Back to the Future Day, October 21, 2015

The future is here!

Remember Marty, Doc Brown, Einstein? If you haven't introduced your kids to these classic characters, it's way past time. It's now available on DVD as a trilogy.

But if you don't want to shell out the $23 on Amazon, then it's available on Amazon Prime (all three movies), or Netflix (DVD only, not streaming) or just pick up from the library which is what I did for my middle grade daughter. She loved all three movies. My prediction is that you'll have to put a hold on each movie at the library in the trilogy because it's probably going to be a very hot item for a little while.

Did everything that happened on BTTF on October 21, 2015 become reality? I'll let you see for yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisEntertainment/videos/958893424172220/

Flixy Mom is back with Hotel Transylvania 2

Flixy Mom is back after a loooong hiatus. I apologize but I must blame the high cost of movie-going, my move to the country where the nearest theater is more than 20 miles away, and plain laziness. I'd rather stay home and watch streaming on my TV than venture out from my safe country abode to tell you the truth. However, I do miss the giant theater screen, the surround sound and the big, comfy seats. Oh, and the theater recliners that are all the rage now? Love them.

I enjoy a good kids flick, so I'm glad to be back at the movies. My daughter begged me to see Hotel Transylvania 2 (Rated PG) since we love the first one, so I wholeheartedly agreed to travel the 20-plus miles and fork out $10 for admission (matinee) to get us in the mood for Halloween, my girl's favorite part about fall.

I'm afraid I don't have good news regarding this movie. I really wanted to like it since the first one was so enjoyable for us. Adam Sandler has co-written this sequel, and honestly the jokes were flat and not funny at all. One might call them forced, predictable and boring. Totally dissing a movie is not my style because I love movies so much, and, again, I really wanted to like this one.

Basic plot: Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Adam Samberg), our zinging love birds from the first flick, have shacked up at Hotel Transylvania and popped out a kid. The big story question is whether or not little Dennis will be half vampire/half human or just plain human. He hasn't gotten his fangs yet and Dracula (Adam Sandler) is convinced that he's a late bloomer. There's some cringe-worthy scenes in which Drac tries to scare the fangs out of his grandson that had me shaking my head at Drac's sheer stupidity, but I won't mention them here.

As always, I'm reluctant to hash out the whole plot here so I won't be accused of spoiling it, so I'll just leave it at that.

What I love about the movie was the grand cast. Mel Brooks as Vlad, Drac's father, Dana Carvey as a camp director at the lamest vampire camp there ever was, Megan Mullally, who's brilliant as Johnny's human mother, Selena Gomez who is just adorable as Mavis, and the usual cast of monsters: Kevin James as Frank/Frankenstein, David Spade as the Invisible Man and Steve Buscemi as Wayne the werewolf.

My opinion aside, my 9 year-old girl said she really liked it, and on the way home from the theater, campaigned to purchase the DVD when it came out so we could have both movies. Not sure which way I'm going to go on that one.

If you need a monster movie to get your family in the Halloween mood, then by all means, go see Hotel Transylvania 2. You might enjoy it better than I did.

Happy Halloween!

Fly into stores to get Planes for the little people on your list!

 

Planes, 1 hour, 32 min, 2013

Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor

Starring Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your entertainment-addicted grandson, or any male family member with a passion for flying, then Planes is it. And, it’s not just for boys. My daughter (7 y.o. Giggly Girl) said she loved it. GG watched the race scenes again the following day after we viewed it. The Disney Cars spin-off features gorgeous animation and a great premise that will be enjoyable for family movie nights with your toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children, girls and boys alike.

The basic plot: Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook), a little cropduster with big dreams competes in the Wings Around the Globe race and finds himself up against some big name competitors like the British veteran Bulldog (John Cleese), the sweet and sleek Ishani (Priyanka Chopra) and the arrogant Ripslinger (Roger Craig Smith) who likes to play dirty. In the beginning Dusty was the object of ridicule, but this courageous underdog wins their hearts and yours. His friends back home, a very silly tanker truck, Chug (Brad Garrett), the genius mechanic, Dottie (Teri Hatcher) and the veteran war hero, Skipper (Stacy Keach) know how special Dusty is and by the end of the movie you do too. I try to avoid spoiler alerts, so I won't say who won the race, or tell you anything else about the story.

From a marketing standpoint, I’d say John Lasseter (Cars’ famous producer) and his crew were pretty smart making this film even though I felt that some parts of the Planes story were taken directly from Cars. Chug and Mater both play the idiotic sidekick. Skipper is the crusty mentor who has not been completely honest about his past like the beloved Doc. Ishani takes Dusty on a romantic flight over the Taj Mahal that reminds us of the charming cruise Lightning McQueen and Sally took through the desert.

Despite all that, Planes is a good movie, and worth the price as a surprise addition to your family’s movie collection or as a gift for any age boy or girl.

Happy Holidays!

Let Flixy Mom help with your holiday DVD shopping...here's a review for Epic!

Flixy Mom is back! Just in time to help super-busy parents with their holiday shopping. If you’re wondering which 2013 movies to purchase for your darlings to stuff into their stockings, check out the first holiday edition of Flixy Mom….starring Epic.

 

Epic, 2013, 1 hour, 42 min

Rated PG-13 for mild action, some scary images and brief rude language

Starring Colin Farrell, Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz and Steven Tyler

Epic is a CG adventure comedy with stunning animation and an all-star cast. I saw this film in the theater over the summer, and I wish I had forked out the extra cash for 3D because the artwork of the rich forest setting was stunning.

My 7 year-old daughter laughed at the appropriate parts like the Giggly Girl she is. When I asked GG for a quote, she said, “I think it was a great movie” and that she really liked it. Personally, I thought the jokes fell flat especially from the sidekick slug and snail who were so obviously written in as comic relief. I overheard two other Moms discussing these very characters afterwards, and they thought they the slug and snail were funny. Maybe it was just me that didn’t appreciate the film’s humor, but I found myself checking the time halfway through the movie.

With most action fantasies, the basic plot was good versus evil. Epic takes you deep down into the forest underworld where tiny humans live with cute pinecone and dandelion creatures, among others, birds are as intelligent and tough as horses, and mice and chipmunks are dangerous. It’s a world where warriors, the Leafmen, ride hummingbirds and preserve the beauty of the forest. There’s a wholesome message about protecting Mother Nature’s aesthetics that’s hard to miss. Except evil doesn’t come in the form of a carbon footprint but rather a villain named Mandrake (Christoph Waltz). He and his minions try to destroy the balance of nature with their rot—a fast-growing fungus that kills and blackens the lush greenness of the land.

Enter the stompers, or humans, which are tall, slow-talking beasts that are quite comical when we are in the point of the view of the tiny creatures. MK (Amanda Seyfried) comes to live with her Dad, a bumbling, genius naturalist who seeks to capture an image of the Leafmen so people don’t think he’s crazy. MK starts to believe that dear old Dad is, indeed, cray-cray until she finds herself transported into this secret universe where she meets Queen Tara (Beyonce, who is as beautiful in Epic as she is in real life), and then teams up with a rogue Leafmen, Nod (Josh Hutcherson), a Leafmen general, Ronin (Colin Farrell), the slug and the snail, on an adventure-filled journey to save their world, and the human world, from the rot-filled wrath of Mandrake.

Now, there’s at least four creatures to provide the comedy for the movie and my vote goes to the Professor’s disgusting yet likeable three-legged pug who slobbers his way into your heart. Nim (Steven Tyler) plays the all-wise keeper of the scrolls, and I believe he didn’t quite reach his character’s potential. At one point, Nim belts out a rocking tune that reminds the audience that Steven Tyler, rock-god, is indeed honoring us with a song.

Maybe Epic is not one of those brilliant kids films that adults enjoy just as much as their offspring, and I don’t like to give it a bad review, so my official opinion is that it was a good flick and worthy of a place in your family’s DVD library. Kids from seven to seventeen will enjoy it.

Thanks for stopping by Flixy Mom. Happy Holidays!

The Croods

The Croods

 

Rated PG for some scary action

Starring Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener and Cloris Leachman

98 minutes

We joined the masses one Tuesday afternoon during Spring Break for a discount movie. Oy, do those masses (read: kids) leave a messy theater. We wanted to see Oz: The Great and Powerful, but our friends suggested this movie instead. What an entertaining choice The Croods turned out to be!

It had been a long time since DD and I frequented a theater. Since we moved out to the country, movieplexes are not plentiful like they were in the city. I was happy to discover that a nearby theater (still a 45 min drive) has $5 Tuesdays. My wallet and I did a happy dance over this joyous news.  (Thanks, Gina for this golden nugget of information!) I urge you to check your local theaters to see if they have discounted movie times. I know that AMC has $6 tickets on movies before noon every day. I mean, who wants to pay $12 to see a movie? I certainly don’t.

First, a quick word about upcoming shows. Summertime is just around the corner and the previews gave a taste of some fine future entertainment. MU or Monsters University will be high on the must-see list, followed by Smurfs 2. I’m on the fence about Despicable Me 2 since I didn’t really care for the first one, (I’m a Megamind fan) but the preview looked funny so, who knows? And, there seemed to be a forest-creatures trend in Hollywood as Turbo, (a snail infused with nitros oxide races at the Indy 500), and Epic (a good-vs-evil-save-the-world adventure featuring a caterpillar, a snail, a slug, a toad and a few “humans” too) with a stellar cast: Beyonce, Colin Farrell, Christoph Waltz, Josh Hutcherson and Amanda Seyfried. DD and I both agreed that when Epic is released, we will be running, not walking, to the theater.

Now, I wouldn’t call The Croods a great flick but it’s the next best thing. It got some big laughs from the audience, myself included, and with the annoyingly endearing caveman family and the incredibly imaginative prehistoric creatures, what’s not to love?

Just a reminder since Flixy Mom has been quiet for a while: I don’t like to post the whole plot of the movie (that’s for you to discover), just a quick introduction of characters with the basic premise.

The Croods sleep like a pack of animals, sharpen their teeth before bed, and rarely go outside of their comfort zone of the cave. Grug (Nicolas Cage) keeps a firm hand to force the family inside the darkness and away from danger. Eep (Emma Stone), the eldest daughter, runs like a jungle cat and is as strong as a dinosaur. She just wants to get out into the light, and she and Grug butt heads as any over-bearing father and rebellious teenager would. She meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds) who introduces her to fire and entices her with life on the outside. But, Guy brings a dire warning, the world is changing, like near-apocalyptic, continents-shifting type of changing. So, when the family’s cave is destroyed, they embark on a journey with the help of Guy and follow the sun to tomorrow. Those might seem like flowery, generic words, but I’ll just say that “the sun” and “tomorrow” have more meaning than you think and they do not denote the end of the movie.

The funniest part of this movie is the family and their dumb-as-a-caveman, crude and barbaric ways, and they are, of course, the brunt of most of the jokes. Eep is my favorite character, and I got the impression that she just wants to club Guy over the head and drag him by his hair to the nearest, well, you know.

As we were leaving the theater, DD said “she liked it” and “it was funny.” She did mention the scary parts (a few prehistoric animals tried to eat the Croods once or twice), but I didn’t think it was as scary as say, Brave, when Mama Bear goes after her cubs.

So, if your Spring Breakers are bored playing video games and you need to get them out of the house, I whole-heartedly recommend The Croods. Enjoy!

 

Coming Soon...

We've had some technical difficulties, but Flixy Mom will premiering another family-friendly movie review very soon.

Our star reviewer recently renewed her frequent movie-goer card (or rather she waited for the winter Hollywood slump to end and more kids movies to come out), and treated her daughter to the newest Dreamworks film, The Croods.

Now that spring has sprung even if it doesn't feel like it where you live, Memorial Day and summer are snowballing toward and you'll be planning what to wear at the beach before you know it.

We'll be there for all the new releases.

So, come back soon!

Brave

Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor
Starring Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, and Emma Thompson
Running time:  100 minutes

First, let my say from the get-go:  Parents, make note that this is NOT a G rated movie!  There are scary scenes that can definitely frighten younger and/or sensitive children.  I saw at least two families leave the movie theater because their children were scared by the large, loud, angry bears.

There, I got that warning out  of the way.  Now, let's talk about the movie.  Did I enjoy it?

No.

Did my thirteen year-old daughter enjoy it?

No.

Did my eighteen year-old, Pixar-loving son enjoy it?

No.

In fact, if I hadn't been writing this review, I might have left before the movie was over.  It just isn't up to Pixar standards -- not by a LONG SHOT.

In summary, Merida is the daughter of Fergus, King of the Scottish clans. She's a feisty, active girl whose personality and desires don't match those befitting a princess.  Her mother, Elinor, is a strong queen and steadfast in her determination to groom Merida toward the fate of marrying a boy from one of the other clans - a fate (surprise, surprise) that Merida fights, by seeking the help of a witch to "change" her mother and thus change the direction of her own destiny. Unfortunately, the change is quite literal, and Elinor is transformed into a monstrously large, black bear. Merida must face her own pride and mend the horrible mistake she has made before the spell becomes permanent and she loses her mother forever. Does this happen? Yes. (surprise, surprise)

Now, it's not the predictability that makes Brave a yawner of a movie (literally - I yawned several times).  Most good kids movies - especially Disney and Pixar films - are predictable.  But it's the characters and the execution of the storytelling that make those movies shine and compels us to buy the DVD as soon as it's released (and watch it over and over again).  The characters in Brave are flat and stereotyped. There isn't one character, not even Merida that really tugs at the heart strings or makes you wish you knew them.  As for the storytelling - that is where I am especially disappointed.  The premise of a young, strong girl successfully fighting and overcoming obstacles while coming to a deeper understanding of being true to her roots, is a fantastic plot. We need more movies with strong female character role-models for girls and that is why I was so excited about Brave.  Sadly, for me, Pixar just didn't pull it off.  Not this time.

That being said, I saw some people in the theater who seemed to enjoy the movie.  If you saw Brave and thought it was worth seeing, please leave a comment and share your opinions.

My recommendation though:  if you want to see a good movie, rent any of the Toy Story movies or Up.  You'll have a much better time.  As for me, I'm going to pretend Brave didn't happen and hope that Pixar raises their standards back up for their next release.

Reviewed by Karen Cantwell

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Rated PG for mild action, rude humor

Starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer

Running time:  85 minutes

The Zoosters are back and funnier than ever!  Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Gelman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) plus the usual sidekicks, the Penguins, the Monkeys, King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) are up to their usual hilarious hijinks.  We all really, really, really liked this movie!

This was some fine summer entertainment especially when you take advantage of the $6.00 ticket prices before 12 noon at AMC.  My 5 year-old daughter, visiting Nana and I opted for the non-3D version mostly because of the added cost but also because my girl ends up taking the glasses off halfway through the movie.  I could see how 3D could add to the experience with its adrenaline-raising car chases and gravity-defying circus performances if you’re willing to fork over the extra cash.

Those loveable lost zoo animals are still trying to get back home to New York City.  This time their adventures take them there via Monte Carlo, Rome and London after they team up with a has-been circus while on the run from French animal control captain, Chantel DuBois.  She is a very crafty, hilariously pear-shaped villainess who hunts down Alex with iron will purpose just so she can add his stuffed head to her wall collection.

Meanwhile, Alex is shaping the circus into a Cirque-du-Soleil-worthy show, and some new characters are introduced: a cranky Russian tiger, Vitaly (Bryan Cranston) who once performed impossible feats, a beautiful jaguar, Gia (Jessica Chastain) who catches Alex’s eye and they end up performing beautiful trapeze acts together, and a slightly-below IQ average, sea lion ringmaster, Stefano (Martin Short) who just wants to have the greatest show on earth.  But to me the most amusing was the romance between King Julien (that silly little lemur) and the tricycle-riding circus bear.  You’ll be LOL’ing a lot with those two.

This is a movie that can be enjoyed by all.  Your little ones, your tweens and teenagers, the visiting cousins and family.  I sat next to a solo teenager and behind some college-looking kids, and we all laughed together while the younger ones giggled right along with us.  There was even applause at the credits and that, I think, says it all.  It was fabulous fun, so move it (ha, ha…get it?) to the theater for this summer must-see!

Reviewed by Beth Balberchak

Go to MovieTickets.com to find theaters and showtimes.

Crooked Arrows Shoots and Scores!

Drama

Rated PG-13‎

Starring Brandon Routh, Gil Birmingham, Crystall Allen, Chelsea Ricketts, Alexandra East

Running Time: 105 minutes

A mixed-blood Native American, Joe Logan, eager to modernize his reservation, must first prove himself to his father, the traditionalist Tribal Chairman, by rediscovering his spirit. He is tasked with coaching the reservation's high school lacrosse team which competes against the better equipped and better trained players of the elite Prep School League.

I have to premise this review by saying my son has played lacrosse for three years, and the more I learn about the sport, the more I love it. High-action agility combine with amazing stick skills and just enough physicality to make things interesting.

So when my son’s league sent around the Crooked Arrows trailer, I knew it was a “must-see.”

Lacrosse originated with the Native Americans near 1200 AD. The film centers on a down-on-their-luck reservation lacrosse team and the man roped into being their coach, a former lacrosse star himself who has turned away from the game to help run a casino.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few sports movie cliches here, and many of you can probably guess what happens, so I will not focus on the plot details. However, the lacrosse action scenes and the overriding Native American spirituality theme pushed aside my writerly cynic.

It is really a movie about not only honoring lacrosse’s Native American roots, but our roots as a country as well. About the Native Americans taking back their game and, as a result, getting respect back for their people, respect that is long overdue.

The movie is rated PG-13, which is spot-on. There are only a few iffy lines, but one has to do with a female body part, so I would recommend it for any child who has already had “the talk.” Otherwise, most families aged 11 and up would probably enjoy this feel-good sports movie.

In the film, one of the tribal elders tells the story of the crooked arrows. Each is different and does not fly straight or follow the same path, but eventually all find their own way. It’s really a valuable lesson, whether in life or on the lacrosse field.

Reviewed by Karen Wojcik Berner

CLICK HERE to find showtimes at Movie Tickets.com

Men in Black III

Men In Black III
Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Emma Thompson
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and brief suggestive content

Agent J (Will Smith) has to go back in time to prevent the murder of his partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones in 2012; Josh Brolin in 1969) at the hands of a time travelling alien.

Men in Black pretty much made the comic action movie genre. And they haven’t beaten us to death with sequels and reboots regardless of how much the public asked for them. They had a great idea and they stuck with it, not playing with the formula too much. Men in Black was great, MiB2 was flawed, MiB3 is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch.

It is good for kids? This is a true PG13 movie, in my opinion. The beginning is the most packed with 12 and under inappropriateness. There is a woman in a skimpy, tight outfit; some sexually suggestive dialogue and some really over-the-top kissing (the tongues start outside the mouths). You would avoid that if you don’t take your child in until the first five minutes are over. That sadly prevents you from the setup for the whole movie though.

The main concern for the 12 and unders is the violence. There is a lot more violence in this MiB than in the two previous. I don’t want to give anything about the bad guy but his ‘power’ yields a much more conventional style of alien and human death.

And, of course, as his goal is murdering Agent K before K has a chance to catch and imprison him there is the stressor of a beloved human character dying.

I won’t get into the moral implications of aliens dying being okay and human dying being not okay. I don’t need to for this movie. The screenwriter (Etan Cohen) manages the stunning feat of making this an exciting action movie with several morals tied in that make you think. Nothing is heavy handed and he even manages the whole time travel paradox issue nicely.

You really need to decide for yourself if this is okay for your 12 and under. It is a fine line, I think. I definitely would not recommend this movie for any child under 8 no matter how sophisticated. There are moments that would be scary for children as the bad guy is different than the previous bad guys in the MiB franchise. I guess the 14 year time span between the first movie and this latest offering has changed the scope of what moviegoers expect from their villains. Plus when you’re taking about assassinating the best MiB agent ever it needs to be worthy foe.

For movie goers aged 13 and older, I highly recommend this movie. The theater was packed at the 4:30 showing we attended. We were there 20 minutes before the show started and had to sit in the second row. Second row, people. With 20 minutes to show time. The second row shouldn’t even exist. I needed a neck rub when we were done. But that’s our fault. The one quibble that I can blame the studio for … 30 minutes of previews. That is way too many. By the time they were over we were out of popcorn and I had vowed not to go see any of the movies, I was so annoyed. All that said, this is officially my favorite Men in Black. It was funny, it was exciting, it was entertaining, the plot kept you thinking, and it was touching. Yeah, I said touching. Oh and Josh Brolin needs to win several awards for his dead on portrayal of the younger Agent K. Like a Nobel prize and the World Series. He’s THAT good.

Reviewed by Aimee Hix


Want to see movie times for Men in Black III?
  CLICK HERE for MovieTickets.com

Real Steel

Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language

Starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and Dakota Goyo

Running time: 127 minutes

I’m a huge Hugh Jackman fan, so I had high expectations for this film especially after the previous reviews on how great it was.  I couldn’t wait to see what the hype was all about, and if Hugh was flexing his muscles a lot in the movie…even better!  I hate to say it, but I was disappointed. 

Now, I really dislike giving a bad review.  I’m pretty easy to please, so I can generally find a happy spot in most books and movies.  There were some happy spots in Real Steel for me, sure.  The computer-generated robots and animatronics were quite impressive, earning a nomination in this year’s Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects.  The music was pretty darn fantastic too…if you like rock, which I do.

Our story starts out with Charlie (Hugh Jackman), a washed-up pugilist-turned-robot boxer-slash-gambler, just trying to make a living out on the boxing circuit.  The year is 2020 and these high-tech robots have replaced humans in this dangerous sport. 

His son, Max (Dakota Goyo), is dumped on his doorstep and Charlie is suddenly forced into parenthood.  It becomes obvious that he is severely lacking in parenting skills.  Heck, Charlie can barely take care of himself!  But soon, they are bonding over robots since Max is conveniently a boxing and video game enthusiast. 

Max acquires a bot named Atom that was a sparring robot, and now he’s the one who is betting big and over-confident that Atom will win, but this time you believe it.  With Charlie, you didn’t.

As I was watching the music montage scene of Max and Atom becoming acquainted, I thought what 11 year-old boy wouldn’t want a “real” life-size toy robot to play with except this toy can pick up Dumpsters. 

Evangeline Lilly plays Bailey, an ex-girlfriend who helps Charlie build his robots, and nudges him to step up and be a father to Max but it’s so obvious that Charlie has some growing up to do on his own.

Atom’s success takes them to the top with a few run-ins with some antagonists along the way, of course.  Charlie’s shining moment comes when he’s ultimately fighting in the championship because Atom malfunctions and shadows Charlie’s boxing moves. But, I didn’t feel it, the teary-feel-good glory moment that I was supposed to as we watch Charlie’s long-awaited time in the spotlight despite the inspirational music and happy crying from Bailey and Max.

There is some fine acting in this film.  The boy who plays Max is first rate, and we know Evangeline Lilly and Hugh Jackman are masters in their own realm (television and stage).  There’s violence, obviously, and one cuss word of the sh- - variety.  I think older boys (husbands, too) would enjoy this movie for its high-tech special effects, but there is a gritty undertone to it when Charlie’s on the illegal circuit and all the seedy gambling is going on.

I guess ultimately this story was about father-son love and the movie hits that happy spot satisfactorily. But if there’s a Real Steel 2 it wouldn’t hurt for Charlie to have a little more character growth, and it’d be nice if he took his shirt off too.

Reviewed by Beth Balberchak

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Sadly, this is not the best week for family-friendly films.  Here's what we've got:

Battleship

Rated PG-13

Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker, and Liam Neeson

A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals. (IMdB)

Currently, it is receiving a 6.3 out of ten rating from critics and users on IMdB. The trailer doesn't excite me. I'm not likely to see this one.  If any Flixy Mom readers see Battleship and would like to give their opinion in a review, feel free to post it here!  It's greatly appreciated.

_______

Now, the good news is, there are some hotly anticipated films about to release in the next couple of weeks!

YAY!

They are:

That's right!  Will and Tommy Lee are back in 

Men in Black 3

Rated PG-13

This one also stars Josh Brolin as a young Agent K (TL Jones)

Opens in theaters Friday, May 25th

And if that wasn't cool enough, there is also this one:

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Rated PG

Starring the usual funny zoo crew: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer

Opening in theaters on Friday, June 8th

It is often my experience that the entertainment value of sequels starts to dwindle somewhere around #2, but Madagascar 2, in my opinion, was just as good, if not better than the first, and the trailers for this third installment look promising.  Fingers crossed.

Well, that's it for the next couple of weeks anyway in terms of movies to theaters.  In the meantime, we will be reviewing some fun (or not so fun?) DVD releases for you.  Tomorrow, join us for a review of Real Steel.

The Avengers

Rated PG-13
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, and Scarlet Johansson Running time: 142 minutes

I had the opportunity to see this highly anticipated film over the weekend, and it was well worth the ticket price!!

This movie is two and a half hours of action. I suspect because they have so many main characters to introduce to the audience and to each other they jump right into the story without a slow build, or even really needing one. We meet the villain within the first five minutes, and an action sequence ensues. So, if you don't know anything about this movie it is the culmination of the movies Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America, which began in 2008 and finished up in 2011 dropping hints that yes, there will indeed be a movie tying them all together. In this movie Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D agents Black Widow and Hawkeye are brought together when the earth is attacked by Loki, the God of Mischief, and his army of aliens(the Chitauri).

Director Joss Whedon brings the heroes together beautifully, giving equal time to each hero, and never alters the personalities the characters had in their own movies, but allows them to come together into one group that has bonded by the end of the movie. Joss generously gives us Iron Man vs. Thor, Thor vs. Hulk and Black Widow vs. Hawkeye for anyone who ever wondered just who would win if... which, admittedly I've wondered. Besides the action I actually laughed out loud several times, there are a lot of great one-liners delivered by the heroes and the villain. The end sequence was one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen in a superhero film. They show you a close up of these heroes fighting, and then off to another scene of another hero saving civilians, and then they pan back and you can see a main battle happening in the center of the city, while off to the top left is that fight you were just watching close up of your heroes fighting, and down on the ground is that hero saving the civilians. It was amazing, sweeping view of a battle. All in all the movie is good from beginning to the rewarding/satisfying ending, and be sure to stay until after the credits role for a hidden scene.

This movie is rated PG-13, and now for the big question: is this superhero movie okay for a child under 13? Well, I'd say yes. How young, that's up to you. As I mentioned at the beginning, this movie is two and a half hours of action aka violence. Most of the violence in the movie is focused on aliens, (who look like monsters), which makes it hard to feel a lot of empathy for them, and they seem pretty cartoony. The fights are quick and there's no blood in any of the alien fights. Although, there are several gun fights earlier in the film, and about four of what I'd call actual graphic scenes. These include two stabbings of actual named characters; Loki removing someone's eyeball, although they pan away from this, so the horror of it is just implied. There is one scene where someone's entrails are hanging out of their body, though it's quick and it's from the back. There is a death of a named character. There is also mild language.

So, major thumbs up for this film. It's a really fun, action-packed blockbuster that actually took some time to get to know who these superheroes are.

Reviewed by Dawn McCullough-White



Want to find a theater near you showing The Avengers? Visit www.MovieTickets.com

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Rated PG for mild action and mildly rude humor
Starring: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tenant, and Imelda Staunton
Running Time: 88 minutes


YAWN! I was so disappointed in this movie. The trailers made it seem so funny, but alas, me hearties, it was nothing of the sort. There were some mild chuckles here and there, but even the children weren't guffawing at the "jokes" and, frankly, I've noticed it takes very little to get the wee set to rollicking laughter.

The theater crowd was mostly 10 and under with my daughter being the oldest. One set of incredibly redue people brought a baby. Not a tiny thing in arms, sleeping so their older child could enjoy the movie, but the two of them and an 8 month who cried and yelled off and on for the first half of the show. Not that it really detracted from the enjoyment. Of which, I may have mentioned, there was very little.

It wasn't a bad movie by any stretch, just pallid. And we LOVE pirates, normally.

There was a mildly "suggestive" comment early on about scantily clad mermaids and an "action" scene toward the very end. Nothing to concern yourself with as the remark in in passing and definitely over the heads of the younger audience members.

Most concerning is the historical rewrite of Charles Darwin as a love-struck fool and Queen Victoria as an evil *bleep* (rhymes with witch). Both real life personages deserved better than to be maligned for . . . cinematic flotsam.

There was a moral, but it was too muddled and also over the head of the target audience. Teasing and hurtful comments are made to the star, The Pirate Captain, who takes them to heart and makes bad choices as a result. Despite his poor treatment of friend and crew members, all's well that ends well, and all that.

Save your money.

Reviewed by Aimee Hix

In Theaters This Weekend

YAY! We have two movies opening today that are rated G! It's a miracle! Our two G movies this week are documentaries that a definitely family movie fare.

Chimpanzee
Rated G
Narrated by Tim Allen
Running time: 78 minutes

This Disney documentary follows life of Oscar, an orphaned chimpanzee. So far, Chimpanzee is receiving mixed reviews, but it looks like something I would enjoy, so I plan to see and review this one.

To the Arctic
Rated G
Narrated by Meryl Streep
Running time: 40 minutes

A journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. (IMDb)

Darling Companion
Rated PG
Starring Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, and Dianne Wiest

I love this cast and director (Lawrence Kasdan), but the description on IMDb makes me wonder: "The story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband. And then her husband loses the dog."

Hmm. Really? Also, it is not receiving favorable early reviews on IMDb. According to Moviefone, Darling Companion is currently under limited release, so moviegoers may have trouble finding it in their local theaters.


Want to see if any of these movies are playing at your local theater? CLICK HERE for Movietickets.com.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence
Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton
Running time: 133 minutes

DISLAIMER: I am a hard-core Mission: Impossible fan. I loved the original TV show and have attended opening night of all four movies. In my mind, there isn't a bad flick in the bunch. Oops! I spoiled the review. Well, a bit maybe. Let's start over . . .

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol released in theaters on December 18th, 2011 and just made its way to DVD on Tuesday, which is why I chose to write the review at this time. In this fourth installment of the MI series, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team (Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton) are faced with the responsibility of saving the world from global nuclear war. It's the ultimate mission that is made more "impossible" since they have been disavowed and lack support of their agency or government. Will they succeed? Hey, it's a movie, and we know logically, that the MI team won't let the world be destroyed, but I will say that director, Brad Bird did a stunning job of keeping the audience biting their fingernails to the very bitter end. From the bombing of the Kremlin to the breath-taking, vertigo-inducing scenes atop the world's tallest building in Dubai, to the last-second stop-the-missile-from-exploding as it flies over the San Francisco Bay, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is action-packed, suspenseful, and funny (thanks to the talented Simon Pegg).

The PG-13 rating is very appropriate, and quite honestly, I would even be willing to say that some families may feel comfortable taking children a year or two under the age of 13. The rating is for "sequences of intense action and violence," but I didn't think that the action or violence were too intense. There is a fight scene between two females, but personally, I enjoyed seeing two strong women duke it out in an action movie! Who says women can't fight? There are a couple of curse words, and in one scene, we get to see team member, Jane Carter (Paula Patton) in a bustier, but the moment is brief and the action at that point is more important that what she is or isn't wearing.

Most people are saying that this is the best Mission: Impossible movie yet, and I will readily agree. If you are an action-movie loving family with tweens and/or teens looking for real entertainment, give this one a try. And if you get the DVD with the extra features, be sure to watch them! To see how they filmed the sequences on the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is . . . well, just watch and see what you think!

Reviewed by Karen Cantwell



Want to rent this movie on DVD? CLICK HERE for Netflix.

Did you see Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol? If so, leave a comment and tell us what you thought. We love to hear from Flixy Mom readers!

Megamind - Soon-to-be Your New Favorite Animated Movie!

Rated PG for action and some language
Starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross, Jonah Hill
Running time: 95 minutes

I say that Megamind will be your new favorite movie because it’s just that good. I believe it’s as good as The Incredibles, Toy Story and a few other fabulously famous animated films. The script is incredibly clever, the cast is phenomenal even the soundtrack rocks! That being said I’m an adult (obviously) and I wonder if my child or other people’s children feel the same way? I’m beginning to believe after participating in Flixy Mom that my new preferred movie genre is animated children’s movies because I’m enjoying myself quite thoroughly.

It starts out with a bang as Megamind’s (Will Ferrell) planet gets sucked into a blackhole but not before his parents send him out in a small spaceship( just like Superman’s Mommy and Daddy once did). He lands in a prison yard to be cared for and raised by the convicts and taught the criminal side of life. He also creates wonderfully clever inventions and ultimately turns into: Incredibly Handsome and Criminal Genius and Master of all Villainy. A twin spaceship that was also sent out from the doomed planet lands in the lap of a wealthy family, and thus the battle between Megamind and his nemesis, Metro Man (Brad Pitt) begins.

Metro Man with his superhero strength frequently wins the fight against his rival while also winning the hearts of the people of Metro City (which Megamind mistakenly pronounces Metrocity like “atrocity”). One day Megamind finally succeeds in defeating Metro Man using nosy reporter, Roxanne Ritchi (Tiny Fey) as bait. She has been used as bait so often she jokes that she has a frequent kidnapping card.

Megamind basks in his victory with Minion (David Cross), who is a fish that has robot body, until he realizes that he’s a villain with no hero. He decides to create a new hero by fashioning Metro Man’s super powers from his dandruff DNA and accidently injects them into Hal, Roxanne’s weirdo slacker cameraman.

Megamind disguises himself as a Marlon Brando-lookalike-mentor (love that nod to Superman’s Dad, Jor-el in the Christopher Reeve flick) to teach Hal to be a hero so that he will have someone to battle once again. But Hal is not good which is a perquisite for most superheroes, and goes rogue and becomes Tighten who wants only one thing…Roxanne.

Roxanne, however, is falling for Bernard who is actually Megamind in disguise. He has invented a ray gun that dehydrates humans into small cubes so that he can then replicate himself into that person. Megamind/Bernard is falling for Roxanne in return, and when Minion tells him, “the bad guy doesn’t get the girl,” Megamind responds, “maybe I don’t want to be the bad guy anymore.” And, that’s the major turning point for him especially when he loses Minion as a friend.

Roxanne and Megamind team up to stop Tighten from ruining Metro City and ultimately he becomes the hero to prove himself to Roxanne. I love that Megamind goes on the greatest hero’s journey of all and turns from evil overload into white knight.

I’m not sure my five-year-old was as enthusiastic about this movie as I was. She did watch it with me twice so I can say that she liked it that much. I think older children will appreciate the humor and the action better than smaller children. As for the rating, for the life of me I cannot think what the questionable language in this film could be?

It’s a great story about a super hero and a super villain with a dream cast. (Will Ferrell is a god!) Go and check it out from the library or your nearest box now.



Want to rent Megamind today? CLICK HERE for Netflix.

Did you see Megamind? Leave a comment with your own mini-review! We love to hear from Flixy Mom readers!

In Theaters This Weekend

I'm sorry to report that this week's movie release line-up is sadly lacking in family-friendly films. Again. Sigh. And looking ahead even through the summer, the pickings look pretty sad for films that both parents and children would enjoy. This is something I don't understand from a business point of view - G rated movies gross big bucks for Hollywood, so why don't they make more of them? I'm still stewing over the fact that The Lorax was rated PG. (growl)

Okay, I will get off my soap box and let you know what MIGHT be interesting this week for families:

The Three Stooges
Rated PG
Starring Sean Hayes, Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso

Left on a nun's doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Out to save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot...while also stumbling into starring in a phenomenally successful TV reality show. (from Movieweb.com)

Now, I only post this because it's rated PG. Personally, I have SERIOUS doubts about this movie. But then again, that's because I never liked the original Three Stooges. The only things that The Three Stooges has in its favor are 1) The Farrelly brothers (directors) and 2) Sean Hayes. If anyone sees this and loves it, let me know! I'll eat my words.

Lockout
Rated PG-13
Starring Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, and Peter Stormare

Falsely convicted ex- government agent Snow (Guy Pearce) must rescue the President’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from an outer space maximum security prison after it is taken over by violent inmates. (from Movieweb.com)

Lockout is receiving excellent early buzz on IMDb and I like Guy Pearce (LA Confidential), so this could be an interesting entertainment choice for myself and my teen boys. We'll see . . .

Touchback
Rated PG-13
Starring Kurt Russell, Brian Presley, and Melanie Lynskey

On the game winning play of the biggest game of his life, the best High School Football player in the nation injures his knee and destroys his dreams of a college and professional career. But fifteen years later, he receives the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to go back and change history. (from IMDb)

Touchback is getting some decent early reviews at IMDb, basically confirming what my predictions about this movie: that it would be a well-acted (Kurt Russell always manages good performances), fairly predictable feel-good movie. Evidently though, there is a twist, that bites into that predictability just a bit. Hmmm . . . maybe I'll go see it just to see what that twist might be . . .

Want to get movie times for these (or other) movies? CLICK HERE for MovieTickets.com.

Green Lantern

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Peter Sarsgaard
Running Time: 114 minutes

“In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light.”


This film offers up the message of the power of goodness and courage in the face of adversity, overcoming our fear and believing in ourselves. This is what Hal Jordan, as Green Lantern has to do. I enjoyed this movie a lot, Ryan Reynolds makes a perfect Green Lantern (he looks just like Hal Jordan in the comics). The movie is pretty simple, it's Green Lantern's origin story. He is the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps, which is the intergalactic military/police force via DC Comics. He is taken to Oa, the world the corps is located on and goes through training, and then as is apparently the theme of the movie (although I'm not sure if this is true of the comics) he quits, as he's quit every other job or relationship he's ever had because he's afraid. Hal must summon up the courage to defeat an alien enemy (Parallax) who is trying to destroy earth. There is a good blend of action, some humor and romance in the film.

And now for the bad news- it is another superhero movie NOT for a young child. My son was so excited to see Green Lantern when he learned it was coming out, but I'm glad I previewed it first. It had some alien scenes that were a bit dark and scary.

The movie opens with a fight between the Green Lantern Corps and, Parallax, an alien that literally sucks their souls out of their bodies. Later on in the movie we have a man going through a hideous, and painful metamorphosis into a scary, big-headed villain, then an alien blob-monster attacks the earth, upturning a school bus full of children.

There is implied sex at the very beginning, and a couple swear words.

So, to sum up. Thumbs up as a pretty good action superhero film for an adult, absolute NO for a young child.

Reviewed by Dawn McCullough-White

Mirror Mirror

Starring: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer and Nathan Lane
Rated PG for some action and some slightly grownup humor
Running Time: 106 minutes,

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Well, this is definitely the fairest version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that I’ve seen.

This is very much not a retelling of the traditional story (as told by Disney not Grimm). We get a queen, Snow White’s banishment and hiding with the Seven Dwarves and a Prince. That’s about it. The story diverges and morphs into a tale of girl power. WOO HOO!

As the mom of a 10 year old girl, I am happy to see such movies being made. Disney princesses are lovely, but fairly useless if you want a strong, real role model for your daughter. This movie not only tweeks the notion of the pretty princess in need of rescue but let’s you know they’re doing it with a tongue-in-cheek comment from the prince who sees Snow as an equal. Not a damsel in distress, but at different times an opponent and partner.

This movie is gorgeous. The settings, the clothes, the people are all gorgeous and it’s got several morals wrapped up into the tale. All are mainly different takes on the one of the oldest tropes: Looks can be deceiving.

We enjoyed it and the other moviegoers seemed to as well. The theater was an interesting mix. There was an older couple with no children to young teen girls with their moms to groups of very young children with several moms. We were only one of two families with both the mom and the dad.

The PG rating might be too low. There are several instances in which the handsome prince is divested of his shirt and some romantic innuendo. The innuendo is played carefully so that children my daughter’s age and younger aren’t aware of it but it was a little squirmy for me with stuff akin to daytime soaps playing sitting in front of eight 5 year olds.

At the very end of the movie is a scene with a forest beast that had been mentioned previously in the movie. It seemed like it should be a scary scene but I heard a lot of giggling so clearly the children were not worried about the fate of the characters.

The shirtless scenes, while I found them unnecessary, are less revealing than what a child will see at the pool or the beach. The women are all fully covered even in nightclothes or “undergarments” such as when the queen is being corseted.

At one hour and forty-five minutes it isn’t too long and there was not much of coming and going so clearly it held the interest of even the smaller children.

This is definitely a family friendly film that I recommend and really does provide an excellent heroine who thinks of others, is brave, is kind and follows her heart not just to her Prince but to a purpose.

Reviewed by Aimee Hix

Want to see show times for Mirror Mirror? CLICK HERE for MovieTickets.com