Return to the classic fairy tale, Snow White but learn what brought the Huntsman into being. I give The Huntsman a B-.
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Ravenna and her sister, Freya are close until the death of her sister’s baby and Freya comes into her magic. Magic must make the women in that family go a little power hungry because Freya heads north to conquer kingdoms and “save” the children so that they never learn love. The children become the Huntsmen who are trained to kill in her name.

​The Huntsman is a prequel and sequel all in one. It tells the tale of the beginning of the corps of Huntsman and the death of Eric’s wife. However, the story doesn’t stop there. It goes on to tell what happens after Ravenna is destroyed, how Snow White’s kingdom comes under attack from Freya and how Eric sets out to recover the magic mirror, finding that his wife wasn’t really dead.

​Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth reprise their roles from the original movie. They are joined by Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt. Action abounds as Chris and Jessica shoot bows and arrows, throw axes and climb mountains. In fact, the action was the best part of the movie. Chris and Jessica trained with a weapons’ master and it showed. However, the storyline was weak. Freya appeared as a shallow imitation of Frozen’s Elsa. Freya shoots snow from her fingers and spies on her huntsmen using an ice owl. 

​Fans of the first movie will want to see this movie but most people will pass or wait until it’s on pay-per-view. Seeing hotties like Chris or Jessica isn’t worth the full price of the movie.

​This live action remake will have you on the edge of your seat with the action. A must see for the whole family. I’m giving The Jungle Book an A.
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Mowgli, having been raised by wolves since he was orphaned in the jungle, is threatened by Shere Kahn, a mangled tiger who has a chip on his shoulder. In order to save himself, Mowgli sets out to leave the jungle but leaving is easier said than done.

​Neel Sethi’s big screen debut as Mowgli is fabulous. His facial expressions and wild hair, deepen the viewer’s love of the character. But he’s not the only superstar in this movie. From Bill Murray and Ben Kingsley to Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken, the remake makes you forget that these aren’t real animals but some fabulous cinematography. Garry Shandling’s voice is a poignant reminder of the loss of this amazing comedian. The jungle comes to life in sweeping landscapes and human-like animals. 

​But let’s be clear… this isn’t the animated movie. While this Disney remake does follow the original cartoon pretty close, there are differences. Also, this isn’t The Jungle Book movie in production currently. Yes… there will be three Jungle Book movies before everything is said and done.

​This movie is directed by Jon Favreau- and if you don’t recognize the name, you will recognize the face as Happy, Ironman’s security guard. Watching the credits at the end, it appears that half of Jon’s family appears as a voice in this movie. I wonder if he had to pay them. But let’s not forget Liam Schreiber and Naomi Watt’s kids are also in this movie.

​This Jungle Book hits all the right notes. Touching family story, cute animals and toe-tapping music. Make sure you stay to see the credits scroll and enjoy the music. 

​The Boss was written by and for Melissa McCarthy and showcases her physical comedy. But even then, it was only okay. I’m giving it a B.
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Melissa McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, who has a young child was bounced from foster home to foster home, learning never to count on family. She is now a superstar financial wiz who is the 11th wealthiest woman in the world. When a former boyfriend has her reported for insider trading, Michelle ends up in jail and loses all her money and assets.

​With nowhere to go, she ends up on the couch of her former over-worked assistant and finds a new way to return to her glory with the sales of brownies (ala Girl Scout cookies). But she ends up messing that up when her demons come back to haunt her.

​Melissa McCarthy acted, wrote and produced this movie with her husband, Ben Falcone (who also produced, wrote and acted). Will Farrell is another producer. So with a script tailor made for McCarthy, why couldn’t it be more funny?? There were two problems. One, Melissa’s character is never seen out of a tall turtleneck. It goes up to her chin and makes her look larger than she is. I couldn’t understand why this character was always wearing such an unflattering top. It became distracting. Secondly, the movie has a great story and message but then goes to a strange break-in followed by a sword fighting scene which doesn’t fit the message. It felt thrown in for the humor but it wasn’t funny. 

​McCarthy’s interactions with other people was the draw. Whether she was telling someone off while looking like a nice guy or appearing oblivious to how much her comments hurt, she was someone you could believe. Kristen Bell was a great foil for Melissa. Her straight face and astonishment at Melissa’s actions were some of the best scenes. Also the younger cast was hilarious. I loved seeing them show off, especially since The Boss was some of their first big acting gig.

​If you are looking for a fun movie which isn’t all about superheroes or action, The Boss will make you smile. But you certainly want to see it during the cheaper times and don’t bring the young ones. The amount of swear words and sexual innuendos isn’t appropriate for them.

Returning to the crazy Greek family from the first movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a fun movie with a heartfelt message. I’m giving it a B.
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Taking place over fifteen years since the first movie, Toula is still working at her parents’ restaurant and feels the need to fix everything, jumping in with her daughter and parents. However, she’s forgetting to take care of her own marriage. Parents will identify with Paris’, Toula and Ian’s teenage daughter, need for space. This is hard with a Greek family where everyone shows up for everything. 

​This time the wedding is Toula’s parents whose weren’t really married all those years ago. Everyone jumps in to help create the wedding of the century. But the wedding won’t go off seamlessly since Maria, Toula’s mom, isn’t sure she wants to marry the crabby old man. She wants romance and passion, which is easily pushed aside when a couple has been married for a long time.

​With all the original cast returning, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is a must see for fans of the first movie. It begins a little slow but picks up with the jokes quickly. It will have you laughing out loud as it pokes fun at families, Greeks, and romance. There’s a joke for everyone from Ian and Toula caught necking in the car to teaching your parent how to use the computer for the first time.

​The storyline is predictable with viewers able to predict the story before it happens. However, it is a wonderful movie for a girls’ night out or first date. You’ll leave happy feeling better about your own family and so glad you aren’t in Toula’s family.