  Pixels will take you back to the 80’s, totally dude! I give it a B- for its predictable storyline and the idea that Kevin James could be president.  In 1982, Adam Sandler’s character wins second place in a national video game championship. The footage is sent up in space in the hopes of connecting with life on another planet. And it does over twenty years later, only problem is that the aliens think the video is a challenge and sets up various life or death video games.
With clips of old 80’s shows like Fantasy Island and music icons like Hall and Oats or Madonna, people over the age of 35 will understand and grasp much of the humor. We lived the times when to play video games, you went to an arcade with strange square shaped warriors. Like many of Adam Sandler’s movies, there’s moments of humor among the awkward acting and sarcastic dialogue. Not to mention the nepotism of his wife and children as well as Kevin James’ kids appearing in each of his movies.  From early on in the movie, you know Adam’s going to save the day and win the girl but it’s the quirky moments which will have you laughing out loud. Pixels has a nostalgic feel much like the old Ghostbusters where four geeks must battle their childhood heroes, wearing jumpsuits and laser-like light guns. Even Dan Aykroyd and his Crystal Skull Vodka makes a guest appearance.
This might be a good movie to watch at home with your children so you can explain to them about how we had to go to arcades and put in quarters to play video games which were only 2-D images. It could be a father-son bonding moment.    Thor, Ironman, The Hulk…those sound like superheroes. Strong names…not so much with The Ant-Man. Who is scared by a superhero the size of a millimeter? Yet that’s the idea behind Marvel’s latest movie- Ant-Man. I give the movie an A-.  Paul Rudd plays Scott Lang, former convict and hacker who breaks into Michael Douglas’s (Dr. Pym) house and steals the Ant-Man suit. Once he’s persuaded (threatened) to become the Ant-Man, he must not only save his daughter but the world.  Ant-Man is much a Marvel movie with the tongue in cheek approach to heroism, from giant Thomas the Tank Engine’s coming out of walls to exciting chase scenes through the water system. It’s more like Guardians of the Galaxy than Captain America. This hero will bend the rules if he has to.  And there’s the coveted Stan Lee cameo as well as one by Garrett Morris of Saturday Night Live fame. I really enjoyed the tie in with the Avenger’s series. We see how Hydra gets ahold of a new weapon, in addition to how Dr. Pym used to work for Shield.  Much like Batman, Ant-Man is all about the suit. He doesn’t have powers outside of the suit. Yet, Marvel seems to have found the fountain of youth! Michael Douglass looks younger in this movie than he ever has! I hope they share the fountain of youth with the rest of us!  This movie is scary but not too scary for the kids, barely has any kissing either. Make sure you stay for both extra scenes. There’s one during and one after the credits. If you do, you’ll miss some important revelations for the next Captain America movie!
  Small, yellow, bald kids in blue jean overalls…If you don’t know who the Minions are, you probably don’t have a child or haven’t been to a grocery store in a while. I’m giving The Minions movie two grades, a B for the kids and a C for the adults.  A packed theater, all families out on a sunny, summer day to enjoy the hottest characters since Pokémon. This movie is a prequel before the Despicable Me movies and tells the tale of how the Minions came into being and their search for a big bad boss. Comedy ensues as three of the Minions set out to overcome boredom and save their species. Set in 1968, the movie features plenty of sight gags for the adults who either lived through the late 60’s or have seen about it on other movies and documentaries. The soundtrack is a sample of the era and one the adults will want to sing along to.   Stuart, Kevin and Bob (the three Minions) think they have found their perfect boss in Scarlet Overkill. See even the name’s give different connotations for the older audience members. The kids will love their childlike nature and go get ‘em attitude. I’m sure each child has their own favorite Minion (Mine’s Bob.)  Through no fault of their own—just dumb luck—the Minions end up at odds with Scarlet and fighting against every villain in the world for their lives, and Bob’s teddy bear. While the Minions are cute and innocent in their nature, the storyline is flat. It plays like a sight gag movie like Joe Dirt or Christmas Vacation…without the quality characters and original humor.  Sadly, the worst part was that all the families left the theater after the credits began rolling and missed the best rendition of the Beatle’s Revolution. All in all, families will enjoy this quirky feel-good movie, but save some money and go during the bargain shows.
 It’s show and tell time…Magic Mike XXL is a movie for women but at its heart, the movie is a bromance. I’m giving it a D+.   Three years after the last movie, Mike’s made his dream come true of being a business owner. He has his own custom furniture shop but little else. The dream of a wife and kids is up in smoke. When he gets a mysterious phone call about the death of Dallas, he decides to visit the old gang.  Magic Mike XXL is a trip down memory lane for Mike who’s buddies are also not really ready to grow up and let go of the lifestyle, the women or the money. So off they go on one last adventure to Myrtle Beach.   Having spent many a summer (nearly 20) at Myrtle Beach, I must have missed this whole part of town. Jada Pinkett Smith plays Rome-a former flame of Mikes who teaches the boys how to up their game with class. And pay close attention as she is instructing because you might miss Michael Strahan of morning TV and football fame as a sexy stripper. In fact, this movie has some surprising guest roles from Addie McDowell as the rich, southern mom and Elizabeth Banks as the venue coordinator (Isn’t she everywhere these days?)   Not surprising, the boys rock it out and we have a bromance ending- hot chicks, money, and smiles! Really the only way I think to view this movie is with a bunch of your closest friends after a few too many cocktails or on your DVD player so you can watch those moves again and again. For this queen… I’ll take my King with a little more romance and intelligence.  |
Melissa KeirIt's all about the movies... Archives
January 2020
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