did a good job, but I didn't know him. He is the one who has to pass on the legacy of this farm and tourist attraction to his son.

Roxzane Mims is a warm and kind employee who played an important role in making everything work.

Natasha Bure is the voice of reason who gives Belle reassurance back in New York City by phone. And she's quite pretty. Without those glasses, maybe she could have been a model. Or even with them really.

Sandra Ellis Lafferty was Belle's grandmother and, based on one imdb review, appeared in a scene I missed since football ran over. But she was good in the one scene I saw, a flashback where she taught her granddaughter what real beauty means.

And a video of young Belle with her father was quite adorable.

Robert Amaya is quite a character, the man who has to find Belle jobs and is having a hard time. I also have to mention Henry Cho who was quite nice as one of the employees.

Several young people with only a few lines did quite a good job. They were either excited about seeing a celebrity or excited about doing something they would enjoy.

I didn't know Delilah who we heard read from her diary as Belle read the words. I have mixed feelings about the DJ but I have to admit she was good in her brief scene.

John Schneider had a good scene as himself, but I didn't realize who he was. He and his band did a good song which was unfamiliar,

On the subject of music, I wasn't happy with the songs in this movie. Some were unfamiliar and most weren't a style that I enjoyed. Even "Joy to the World" was done in contemporary worship style. But maybe others like the music in this movie.

It is family friendly and fine for kids. And the Christian message is there. Santa Claus appears briefly (he would have to, given the title) but he isn't prominent.

Not necessarily the best choice for a Christmas romcom, but a fine job nevertheless.

My Santa (2013 TV Movie)

Adorable, not great

[10 December 2023]

Once again, I have seen a Christmas romcom where the lead female is cynical and the supporting cast is better than the leads. I'm not familiar with Samaire Armstrong but she is quite pretty and does a good job, even if she is sometimes too serious. I like her enough, and she has one really good moment as an actor, even if it is an unpleasant scene for the audience. I do wonder how a single mom in an ordinary job can have such a nice house.

The standout actors are Julie Brown (when has she ever not stood out?) and Jim O'Heir as the man you think should be Santa Claus, if he just added the suit and a beard. Julie is the quirky best friend with an attitude, but a more positive attitude than her friend has. O'Heir is the voice of reason when his Santa Claus isn't being logical.

Paul Dooley is the curmudgeon of a boss, but someone we can like in spite of that. Channing Chase is his potential romantic partner, and while intelligent, too quick to be what he wants her to be.

Matthew Lawrence I know as one of the Lawrence brothers. Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly, but I don't think they're known for their talent. Matthew has a nice smile and is likable enough, but he's not that good. He has some good scenes, mainly when he's not happy. The writing for his character is good but better than he is. And he seems like a teenager, a little young to be in the role or a possible romantic interest for Jen.

Gabe O'Mara is quite likable as the 7-year-old son, even if he looks a little old to still believe.

Ben Gavin is the stereotypical ideal man, but do we really want him to win? Likable enough, I suppose, but too ideal.

The photos of the kids with Santa early in the movie are great.

One positive message involves a family which is having a hard time. Like the Whos who had their holiday stolen by The Grinch, they choose to be happy anyway, because the holiday isn't just about things.

The ending is impossible, but when there is a Santa Claus, why not?

I want to say this is a great movie for kids, but there is one scene that is really concerning. Michael Waite is quite convincing in a flashback as the angry husband and father who has had it with whatever is going on. He isn't exactly violent, but it is disturbing to watch him and maybe something like this was unnecessary. He could have been written as a more sympathetic character, who just couldn't make his marriage work.

Other than that, I would say this is a good movie for kids.

There isn't a mention of the Christian meaning of Christmas, but the family with problems did have a church food bank, and familiar Christmas hymns are included in the background instrumental music. On the subject of music, I wasn't that happy with it, especially with the closing credits music which at least was short.

I would say this is pretty good.

Christmas at the Holly Hotel (2022)

Pleasant enough but not great, with some superior performances from lesser actors

[3 December 2023]

This is the second Christmas romance I have seen this year, and if you know how I choose movies, I don't make a real effort to find what is good. Still, this movie has a number of good qualities. It certainly looks good, when it does. Nice stores in an ideal small town, a fancy hotel and restaurant worthy of a larger city, and decorations for the holiday. And wonderful performances by actors with fewer lines than the leads.

Wait, no snow in Michigan? There's melting snow from earlier but the comment is made that it hasn't snowed yet. I don't care about snow at Christmas, and I regard it as an inconvenience. But in a movie like this, oh yes you want it.

Let's start with the leads. I've never heard of Jesi Jensen but she is gorgeous, resembling Geena Davis when she was that age. If you look at the photo used for imdb ... well, that doesn't quite capture how great she looks in that dress on the big day. While Kathy is somewhat uptight and never really appeals to me that much, she is quite charming and convincing as she conducts a tour of her parents' hotel. I say convincing because she hates those tours. She is intelligent and capable but never quite what I am looking for in a personality. And her focus on her career may be the most important thing, unless some miracle takes place.

Mathew? Likable enough, I guess. I don't see these two getting together. And yet if this movie fits the formula, it will happen. Will it? Regardless, the ending could never happen in real life.

But the actors with only a few lines do the best job. Two in particular stand out.

Shirley Moon Koebbe is great as the 90-year-old grandmother who wants Mathew and Kathy to be a couple. She says what she wants and doesn't seem to care what people think. After all, she's 90 and can do what she likes.

Grover McCants does an amazing job too. I won't explain how the President of the United States ends up doing this, but he reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas" as well as I have ever seen it done. He has other lines which "Uncle Tyler" delivers very well.

And we're not through. Kristen Ryda seems more like the perky romantic lead in a movie like this, but this movie calls for uptight. Still, she makes a great contribution first at dinner and then in many calls with best friend Kathy.

Andrew Dawe-Collins and Nina Kircher as Mr. Hurst and wife Nora are also great. They have a secret which it is probably best not to mention, but like Grandma, their goal is to give Kathy her holiday spirit and make Mathew a part of it.

And even Deborah Chenault-Green as the hotel's head chef, who has only one scene. And yet she is very good and should have gotten to do more. It's curious that she doesn't show up again, but the reason is the movie's big crisis. Still, the movie could have done more with her even if she was unable to do her job.

One big omission. A missing daughter and not even a phone call? Don't they have phones in Colorado where she lives?

I was not happy with the music. Let others decide whether it was good. A female soloist sings "O Come All Ye Faithful" for diners. Her style was not my taste. Other than that, there may have been some actual Christmas music, which I define as songs I already knew and not songs I never heard of which have Christmas-related lyrics. I personally didn't care for the songs or the performances. There was a montage of the happy couple shopping which had instrumental music that didn't seem familiar but would fit perfectly on contemporary worship radio. A genre I can't stand.

Family friendly? I don't recall anything objectionable.

It's a good enough movie, but like I said last week, if you watch a lot of them, this may not be all that special.

A Christmas Kiss II (2014 TV Movie)

Cute enough and appealing, but not great

[26 November 2023]

This was my first romantic holiday movie of the year, but even so, I found myself thinking of it as if I had seen several already. And I was thinking if I had, I would be tired of these movies and wouldn't enjoy this.

And while Jenna is quite appealing and someone I want to succeed, certain details don't make sense. For one thing, the ending would never happen. But that's why they make these movies. And why would an intelligent, confident girl do what she did on the elevator? She is pretty enough, I suppose, but does she need that much makeup to look good?

Cooper is a completely unlikable character and not someone we would want Jenna to end up with. However, the actor convincingly makes us think something has changed him, and that something is Jenna. I suppose such a thing is possible. In movies.

Sebastian is the guy next door that we all want Jenna to end up with. Very appealing. Looks kind of familiar but I don't know any of these actors. Who would root for Cooper? Well, maybe later.

Mia is sort of a Scrooge but doesn't overdo it. She can be persuaded to have a warm personality.

Helmut the photographer is appealing and quirky with some kind of accent.

And Brittany? Absolutely terrible. And I mean the acting.

If you've seen a lot of these movies, like I said, maybe this isn't the one to see. By itself, though, I guess it's a nice story.

The Giver (2014)

We don't talk about Rosemary

[20 November 2023]

I had recorded two movies that aired on a local broadcast station. One was a Christmas movie (a little early) and the other was called "The Giver". Obviously another Christmas movie. No, actually, while Christmas is mentioned, the scene (which occurs twice) lasts only a few seconds, with a happy family singing "Silent Night" in a nice house in an ideal rural location covered in snow. But joy such as this has been banned in a black and white world where everything is said to be perfect but numerous rules MUST be followed. I have not read the book because I just don't read books since I graduated from formal education.

But all is not grim. A perky, happy teen girl seems very normal, and her friends are close to what one would expect in the "real" world. Given the attitudes of this place, I'm surprised anyone is happy. The girl looked familiar for some reason and when I saw the above the title stars in the credits, I saw the name Katie Holmes. No, Katie is much older now. But Odeya Rush is quite likable, capable, confident, and intelligent. The character accepts her role and has a talent for taking care of newborn babies.

Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, gives this movie much more of a human quality, as he is allowed to do pretty much what he wants, and has a more interesting personality than what would be expected in this place. He is very good, and his role as The Giver is important in this society. He is determined to get it right when he trains his potential successor Jonas, because there was a failure in a previous attempt to do so. And we don't talk about that!

Meryl Streep is always talented, but here she looks her age and except at the ceremony where she seems kind and caring, she is borderline evil and expects obedience, and woe to anyone who defies her.

Brenton Thwaites is the lead who does a capable job. Jonas has a special job as the successor to The Giver and he really wants to get it right, but as he learns what has been hidden from most people, he is determined to reach other goals. And we want him to achieve what he wants. This is particularly true when he discovers horrifying truths. As he is shown the world as it once was, he discovers war is terrible and he didn't know people could treat each other like that, but what his society does is almost as bad.

I mentioned Katie Holmes. She is still talented here as she was back in her teen days. I don't know her all that well, but here she is cold and unfeeling and dedicated to rules, treating being a mother as a job and seeing family not as something to care about.

Alexander Skarsgard is a name I have heard, and he is good too but almost caring as the father. Not warm or someone to feel good about, but not as bad as his "wife". His paying job outside the home, however, is something shocking that he doesn't seem to realize is bad.

The other family member is Emma Tremblay, who does quite well to be so young. She accepts her reality and mostly complies with what expected without complaining.

Baby Gabriel, who is officially named "uncertain" but is given a name by Jonas' friend who thinks he should have one, has emotions that we can see. He is able to respond to Jonas' attempts to show him pleasant and unpleasant experiences from the real world, and he may have special abilities. I don't know whether Gabriel's facial expressions represent really good acting from the young babies, or CGI. But they are really effective.

Taylor Swift's name showed up "above the title" at the end. I didn't remember her but I looked at who played who and because I recorded, I could go back. This brings up a couple of the movie's flaws. I don't say this to indicate that it is not a good movie, because it is good where it is good. Rosemary was very important, and yet she is treated almost as if she didn't exist. Not just by characters but also by writers. One scene lasting a few seconds where Rosemary speaks and we can't even see her face. But she is running away horrified about the "real world". Then she appears as a hologram singing and playing the piano happily, and not that attractive. Not as special as one would expect from Taylor Swift, and not memorable in either of her appearances. Not that I see what's so great about her.

A major theme of this movie seems to be to show how a world with no differences is no utopia, and maybe we should celebrate our differences. The individuals do have different talents, but that is about it. Nothing is allowed to be special otherwise. And of course, those who don't qualify to do anything to contribute ... well, you don't want to know. Many problems are eliminated, but the result is worse than the problems were.

The use of color is quite effective. So much of the movie is black and white, and nearly all of it is for the longest time. Jonas has special abilities including the ability to see color in some situations, so this is the only color until he is shown scenes from the real world. Then the colors we see are quite spectacular, and brighter in a sense than what we would normally see. And what an experience when commercials were shown! Going from black and white to what is normal was an amazing experience for a change. Later, colors are more common but in the world of the movie, kind of dull. The more colorful scenes are from the outside world or imaginary experiences. And there are some really interesting brief looks at various cultures, such as a colorful happy wedding.

And the sets are appropriately futuristic and nothing short of amazing. The identical homes look like Lego projects and would be special if put in our normal world. Other than the fact they are identical, they are pretty special anyway.

Getting back to the negatives, the chief elder cannot attend the ceremony in person because there are too many ceremonies, in too many places. And yet we are led to believe we are seeing the entire world, which is not that big, and the elder could easily have attended in person. She can certainly go from one place to another easily enough. How big is this place really? Also, relying on one person to store all memories? What if something happens to him? And we see how hard it is to train a successor. And why ... well, that would be a spoiler. I won't do that here. Let's just say the last big event in the movie makes no sense.

Family friendly? I wouldn't say there is anything really bad, but there are brief scenes of war in the "real world" and some very unpleasant realities. It should be fine for older children.

Is it good? Probably. I've read the book "1984" and have some idea of what is wrong with a society like this. This seems original to me and doesn't fit a formula. I can see where it would be considered formulaic, but I tend to notice what is unique.

I think it's worthwhile.