My Movie Thoughts

Enjoyed your positive review for Hotel for Dogs.

I love dogs and adore dog films. I can love any bit of rubbish as long as it features at least one dog prominently. Anyway I watched Hotel for Dogs a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. So much cuteness going on

Another fun one I watched a while back was Firehouse Dog.

The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer (2009)
Dir: Eduardo Schuldt
Starring: Robbie Daymond, Debra L. Repashy, Michael Ferreri

The Dolphin is the story of Daniel Alexander Dolphin, who feels he has a greater calling that to be content in the lagoon with his pod. He finally works up the courage to travel out into the ocean and a great adventure is underway. The kids really enjoyed the movie. Mom and dad, not quite so much. The film did have some really good moments of suspense, comedy and heart, but it was very unbalanced. Add to that a completely unneccessary fart joke scene just for the sake of fart jokes and a satisfying conclusion that wasn't the end. Overall, it was an ok kids movie, but I think with some additional editing it could've been much better.

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Family DVD Collection | My Top 100 | My Movie Thoughts | Frank Capra

A Shine of Rainbows (2009)
Dir: Vic Sarin
Starring: Connie Nielson, Aidan Quinn, John Bell

This is an excellent, though predictable, film. This is the story of Thomas, a quiet and shy orphan boy who gets adopted by Maire and Alec. Maire actually did the adopting, while Alec trusted her judgement on which boy to adopt. Alec is not immediately endeared with timid Thomas and Thomas is scared to death of Alec. Maire becomes very ill and Thomas wonders what will happen to him because Alec has yet to sign his adoption papers.

As I said, the film is predictable. The story has been played out time and again. This, however, was a very well crafted telling of it. I was connected to the characters. It was a very heartfelt film. The use of color in the movie was fantastic. Color was almost a character in itself. Excellently crafted, excellently filmed, excellently acted. Excellent film.

Hop (2011)
Dir: Tim Hill
Starring: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Hugh Laurie

From the studio responsible for the wonderful Despicable Me comes another great family picture. While the movie makes sure to avoid the real meaning of Easter, it is still a fun story of the young son of the Easter Bunny who doesn't want to go into the family business. Determined to be a drummer, EB leaves Easter Island and goes to Hollywood. There he meets Fred, a slacker who thinks he's destined for greatness, but still hasn't found anything that's "right" for him. After some of the usual "odd couple" comedy moments, it is decided that Fred will help EB become a drummer (via "Hoff Knows Talent") and EB will help Fred become the first non-rabbit Easter Bunny. Add to that an Easter Island coup staged by Carlos, the leader of the chick workforce, and you have a fun movie that kids will love and adults won't hate. Is it Pixar quality family entertainment? No. But it is a fun and funny movie with a heart, and you can't ask for much more from a family film.

At Jesus' Side (2008)
Dir: William R. Kowalchuk, Jr.
Starring: Lucas Graybeel, Roma Downey

While not an Easter film specifically, this one at least teaches the kids about what happened to Jesus. A stray dog named Jericho, who hates humans, leads his group of misfit animals on a journey to Jerusalem to find a place to drop off their latest member. In the process he meets Jesus and through the events of Jesus' last days on earth Jericho learns the lessons of love and forgiveness.

While the title would suggest that Jesus is the center of the film, that is not really the case. The primary story focuses on the animals and their adventure. Jericho's path crosses with Jesus' at several points and Jericho wants to save Him from his fate. Even with Jesus' story being almost a subplot, it is still effectively told and well executed. Of course, this isn't Passion of the Christ gruesome, but it still is able to play with your emotions.

Not on the level of Dreamworks' Biblical animation (The Prince of Egypt, Joseph: King of Dreams), this is made-for-tv animation at best, but it works. The kids love it and mom and dad enjoy it, too.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Dir: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Well, we've had it sitting on the shelf for a while and we finally decided to give it a watch. I wasn't rushing to see it on account of I found Batman Begins to be quite dull. So, was this a very good movie? Yes. Was this the greatest super hero epic ever produced? No, not in my opinion.

This was a very good movie. I liked Christian Bale more this time as Batman and Bruce Wayne. Ledger's performance was very good and he made the Joker a very disturbing individual. Anarchy for the sake of anarchy. Disturbing indeed. Aaron Eckhart also did an admirable job with Harvey Dent. I don't understand the issue people have with his turn being "out of nowhere." It made sense to me. Overall this was a very well done film, super hero or otherwise. I will give it credit for that.

That said, it still didn't have the "fun" factor I like in my super hero films. Nicholson's Joker was fun. Cesar Romero's Joker was fun. Ledger's Joker was scary. And that was the point, I know. But aside from the Joker, the film still wasn't "fun" in the sense of the first Iron Man or Spider-Man or Superman films. So, bottom line, very good film, just not my personal favorite super hero film.

I've seen a lot of films in the last few weeks, but haven't had time to write much about them, so I'll just give some real quick opinions on a few.

Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)
Dir: Kelly Asbury
Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt

The latest in a fabulous string of near-perfect animated family features. This was a great, fun movie, and one of those rare times that, when it was over, the kids AND mom and dad wanted to watch it again.


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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
Dir: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

I've never read a Harry Potter book (my oldest has read them all 3 times). I haven't seen an entire Harry Potter film since the third one (my oldest has seen them all probably a dozen times). That said, I still was able to enjoy this one. The younger kids - who have watched all the previous films as well - were bored for most of it, as was my wife. I liked it.


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Gremlins (1984)
Dir: Joe Dante
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Corey Feldman

Fantastic and fun. This is on my all-time favorites list. Part of the great run of 1980s movies starting with the letter 'G' (Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Goonies).

Little Fockers (2010)
Dir: Paul Weitz
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman

One big running awkward sex joke. How did this get away with a PG-13? Parts of it were funny, but it really wasn't my type of movie.


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Gulliver's Travels (2010)
Dir: Rob Letterman
Starring: Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Billy Connolly

Ugh. Inane crap. Sorry you were subjected to this, kids.


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Tangled (2010)
Dir: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi

Another of that previously mentioned string of great animated family movies. Not quite as good as Gnomeo and Juliet, but still enjoyable for everyone.

Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)
Dir: Jean Yarbrough
Starring: Abbott & Costello

The idea of Abbott & Costello in a fairy-tale sounds a lot funnier than it was actually executed. Not an awful movie, but certainly not one of Abbott & Costello's classics either. At least it's better than Jack Black's Gulliver.


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The Pagemaster (1994)
Dir: Joe Johnston (live action), Maurice Hunt (animation)
Starring: Macauley Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Leonard Nimoy

Another film that sounds better than it actually is. The original idea was "a kid who hates to read goes on a literary adventure and learns to love reading." The producers altered it to "a timid and shy kid goes on a literary adventure and learns to be brave." Books made me love to read, the did not make me any more brave or less shy. I think the original idea would've been better. Anyway, it was just an ok film, but I had wanted it to be so much better.


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Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Dir: Joe Dante
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, Bill Goldberg

It's like a good Muppet movie only with the Looney Tunes gang. We've had this DVD for quite a while and, while the kids have watched it a few times, I never had. This is actually quite an enjoyable movie. Silly and fun.

***FROM THE ALL-TIME FAVORITES LIST***

Up (2009)
Dir: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai

What can I say about Up that has not been said already? Probably nothing, so you've probably read all of this before. Up is, IMO, the perfect animated movie. It is simultaneously wacky and out there, yet grounded and realistic. The first 15 minutes are practically the greatest and most realistic love story ever put on film, yet even my 5 year old watches attentively. Even when we leave the "reality" and enter the wackiness of the floating house, Carl is still a real person and we still can empathize with him. So we already have this great character who has suffered a great loss, and we share that with him. Then we get Russell. The wide-eyed and curious kid that also is suffering. His dad has a new family and doesn't have time for him anymore. Now we have two fantastic characters we can sympathize with and relate to. Not that this film is a downer. There is plenty of comedy, action and adventure in this film. Kids of all ages are glued to it. I would classify this as the animated equivilant of It's a Wonderful Life. Not in terms of plot or story neccessarily, but in terms of the emotional experience of viewing it. Like Capra's masterpiece, if you don't have some kind of emotional reaction to this film, you may not have a soul.

I love Up,I actually think that I like it more then my kids do.Tangled was great to,great reviews.

Me too up

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

I like Abbott and Costello a lot, but this movie was shameful and just a bad attempt at throwing them into some fairy tale thing. Didn't pann out well at all. I think I have it buried in a compelation DVD of their stuff, didn't like it at all.

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"Rick Moranis Double Feature Friday"


Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Dir: Joe Johnston
Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer

A fun family movie about an inventor and his family. Rick Moranis is always good in nerdy roles, and this is no exception. The effects are a little dated now, but add to the charm of this enjoyable Disney outing. Four thumbs up from the kids, and mom and dad still enjoyed it even though we first saw it over 20 years ago. Maybe not a classic, but still a good time for everyone.


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Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Dir: Frank Oz
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Green, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin

A fabulously funny musical-horror-comedy. Steve Martin is great as the sadistic dentist. A wonderful cameo by Bill Murray. The plant is very well done. This is just a load of fun. While my wife and I remembered watching this multiple times when we were kids, half of our kids decided it was too scary for them. In hindsight, they were probably right in a couple of aspects. My daughter, though, loved it and wanted to watch it again. She loves semi-scary stuff, like this and Gremlins-type stuff. Her little brothers - not so much. Anyway, I still find it to be wonderfully entertaining and worth re-watching even after all this time.

Little Shop of Horrors

Harvey (1950)
Dir: Henry Koster
Starring: James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake

Finally watched Harvey while I was on leave. This movie was wonderful. I watched it at my mom and dad's house. I laughed, my mom laughed, and my youngest brother laughed. A film for all ages. Jimmy Stewart gives an excellent performance as Elwood P. Dowd, who may or may not be imagining his best friend - a 6 foot 3 1/2 inch tall rabbit. Josephine Hull, who was also good in Arsenic and Old Lace (1941), gives a fine performance as his poor sister, stressed terribly about getting her awkward daughter started in society and by her brother's seeming mental deficiency. Humorous and touching, this is a fantastic film that ranks among Stewart's best.

John Carter (2012)
Dir: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, James Purefoy, Dominic West

Andrew Stanton's big-budget adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 100 year old sci-fi pulp adventure. Destined to be remembered as one of the biggest financial failures in cinema history, John Carter is actually a really good film. Not a perfect film, but a really good one.

As a fan of the source material, I can tell you this is far from a faithful adaptation. While essentially an adaptation of the first novel, "A Princess of Mars," elements from books 2-3, "The Gods of Mars" and "The Warlord of Mars," have been tossed in along with some elements that are completely new. While not neccessarily true to the source, I would say the film is very true to the spirit of Burroughs' original stories. I felt the same sense of fun, excitement and wonder watching the movie that I felt reading the novels. The same sense I got watching Star Wars or Raiders for the first time.

The pieces that are lifted directly from the books are pure magic, while the remainder does not disappoint. Kitsch and Collins give good performances. Mark Strong and Dominic West are suitably evil villains. The effects are fantastic, Woola especially. Overall, Stanton has told a good, fun story and set up an interesting universe, and it's unfortunate that we'll probably never get another chance to play in it.