 Jumping back into the wild ride of Jack Sparrow and the many man who are after him, Dead Men Tell No Tales is a fabulous family movie! I’m giving it an A. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan married by a captain while battling on the high seas, find themselves separated for years at a time as Will serves his duty on a cursed ship. The latest Pirates movie focuses on their son, Henry, who has studied all sea lore in order to make a visit with his father.
The trident of Poseidon can take control of the seas and end the curse of his father. Henry sets out to find the trident with the help of an educated woman, Carina, who is seeking the trident for her own purposes. Throw in Jack Sparrow who seems to be the most unlucky of pirates these days and an evil Spaniard ghost (played by Javier Bardem) bent on revenge and you have a movie sure to delight.
The strange way Captain Salazar moves and looks is explained in a flashback with a much younger Johnny Depp. I do wish I had the ability to never age or if I did age, to keep looking as young and fabulous. I did enjoy how this flashback was woven into the story and not kept separate at the beginning. Speaking of the beginning, you have to see what they did with Cinderella’s castle. J
Throughout the amazing action on the high seas, we have dead and ghostly sharks trying to take a bite of Jack and Henry. We have pieces of the ships coming to life to attack, but it’s the small jokes, the sarcastic sense of humor which will shine through for the adult movie goer. From a sneak peek at Sir Paul McCartney singing a little Maggie May to the dimwitted pirates not understanding the meaning of big words.
But the real moments for me were the heartfelt family ones. Barbossa realizing he has a daughter and the pain of a parent wanting more for their child than to be trapped aboard a cursed ship. The fitting final moment of a family reunited, as well as two people in love race across the tall grass, into each other’s arms. Pirates delights with comedy, action and touching moments as well. Just be sure to stay for an extra after credit scene which hints are more to come.
  A prequel to the original Aliens movie, Covenant has action but misses the mark. I’m giving Covenant a C. On board the Covenant, a group of married crew members, 2000 colonists and embryos set out to colonize a new planet. When something goes wrong, the crew members face disaster with the death of their captain and intercepting a mysterious message.
The crew finds a closer planet which appears to be better than the one they were heading to and after their captain’s death, they decide to check it out and see if the closer planet is better. And while the planet appears to be everything they could want, it’s hiding a secret—the survivor of the missing exploration vessel- Prometheus.
Daniels (played by Katherine Waterston) reminded me of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley from the original, right down to the haircut. She’s strong and feisty as she fights not only her teammates but the aliens. Michael Fassbender plays dual roles of androids, David and Walter and is both heroic and scary. The aliens are frighteningly fast and just as fiendish as before. From breaking through glass to jumping out of a body, they are gorific.
Sadly, the movie has plot holes so big you could drive a spaceship through and while it’s a prequel to the original Aliens movie, it doesn’t fit into the bigger picture. It really only ties to the previous movie, Prometheus. Fans will be disappointed because of the errors, although if you just want to watch a movie with action, this does fit that bill. However, I was easily able to figure out the surprise ending before it happened, I only needed to wait for Daniels to figure it out.
However, Covenant has shown me that I will never decide to go into a long space journey. They always end in disaster, especially when the spaceship has some malfunction. And then there’s the issue with artificial intelligence…after so many movies featuring robots with a mind of their own, I am hesitant to embrace the AI development. Don’t spend the money and wait for this to be on TV.
 Sweeping landscapes with non-stop action, I’m giving King Arthur: Legend of the Sword a B. As a child, young Arthur (played by Charlie Hunnam) escapes the destruction of his family by his power-hungry uncle (played by Jude Law). Growing up on the streets after being taken in by some young ladies of the evening, he develops fighting skills as well as his own family of rag-tag misfits. As a rebellion forms and whispers abound about the “real’ king, Arthur’s Uncle Vortigern sets out to find the one man who can pull the sword from the stone.
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, Arthur has magic, beautiful locations and a shirtless Charlie Hunnam to excite the viewers. The cinematography was interesting as both a hand-held camera and slow-motion special effects brought the viewers into the action. The Mage’s special effects were my favorite since they involved animals and pushed the story along.
Jude Law is evil in this movie. He’s willing to do anything and kill anyone in order to get what he wants. His acting feels restrained as if at any moment he will explode burning everyone around him down to ashes. Each word and action appears to come from some hidden well of anger and despair. Being this evil, he deserves everything which comes his way.
Don’t blink or you will miss David Beckham’s role. I guess being a friend of the director does have its perks! With sarcastic and witty comebacks, this isn’t your traditional King Arthur. It’s gritty and full of death and destruction.
Guy Richie’s Arthur deviates from the story most of us know, yet allows for a plausible reason behind the changes. However, I struggled with rooting for the characters. I wanted to like Arthur but he seemed a reluctant hero, rather than someone worth fighting for. Much of the movie was spent with him running away from the painful past hidden from him and fighting with the sword.
Depending on how it does with the fans, Guy does leave it open for a sequel and possibly more shirtless Charlie Hunnam.
 Laughter, tears and kick butt action- I’m giving Guardians an A. Guardians picks up where the previous movie finishes as Peter (played by Chris Pratt) and his team of misfits protect special batteries from a monster, thereby setting up a major conflict with a planet of “perfect” gold-skinned people. However, the underlying message of the movie is about what makes a family and specifically a father.
Peter meets his father, Ego (played by Kurt Russell), who is a celestial. In learning about his dad, Peter uncovers a dangerous truth and must decide what is more important… the family he’s made or his father. Great job with casting! Kurt and Chris look so much alike, it’s as if they could be related! I loved the images of the younger Kurt. It took me back to my own youth!
All of the original cast returns in the sequel but some interesting new characters are added. Mantis is sure to delight with her innocence. But baby Groot steals the show. From the opening scene through the credits (I am Groot), his three words convey so much! Easter eggs abound for those true fans of the Marvel comics and with FIVE after credit scenes, Guardians keeps you in your seat until the lights come up.
I was pleasantly surprised by how fans and bloggers kept many of the powerful moments quiet. I enjoyed finding those surprises myself as they evoked a deep emotional connection. So I won’t give away any spoilers. You have to see it for yourself!
A movie to delight the whole family, whether it’s the family you have through genetics or the one of your heart. A must see… again and again!
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Melissa KeirIt's all about the movies... Archives
December 2018
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