It’s hard to say goodbye… The final installment in the children’s movie-How to Train Your Dragon is one for the family. Hiccup, now chieftain, sets out to find a place where humans and dragons can live in peace. But an evil hunter is out to derail his plans and kill Toothless. Relationships abound as Toothless (A Night Fury) finds a female Light Fury dragon and Hiccup faces questions about when he’ll marry Astrid. Both Hiccup and Toothless must make some tough decisions in order to find a happily ever after. Originally based off the children’s books by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is about a boy taught to hate dragons and a dragon who isn’t able to fly. Through the series, we see how the boy and dragon are more alike and become best friends—overcoming their handicaps. The third movie features a more grown up set of characters (yes, they age) and touching storyline. Growing up is never easy. Sometimes pain comes with the happiness. This movie will have you dabbing at your eyes and cheering for the heroes as they battle. With the voices of Gerard Butler, Kit Harrington, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett and Craig Ferguson, the characters come to life. How to Train Your Dragon will be a hit with fans of the previous movies and the ending credits feature scenes from the first two movies, showing the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless. It also appeals to families with the crazy antics of the dragons who steal the movie, but not necessarily a teen or older audience.
Isn’t it Romantic shines a spotlight on the commonalities of romantic comedies in a way that reminds us why this genre is well-liked. Disillusioned about love as a young girl, Natalie (Rebel Wilson) works in New York City as an architect. She’s shut herself off of love because she feels unworthy. When mugged, she hits her head and wakes up in a romantic comedy version of her life where things are cleaner, more spacious and comes complete with musical numbers. Now the wealthy businessman (Liam Hemsworth) she’s designing a parking structure for finds her beguiling and now her best friend and assistant is her top rival. But no matter how gorgeous and wealthy he is, Natalie realizes that there is still something missing from her life and sets out to make it right. With many songs and references to popular romantic comedies like Pretty Woman and When Harry Met Sally, Isn’t it Romantic is a sweet story of what is really important- loving yourself and how we often hide behind walls to keep our hearts safe. Rebel Wilson has a slapstick comedic style reminiscent of Carol Burnett and shines in this movie. Also serving as one of the producers, she was able to hand pick the people who starred in the movie alongside her. While the movie has it silly moments, it does fall flat in some areas. Many of the big scenes were already shown in the trailers so you aren’t as surprised during the movie. Also Rebel’s constant putdowns about her looks and low self-esteem can become grating. All of us have esteem issues and while those comments flow through our heads, we don’t spend as much time focusing on them as this movie portrays. Certainly appealing to the female audience, including a shirtless Hemsworth, Isn’t it Romantic does have its laugh-out-loud moments but isn’t one you’ll need to see on the big screen. Cute but not memorable. Enjoy it as a night out with your girlfriends but don’t spend the big bucks to see it.
Goonies meets Sword in the Stone… The Kid Who Would Be King is a remake with a few surprises. Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) is low man on the totem pole at a local school. Bullied by two older kids and fighting back to protect his friend, he doesn’t believe in magic until he stumbles upon the mythical sword in the stone, Excalibur. With the assistance of Merlin (Angus Imrie/Patrick Stewart) and his classmates, Alex must save the world from Arthur’s evil sister, Morgana. Like Arthur, Alex turns his enemies into his greatest allies as he battles flaming swords and animated dead who are out to steal Excalibur. But this movie is more than just a retelling. It reminds us that we are all bigger than who we believe we are and that everyone is capable of changing the world. The Kid Who Would Be King weaves the ancient tale with modern references such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. This movie features real acting royalty- the actor playing Alex is the youngest son of actor, Andy Serkis (Black Panther, Lord of the Rings) but it’s Patrick Stewart who steals the movie. Merlin ages backwards but the young Merlin can become the older Merlin at certain times. Wild eyed and messy haired Patrick Stewart is a perfect mix of reverence and crazy. Hollywood has a habit of remaking movies over and over again. Recent movies based on classics, King Arthur and Robin Hood, have bombed at the box office. While this movie was a blend of classic and modern retelling, it is one that will only appeal to a small audience and would be better to see once on cable or pay-per-view. With so many other exciting and interesting movies out there, this is one which isn’t worth the money to see. Save your money since your children will want to see the new Lego Movie but you can check this out once it’s on TV.
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Melissa KeirIt's all about the movies... Archives
January 2020
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