Watership Down



"Watership Down" was an amazing 4 star out of 5 miniseries. The voice cast was out of a British "Hollywood" dream, and the writing was amazing. There was just something, I am not sure what, that didn't make this perfect. Maybe it felt rushed? I didn't read the book so I have no idea how close it came to it, but I loved it. In fact I am going to rewatch it just to see what I missed.


It's about rabbits in Southern England that split up into a group looking to stay and defend their home (warren) and another group that wants to leave because of a dream one rabbit has impending danger. These rabbits go through SO MUCH and struggle with other predators.


Very well written, the graphics were gritty and realistic. I loved it. Check the labels for the cast.

Mary Poppins Returns



This was the biggest waste of my hard earned money. No offense to Lin Manuel-Miranda or Emily Blunt, both of whom did a FANTASTIC job, and Rob Marshall captured every nuance of the original Mary Poppins. But the script was three words: Ter ri ble. I'm done.


I'm being generous giving it 2 stars out of 5, and that's mostly because of the three people mentioned in the prior paragraph. Mary Poppins was conceited, rude, and not at all helpful. I dunno why this movie was made when there are other continuations that could've been revived. UGH just UGH!


Wait for cable, folks.

Bird Box

I call this "A Quiet Place" with blindfolds...but good. I will give this an easy 5 out of 5 stars.

Sandra Bullock is Malorie, a woman with 2 kids in a post apocalyptic where, where if you look directly at the creatures on Earth they will make you commit suicide. The beginning starts off with her using a rope to get her and the kids to a boat. The boat is on the river with supplies and if flashes back to how their lives came to be and where they are going.

So good. I loved every second of it. When characters did dumb things, they were called out. John Malkovich, Rosa Salazar, and Trevante Rhodes (shivers) co-star. But seeing Machine Gun Kelly...dang. Homeboy is made for movies. Tall skinny and white yet for some reason I couldn't wait till he was in a scene. The camera loves him...and so did I haha he's got a supporting role, but still very good.

Everyone is all creeped out...listen it's more suspenseful than anything. Very good movie though. Highly recommend. 

Aquaman

Welp DC got it right again...Wonder Woman is still my fave DC superhero film, but this is a close second. At first the casting of Jason Momoa as "Aquaman" had me puzzled. But when I saw him in Justice League I got it. And they didn't whitewash him. They made his dad Native American as well. And they cast Black Manta as sexy black actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. This movie is the most diverse any DC movie has ever been. 

Without giving away any spoilers the actual story is very simple and clean. Lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) sees a washed up Atlantean named Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). He takes her in, and they fall in love. She escaped Atlantis to avoid an arranged marriage to a man she didn't love. During a storm she has their son and name him Arthur (after the storm). Atlanteans decide they want her back and come to "retrieve" her. She defeats them but goes back to Atlantis to keep her family safe, but promises Arthur and Tom she will return one day. She goes back, marries this man, sires his child, then is murdered when she tells them she already sired Arthur. Years later Arthur must go to Atlantis are take his rightful place as heir to the throne because his tyrannical half brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) is trying to start a war between Atlanteans and humans.  

That's all I'm revealing HAHA now the execution is amazing. This movie kept me glued throughout the entire movie. If you are a fan of "Superfriends" (I watched the original run EVERY Saturday morning with my cousin Wendell at 6am) you will LOVE the nods to that especially Black Manta. The movie explained everything and did an incredible job of bringing the cartoon and comic to life. I did despise some of the forced "funny" moments. It was as if "Ok we need to make it funny" instead of "oh this would be funny" (like when Aquaman sat on the lasso of truth in "Justice League"). Honestly I cannot see anyone else as Aquaman now. And Amber Heard was GORG as Mera. Loved Dolph Lundgren as Mera's dad. Nicole Kidman kicking ass in her fight scenes rocked my world. YASSS! Hunty, she beat the tar out of them evil Atlanteans.

I will still give this 5 stars out of 5. Cannot wait for the sequel, AND I have to see it again with my nephew...looking forward to it.

A Christmas Story

This movie came out in 1983, but I wasn't able to see it in theaters. The next year it was on TV and I watched in and loved it. Got it for Christmas the following year. And now it's an American classic that is played every Christmas Eve on TBS ALL DAY into Christmas Day.

There is something to be said about watching it without commercials in a movie theater. When it was released this weekend I saw it. I LOVED it. After all these years I saw things I never noticed and completely missed. I was laughing harder than I normally do. This movie is legit perfect.

If you get a chance to see it in theaters or if you host a holiday party, pop this in so you can watch it start to finish WITHOUT commercials. Trust me it's different and you will appreciate this 5 star movie even more than you ever did.

Boy Erased

"Boy Erased" is Joel Edgerton's finest piece. It totally makes up for that HORRIBLE movie The Gift. 5 stars out of 5!!!!

Lucas Hedges (one of my fave actors and Oscar nominee) plays Jared Eamons, a closeted gay teen whose parents pastor Marshall & faithful wife Nancy (Russell Crowe & Nicole Kidman) put him through gay conversion therapy to rid him of his gayness. While trying to be a good son Jared begins to question his faith, his parents, and the therapy sessions all while dealing with his sexual orientation.

It's a brave movie, it's an honest movie, and it has so much heart and realism I felt I was watching a home movie. What's even crazier is that this is a true story based on the book by Garrard Conley.

If The Favourite and Olivia Colman's performance of Queen Anne didn't exist, Nicole would win her second Oscar. Nicole was brilliant. Lucas SHOULD win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, but Rami Malek will win obvi. Lucas did a fantastic job though...that one scene. WOW! Joe Alwyn deserves alot of credit as well for a great small role he played.

The Favourite

This is a good movie, but not a great movie. I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Queen Anne (future Oscar winner Olivia Colman) is a sickly, childless widow who's not only the ruler of England, but ruled by Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz). Sarah is always "advising" Anne and in her ear...that is until Abigail (Emma Stone) shows up. Former Lady turned maid comes to the castle for employment after her father dies, who happens to be Sarah's uncle. Abigail's presence threatens Sarah's standing with Anne. Nicholas Hoult as Robert Harley and Joe Alwyn (Taylor Swift's beau) as Sam Masham complete this cast. 

The script is fun, the direction...this is where 0.50 get lost. There are times the movie lingers for a minute just on actors' faces. No rhyme or reason just lingers. Minutes that could be spent telling story are wasted. Another 0.50 is Abigail changes inexplicably...don't wanna give away spoilers just that was odd. Otherwise I liked the movie. Definitely worth seeing.