 by Christina ALNM Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Marc Forster Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett Rating: PG Available to watch: In theaters now Review: I have to admit, I wasn't super excited when this movie was first announced. But then I saw the first teaser trailer with Jim Cummings voicing Winnie the Pooh and was immediately sold. The storyline isn't particularly unique and the message of placing family above work isn't groundbreaking, but it is a movie with heart. I would even argue that this is a children's film targeted towards adults who, in our complicated times, could use a good cuddle with everyone's favorite teddy bear. Ewan McGregor gives a lovely performance of a grown Christopher Robin, but it really is Winnie the Pooh himself who steals the show. I loved the old school stuffed animal visuals of the movie, which reminded me of the old Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal my mother has. If you are looking for a fun lighthearted movie that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, this is it.
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by Grace ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Domee Shi Available to watch: In theaters now ahead of The Incredibles 2 Review: Forewarning: you will cry during this short. At the very least, you'll come away from it wanting to go find your mother, apologize for daring to grow up and be your own person (or at the very least, for your snotty adolescent years), and then give her a giant hug. I'll be honest, a good 50% of the reason why I chose to go see the Incredibles 2 was to see this short beforehand. Ok fine, 75%. I love that Domee Shi is the first woman to head up a Pixar short. I love that it's based on her Chinese Canadian childhood. I love that the husband was sitting at the dinner table, watching a Chinese show on in the background, like it was no big deal. I love that I totally did not expect where the story went - don't look at spoilers before you go, trust me. I love the authenticity of it all. And I love the Bao! Pro tip; keep an eye out for a subtle reference to how Asian cultures like folks to take their shoes off in the house. C'mon people, your shoes are disgusting. Yes, I work in a hospital so I may be extra biased but the world is pretty gross. Take off your shoes. by Grace *Christina's note: Everyone be nice to Grace, our friend and special guest writer!* ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Brad Bird Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson Rating: PG Available to watch: In theaters now Review: The first Incredibles movie is one of my favorite Pixar movies. It's so unique and came before the huge rise of the Marvel and DC superhero craze you see today. There's something so magical about a story that's, at its core, pretty unrealistic (I mean, hello, super powers) but still draws you in and holds your attention. This second movie literally picks up right after the first movie, storyline-wise, and goes on from there. There's subtle references to the recent rise of female authority (hello, women's marches and "Me Too/Time's up"), while still pulling in jokes from the well worn joke that the dad has no idea how to manage a household on his own. Yes, I still laughed - although I'd like to think men have evolved somewhat. But then again, the Incredibles is supposedly set back in a different time period so, I'll roll with it. Plus, baby Jack-Jack's powers were a fun addition to this second movie. As a new parent, I totally sympathize with Mr. Incredible's inability to figure out how to manage his kid. Although to be fair, my kid doesn't burst into flames, but she can shoot out poop with the ferocity of laser beams. All in all, it was an action-packed movie with a good story, with plenty of laughs for both children and adults. Plus, no matter how many times I hear it, I find it hilarious when Frozone's wife is heard in the background asking him where he thinks he's going ASAP. Just like I still find it hilarious in the first movie when she's yelling at him from across their house, asking him why he needs to find his super suit. What can I say, I'm easy to please. Hard to capture the nostalgia and uniqueness from the first movie, but as always, Pixar did a great job.  by Christina ALNM Rating: 3/5
Directed by: Ron Howard Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, Paul Bettany Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: In theaters now Review: No movie could live up to the expectations placed on the origin story of everyone's favorite space smuggler. The film suffered from production issues, including replacing original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with Ron Howard during filming. The biggest flaws I found in the movie lay in the predictability of the plot and a lack of connection with the characters. Through the movie, it largely felt like it was hitting all the points on a checklist of our history with Han Solo. I hope this gets a chance at a sequel to see what a young Han Solo film with a few more risks looks like. Especially if it expands on THAT cameo towards the end. For the most part, I didn't develop any attachment to the new characters. None were radically unlikeable but also didn't catch my interest. The standouts were Donald Glover as an effortlessly cool Lando Calrissian and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as his droid co-pilot. Overall this is a fun heist film and visually pleasing, but that's about it.  by Christina ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: In theaters now Review: I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not sure I would rate this movie as high if I didn't already have ten years of emotional investment in these characters. But I left this movie pleased, devastated, stunned, and every other emotion you want a good movie to pull out of you. The team of the Russos, Markus and McFeely were able to pull together nearly the entire Marvel universe without making it feel overcrowded. The balance of drama and humor walked the fine line the best Marvel movies are able to maintain. And the biggest compliment I can pay a long movie is that it never felt long. The concluding action sequences were visually stunning and the final scene will leave you gasping. Thanos is easily the toughest villain ever to appear on screen in the Marvel films. Chris Hemsworth finally lived up to all the potential he has shown as a leading man with the advantage of a strong storyline for Thor. I'll stop now before I give anything away, but be sure to tune into our podcast episode next week for our full review.  by Kelly Lee ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Taika Waititi Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: wherever you can purchase or stream movies Review: Thor: Ragnarok was an unexpected surprise for me. Not only was it funny and action-packed, but it helped us see a new side of Thor and the history of his beloved homeland of Asgard. Not to be outdone by Wonder Woman, this film also brought in Valkyrie, a strong-willed female character who not only can take care of herself, but can also help the men out if they’re really flailing. She brought a wit and sense of empowerment to all the women watching the movie. Also for me, it was exciting to see Thor interact with Hulk and Dr. Strange, two characters I know little about. Perhaps what stood out the most to me was Hela, played by Cate Blanchett. She was another female character that knew how to kick some butt and Cate Blanchett really brought her evilness to a whole new level. No one could deny that Hela was just as scary as any male villain that there could have been. As comic book movies delve more and more into female and minority characters, it is fun to watch everyone get behind their favorite character no matter what their gender or race may be.  by Christina ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Ryan Coogler Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: In theaters now Review: I’m going to be straight forward. This is one of the best movies Marvel has ever come out with and one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I’m sure we will be talking about this on the podcast in the near future, and I’ll try to be spoiler free, but this film was able to successfully combine a strong self-contained story, charismatic characters, and (finally) a complex memorable villain in a way Marvel often isn’t able to do. I could devote an entire episode of the podcast to Michael B. Jordan, his portrayal of Erik Killmonger, and how he and Chadwick Boseman stand shoulder to shoulder as compelling leading men. The women of the film are complicated and badass and deserve all the movies, short films, and comics Marvel can devote to them. What really drew me in was the way this fantasy film was able to tie itself into our real world and its real issues in order to make it feel grounded and to make us feel emotionally invested. On a superficial level, the movie is gorgeous. The special effects, hair, makeup, costumes, and sets all deserve praise for their depth and beauty. We could go on for days about how this is a movement beyond just another superhero movie. But we can’t forget that this is also on its own a great movie. This helps upend the misguided Hollywood belief that a film needs a straight white cis male protagonist in order to be successful. This is a movie you have to see.  by Christina ALNM Rating: 4.5/5
Directed by: Wes Ball Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Walton Goggins, Ki Hong Lee, Jacob Lofland, Katherine McNamara, Barry Pepper, [redacted], Rosa Salazar Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: In theaters now Review: Maze Runner: The Death Cure is exactly the movie fans of the series have been waiting for for over two years. I'm not going to delve into too much detail here, because we'll be devoting an episode of the podcast to this, but rest assured it is worth the price of admission. The action sequences have taken a serious step up from the previous two films starting from the very first scenes of the movie. The growth of Dylan O'Brien's range as an actor is on full display, and it is clear that Rosa Salazar is a star in the making. As always, Thomas Brodie-Sangster brings a special kind of heart to the film with his seemingly effortless transformation into Newt while Ki Hong Lee brings the kind of intensity you want in an action hero. Some of my favorite comedic beats involve a certain surprise character I won't mention here. All in all, the movie was thrilling from beginning to end. But head into the movie prepared, because there were several significant moments I found myself wishing I had brought some tissues.  by Kelly Lee ALNM Rating: 5/5
Directed by: Patty Jenkins Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, and Connie Nielsen Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: Anywhere you can purchase or rent movies Review: In this movie that inspires ladies of all ages, Gal Gadot steps into the Wonder Woman boots as Diana of Themyscira who courageously protects her people and travels with stranded American soldier Steve Trevor onto the battlefront of World War I to find Ares, the God of War. Prior to its release, this film received much hype and definitely delivered an epic superhero movie filled with great acting and female empowerment. Diana’s termination, drive, and bravery are shown through Gadot in a role that she was born to play. Diana learns much about the world around her and the people she had never encountered before. This film is not to be missed. If you didn’t get a chance to see it in cinemas, I highly recommend renting, buying, or watching it in any way that you can! P.S. You’re welcome, Christina. I *finally* did that Wonder Woman review you’ve been asking for since last summer.  by Kelly Lee ALNM Rating: 3.5/5
Directed by: Jake Kasdan Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Rhys Darby, Bobby Cannavale Rating: PG-13 Available to watch: In cinemas since December 22, 2017 Review: Although this looks like a really goofy movie from the trailers, you have to admit that anything with The Rock in it has to be at least a little bit entertaining. With the help of Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and comedians Jack Black and Kevin Hart, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is fun, hilarious, and just the kind of movie you need to have a carefree holiday season. For fans of the original Jumanji film from 1995, there is a beautiful tribute to Alan Parrish (who was played by the late Robin Williams) in the film as well. There are a few other nods to the original film and a few from the book by Chris Van Allsburg, too. If you need a little escape from reality and a good laugh, this is a movie that is not to be missed! |
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