Lady's Choice: Favorite Animated Movies (Part 2)

Guess who's taking over!

 If you're not familiar, I'm a huge animated movie fan. If Brian's at work or gone, I am usually watching a animated movie. (He really should watch more of them in my opinion). As always I try to stick to movies that I haven't talked about them before. If you see one that you'd like me to do a full review ASAP, just let me know in the comments. Also if you missed Part 1, please go back and read about those five picks. So let's continue with five more of my favorite animated movies.

101 Dalmatians (1961)
If you read Part 1, then you know that I am a huge dog fan. 101 Dalmatians is probably one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. It's also our puppy's favorite movie, loves the Twilight Bark. Pongo sets out to find his "pet"/owner Roger and himself mates. He ends up finding Anita and her dalmatian Perdita. They have 15 puppies that Cruella De Vil wants to add to her other puppies to make a dog skin coat. When the humans can't help the puppies, it's up to Pongo and Perdita to save 99 puppies and themselves from Cruella and her henchmen while traveling across England. The animation for this movie is wonderful and has its own artistic style.

The Croods (2013)
I saw this movie on a whim on Netflix, and I loved it. The Croods is a story of family and about change. The Croods are a family of cavemen that have survived so far off of fear; however, after an earthquake destroys their cave, they must learn a new set of rules in order to make it in the new world. Grug (father and leader of the Croods), voiced by Nicholas Cage, has the hardest time adjusting. His daughter Eep on the other hand, voiced by Emma Stone, has no problems adjusting to not only the new way of life but also to the "smarter" Guy, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. Of course, Grug isn't happy but, in the end, learns to change in order to save his family from certain doom.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
I absolutely love what I have seen of Hayao Miyazaki's movies. The story telling is top notch. I'm always invested in the stories. The animation is always beautiful. Plus, they're the kind of movies that I can watch over and over again and never get bored. Nausicaä is no exception. Nausicaä centers around Princess Nausicaä (yes she is the princess of the Valley of the Wind), who lives in world that has been poisoned and humans live in scattered all across the world. Nausicaä lives in her peaceful valley but is also welcome in the Toxi Jungle, where the Ohm (giant, ancient looking trilobite) reign supreme. One night an aircraft from the kingdom of Tolmekia crashes in the valley and has aboard the Giant Warrior. It's up to Nausicaä to try and stop all out war from consuming the valley, the Ohm, and her people.

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

In the era of CG models, Disney returned to more traditional animation with Princess and the Frog. This story of an independent, hard-working girl turned frog is one of my favorite. Tiana is also one of my favorite Disney princesses. The soundtrack is amazing with songs that feel like you'd actually hear them in New Orleans. Tiana is a young woman that has grown up on the words of her departed father, to work hard for what she wants. Prince Naveen, on the other hand, has never had to work a day in his life and is looking for a girl with money to marry in order to continue his party lifestyle. When both end up as frogs, they have to work together in order to get what they need, not what they want. Along the way, they team up with a horn-playing gator and a bayou firefly against the Shadow Man and his allies. It's a fun filled time for the whole family.

Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Last but not least on Part 2 of my list is Rise of the Guardians. Rise of the Guardians came out around Christmas time and was marketed as such; however, if I had to tag a holiday on to this movie it would actually be Easter, since that is the major holiday that happens during the movie. Jack Frost is known as a prankster and jokester when he is chosen to be a new Guardian. The Guardians (Nicholas St. North/Santa Clause, Sandman/Sandy, E. Aster Bunnymund/the Easter Bunny, and Tooth/the Toothfairy) are attacked by Pitch Black, aka the Boogeyman. They have to protect the world's children from the nightmares and fear that Pitch creates. While their powers disappear, it's up to Jack Frost to prove himself not only to the world but also to himself.

So what are some of your favorite animated movies? Let us down in the comments down below. 

Lady's Choice: Minions

Guess who's taking over!

Let me tell you something: I love the Despicable Me movies! They appeal to both kids and adults. As Brian has said previously that those movies are just a way to pass the time with kids. So with Brian reviewing The Gallows, I have the honor of reviewing the spin-off movie: Minions. And, personally, I got the better movie. In fact, I got the number one movie of the weekend, grossing $115. 7 million. Jurassic World was number two with $18.1 million. Minions is aimed completely at kids from start to finish.

Minions is the life story of the minions and how they met Gru. If you have seen the trailers than you most likely have seen the first part of this movie. The minions evolve little. single cell minions to little, aquatic minions to the minions that kids everywhere know from Despicable Me. They are really, really bad at keeping a boss. From accidentally tossing a Tyrannosaurus-Rex in a volcano to shooting Napoleon with a cannon, the Minions are kind of accident prone.

The Minions end up all alone, and, at first, they build something like their version of a civilization. However, they fall into a depression with no boss to serve. So Kevin, Stuart, and little Bob go out into the very changed world in order to find a new boss to help try and rule the world. Since they haven't seen the changes that the world has gone through in the last few hundred years, the Minions are in a strange land but seem to adapt fairly well. From arctic furs to their jean overalls, the Minions blend in and start their search for a boss. It is isn't until they see a secret advertisement for Villain Con that Kevin, Stuart, and Bob start heading in the right direction: Orlando, Florida. 

Through a series of funny circumstances, the Minions end up at Villain Con and also become Scarlet Overkill's , voiced by Sandra Bullock, henchmen. Scarlet is the world's number one super villain, and now she wants Queen Elizabeth II's crown (though it would be even better for her if she could actually be the queen). Her husband Herb equips the three with weapons for their heist, and the next day they head to the Tower of London. Between Stuart being able to dance with some hypnotized guards to Bob becoming King of England to giant Kevin trying to protect his tribe, the minions learn that, while Scarlet is the top villain, this is one boss that won't tolerate any mistakes or mishaps. 

Minions is very kid centered. I honestly cannot think of a message. Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 had family oriented messages. This movies really doesn't have one, which kind of turns off any adults in the audience. Our showing had mostly kids with parents and few teenagers. The kids were laughing more than we were, so the movie does appeal to kids. I'm just looking for something a little big more I guess.

The new characters, mainly Scarlet and Herb, are not really explored. She's there to be evil, which she enjoys, and Herb is there to supply the lava guns, Scarlet's high-tech dress, etc. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob each have their distinct personalities. Kevin (tallest with two eyes) is the leader and cares deeply for his tribe. Stuart (the middle one with one eyes) is obsessed with guitars and music. He's also trying to out do Kevin. He didn't really come along by choice. Bob (smallest with two eyes) is kind of like the little kid or little brother of the group. He's trusting and loves his bear Tim. Kevin is often taking care of Bob.

The animation for Minions is the same as Despicable Me. The soundtrack is better for the previous two than the spin-off. What is missing most for me is what the other Despicable Me movies had, but this one doesn't: Plot. There's a story of course, how the Minions found Gru (who does appear a couple times in the movie); however, there's no plot, no character development. The Minions do just stumble through the conflict with Scarlet and into Gru. It's not a huge thing for a kids' movie, but I don't think that Minions will land in my top movies of 2015.

Rating:  6.5/10

Buy on BluRay:  Only if the Minions were a huge draw for you to Despicable Me, otherwise no. 

So what did you think about Minions  Was it as entertaining as Despicable Me or Despicable Me 2?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Lady's Choice: Favorite Animated Movies (Part 1)

Guess who's taking over!

I have always loved animation, though I suck at drawing. From Disney to anime, animated movies have been a big part of my life, and they don't get talked about enough  So, I thought I'd share some of them with you from time to time. These are in no particular order and are from no particular studio or time period. However, if I have talked about it recently in another post then I'll wait to talk about it again, particularly if I just did a long review of it. If you want a full review of a movie that I mention, just let me know in the comments. Hope you enjoy five of my favorite animated movies. 

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

I am a huge Disney fan and a huge dog person. Plus my first dog was a Cocker Spaniel similar to Lady, and Brian's and my puppy right now looks like Tramp but smaller. So it makes a lot of sense that Lady and the Tramp is one of my favorite animated movies. Lady is the pet of Jim Dear and Darling (they call each other this so she think that those are her owners' names) and lives in a well off neighborhood. Tramp on the other paw lives on the streets without any owners or family. When Lady's family has a baby and goes away for awhile, she ends up on the streets with Tramp their to try and protect her from the harshness of the streets and from ending up in the pound. Which way of life will come out on top: collar or no collar?

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Based on a book series by the same name, How to Train Your Dragon starts off like any viking-tale, fighting dragons. However, Hiccup is different from other dragons. He is more brains than muscle. Through his inventions, he brings down a rare and powerful Night Fury. However, he can't bring himself to kill the dragon, who he names Toothless and tries to help him fly again. From there, adventure awaits the two unlikely of friends. Not to mention the CG is fantastic. It's more than just a story about a boy and his dragon, though. It's about being comfortable with who you are, even if that's the complete opposite of everyone else in the village. In the end, you might just be what the world or at least your village needs. 

Rango (2011)

Imagine Johnny Depp as a chameleon who wants to be a good actor. Sound kind of funny? That's because it is. I saw this movie in theaters with my family, and it had everyone laughing almost the entire time. Rango get stranded in the Mojave Desert and stumbles on the town of Dirt, inhabited by various desert animals. Rango becomes the sheriff of Dirt, which is literally drying up from lack of water. Hilarity ensues as Rango and his posse have to find the water before the town dries up. Looking for funny watch? Try this animated adventure. 

Happy Feet (2006)

Penguins are adorable, and the creators of Happy Feet have used that to create this awesome little flick. The penguins in Happy Feet live life with song, from making it through the long, cold winter to finding love. Mumble causes a stir when he is born because he can't sing. Instead, Mumble dances like non-other. As he grows up, he is an outcast and later blamed for the lack of fish. His adventures to find out what happened to the fish lead him from a group of small penguins to having humans around the world watching him. The visuals are beautiful, and the movie is filled with great sounding remixes of songs make for a great soundtrack. Whether you take away the environment message or to just be yourself, Happy Feet is a real treat for the whole family.  

Peter Pan (1953)

Last on the list for this week but certainly not the least is the 1953 classic Peter Pan. This Disney classic is about a boy named Peter who lives in Neverland and never grows up. Tinkerbell is his trusty companion fairy, though she has been known to be very jealous. He takes Wendy and her brothers to live there, so she can be a mother to him and the Lost Boys. It's not all fun and games. Neverland is filled with crocodiles and other wildlife, natives, mermaids, and, most dangerous of all, a group of pirates led by Captain Hook. Peter Pan shows the joy of being child but also the need to grow up and be with family. It's beautifully drawn and has quite a few memorable seen including a game of follow the leader and flying to Neverland, second start to the right and straight on til morning.

So what are some of your favorite animated movies? Let me know in the comments down below.

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Blog Update: Brace Yourselves, ComicCon Coverage Is Coming

In which I detail upcoming changes to Filmquisition.

As many of you are probably already aware, ComicCon has come and gone this weekend, leaving a vast slew of announcements, trailers and just plain old news to catch up on.  Naturally, most of this will make it through this particular neck of the woods... eventually.

There's a considerable pile of news-worthy stories to touch base with, and I will do my best to get as much of it as I can up as quickly as possible.  There are trailers for Batman vs Superman, Suicide Squad and Deadpool, for one.  There are updates on the Minority Report, Limitless and Legends of Tomorrow.  There are even a few interesting (but mostly perplexing) tidbits on the nuts-and-bolts functionality of the DC Cinematic Universe.

Naturally this will all take time to get through, and that's with me trying to get through my already scheduled articles (both here and on Unreality).  My aim is to get through most (if not all) of it by the end of the week, but some spillover into next week might happen, pending real-life interference.

So strap in, Folks.  This week is going to be busy, wild and increasingly weird.  I hope you enjoy it.

So what was your favorite thing to come out of this weekend's ComicCon?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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The Weekend Forecast: Minions Will Usurp Jurassic World's Box Office Title

In which I predict that big winners (and losers) at the box office this weekend.

With last weekend's box office let-down, it'll be nice to see full theaters once again.  And although we might see Terminator Genisys' and Magic Mike XXL's numbers actually go up from last week as belated movie-goers finally get around to seeing them, it's sure to be this weekend's new releases that take people are going to swarm towards.

Minions - the long anticipated spin-off / prequel to 2010's Despicable Me - is sure to draw in the family crowd this weekend, syphoning from Inside Out's considerable following.  Having already seen the movie, I can safely say that it's the most fun of the entire franchise, thanks largely to its incessantly amusing protagonists.

Some older viewers (parents, grandparents and the like) will doubtless find the Minions' physical antics tiresome after a while, but the movie hardly outstays its welcome with its scant 91 minute run-time.  Be sure to get your tickets in advance (and arrive early) in order to ensure a good seat.

The Gallows is Blumhouse's most recent disappointment to hit theaters this year, and it's really a shame too.  Between Blumhouse's one-time pristine reputation and a surprisingly excellent premise, it should have been a surefire success.  But a seemingly rushed production, input from additional production companies and BH's over-stuffed 2015 release schedule kept it from being any more than a found footage distraction that can safely be set aside for something better this weekend (even Minions, of all things).

You can expect my full review of this movie on Monday, and probably an editorial trying to parse out Blumhouse's recent troubles.  Between this and The Lazarus Effect, they've solidly transformed into the Pixar of horror movies: exceptional, but far from flawless.

We're living in a golden age of science fiction right now.  It seems that hardly a month goes by without some forward-thinking, innovative and supremely intelligent take on mankind's tech-based future coming out.  This year's already seen the flawed Chappie and the sublime Ex Machina, and Self/Less seems just as good as either.

To be fair, it may fizzle out like 2011's In Time: an excellent premise wasted on a sub-par story.  Even if that's all it is, though, it's creative talent is enough to draw me in to see it.  Between actors Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds, visionary director Tarsem Singh and Los Ultimos Dias scribes Alex and David Pastor, it's shaping up to be one impressive movie already.

So which new movie will you be seeing this weekend?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Unreality Companion: Terminator Genisys

In which I develop on the content of my weekly Unrealitymag.com article.

So last weekend's double-feature was Terminator Genisys and Magic Mike XXL.  The better of these two movies was exactly what you would think it is.  Despite a surprisingly good first film, Magic Mike's successor was every bit the sex-pandering trash that you'd expect it to be.  And, despite the rampantly negative reviews floating around on the internet, Terminator Genysis turned out to be an exceptional lot of fun.

On the eve of mankind's final victory over Skynet, John Connor - leader of the Human resistance - preps for the real battle.  Knowing that Skynet will send a Terminator into the past in order to assassinate his mother before she births him, he sends Kyle Reese - his second in command and, secretly, his father-to-be - back to 1984 to save her.

But nothing is as it was supposed to be.  Moments before Reese leaves for the past, Skynet infects John Connor with a reconstructive virus that transforms him into a Next Gen Terminator under the machines' control.  When Reese arrives in the past, he doesn't find a helpless teenager in need of rescuing, but a battle-hardened soldier who had already survived one assassination attempt and had been prepping for his arrival for decades with the help of her own T-800.  All the while, Reese experiences memories of a lifetime he never lived - one where Skynet had not yet assumed control and Judgment Day had to happen.

I cannot express just how pumped I was for this movie going in.  While admittedly not quite at Age of Ultron or The Force Awakens levels of hype, it was still pretty high up there.  It was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, a long-in-coming sequel to two of my overall favorite movies and exactly the kind of movie that I've wanted to come out of this franchise for well over a decade now.

In these regards, the movie fully lives up to the high expectations that its premise - and excellent (if spoiler-ridden) trailer - set up for it.  It brings the franchise full circle by sending us back to the setting of the first movie.  It gives us exciting new twists on everything Skynet (both in terms of an amped up T-1000 and the newly Terminated John Connor).  It changes everything that we've ever known about the franchise in ways that were both wholly unexpected but fully realistic.

It was exciting, well written and even gave us a Sarah Connor that was a worthy successor to Linda Hamilton's take on the character.  It had everything and then some and I simply cannot understand why its received such universally negative reviews from critics across the country.  It is really that good.

Does this mean that it was a perfect movie by any means?  No, of course not.  The mid-movie time-jump to 2015 - seemingly "just because" - is an out-of-place setting change that serves as an over-written continuation to what was already an excellent action romp.  It would have been more than enough to stick with a Judgment Day-style Sarah Connor, fresh off the boat Kyle Reese and an increasingly glitchy T-800 (named Pops) duke it out against a vintage T-800 in 1984.

I also get why Steve Jobs - and, by extension, Apple-style branding - is the current go-to for tech-based villains, but it's gotten old real fast.  It was tolerable in Kingsmen because it was purely surface-level aesthetics.  It's obnoxious in Terminator because it feels like a needlessly low blow in a franchise that has bigger - and more interesting - things to worry about.

Although not quite as big an offender in this regard as Chappie, Terminator Genisys is severely overwritten.  There's enough material for two movies crammed into a single two-hour chunk of time.  We have Reese returning to a radically altered 1984 and teaming up with a shockingly martial Sarah Connor and the protective Pops, but we also have the jump to contemporary LA where a newly roboticized John Connor ensures Skynet's creation in our present.  Rather than letting the two ideas breathe in their own movies, they're crammed into a single film and rushed through as if the inevitable sequels are where it's really at.

In this regard, Terminator Genisys is like a far superior version of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  Both are far more interesting it setting up possible sequels and spin-offs than they are in crafting the movie that they actually have to work with.  The difference between them is that Terminator Genisys still succeeds in giving us a fully realized story (even if it is overly crammed with plot points and narrative leaps), while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was basically just an advertisement for movies that ultimately never came to be.

So although it's something of a mixed bag, Terminator Genisys is every bit the summer blockbuster that you've been waiting to see.  Sure, it's not nearly the movie that Fury Road or Jurassic World was, but few are.  It's a fun, action-packed sequel with a great premise and awesome explosions that's bound to get even more people to care about the first exceptional instalments to the franchise.

Rating:  8/10

Buy on BluRay:  It's a nothing short of a must-have for Terminator fans.

So what did you think of Terminator Genisys?  Was it better or worse than the four movies that came before it?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Throwback Thursday: Why I'm Still Concerned About Dawn of Justice

In which I revisit old articles from Filmquisition and Unreality.

The big news this week was the new Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer: our first substantive look at

DC’s follow-up to Man of Steel and that company’s answer to Captain America: Civil War.

Ever since details about the movie started coming out during production, I’ve harbored some

severely mixed feelings on the subject, best summed up as “hopeful, but cautiously pessimistic.”

When it comes down to it, I’m actually a huge fan of Man of Steel.  I enjoyed it far more than I thought that I would ever enjoy a Superman movie.  It managed to turn DC’s omnipotent boy scout into a genuinely sympathetic and engaging character.  What’s more is that it did so while delivering one of the most riveting action climaxes that I’ve seen from any movie this side of The Avengers.  Say what you will about ol’ Supes leveling Metropolis, but it was needlessly entertaining to watch him do it.

Despite everything that Man of Steel got right, though, it never once felt like a Superman movie.  It employed an overcast, grim-looking, Dark Knight aesthetic that was completely out of place for this particular franchise.  Zack Snyder filtered out nearly all of the color from the original cut of the movie until everything looked drab and washed out.  So although it had an entertaining twist on a traditionally stuffy character, we had to sit through footage that made it look like you needed to adjust the contrast settings on your TV.

From what we’ve been able to glean from the trailer, Snyder’s not simply maintained this grimdark status quo, but exploded it to absurdly darker levels.  With the exception of a single shot of Superman against a washed-out sun (and maybe a shot of him dead-lifting what appears to be a satellite), every last second of the trailer takes place at night.

That’s fine for a Batman movie.  Darkness is his whole shtick and he wears it well.  But what works for Batman doesn’t inherently work for Superman.  He’s Batman’s daytime foil: a fact that you couldn’t possibly get from Superman stalking around at night posturing like some kind of super-powered SS agent.

Seriously, I honestly thought that this was building this up to be an adaptation of Injustice in its final moments.  Everything was so absurdly over the top, from the Atlas-styled statue of Superman defaced with “False God” to the whispering voice-overs saying things like “absolute power corrupts absolutely” and “Devils don’t come from Hell beneath us, they come from the sky.”  There was even a shot of armed men kneeling before him.  Exactly what part of any of this screams “Superman?”

The way it stands now, I’m afraid of what Justice League‘s actual plot is going to be.  Is it going to be the League in full joining forces to take down Darkseid (or an equally stakes-raising villain), or is it going to be Batman rallying the world’s other heroes against a rogue Superman who’s more than happy to dispense his personal brand of justice from on high?  I simply don’t see how we can possibly get from this version of Superman to the status quo between now and 2017.

The more that I think about it, the more inherently wrong having a Batman vs Superman movie this soon into the fledgling DC Cinematic Universe feels.  The thing about The Dark Knight Returns (from which this film draws most of its inspiration) is that it was set decades after these characters first met.  They had fought and worked alongside one another for year before their moral and political ideologies came to blows.

That fight meant something, not because it was two amped up dudes in tights duking it out in the streets, but because it was Batman and Superman: two characters that we had known and watched develop into the people that they were for years on end.  This is the first time that we’ll see this version of Batman.  This is the first time that these two characters will have met one another.  How can we possibly invest ourselves in a showdown when we simply don’t know these versions of these characters (and especially when this version of Superman is so far off base)?

Now, everything Batman about this trailer absolutely works.  Ben Affleck has the grim, brooding look of a haunted man trying (and failing) nightly to somehow undo his parents fate.  Jeremy Irons’ voice over as Alfred comes off as the perfect cross between Gotham‘s Sean Pertwee and Michael’s Caine’s “some men want to watch the world burn” speech from The Dark Knight.  This may very well be the best version of the Batman costume ever put to film, and that’s not even touching on how awesome-looking the robotic version is.

This trailer makes me stoked about The Suicide Squad.  It makes me stoked about another Batman movie.  It makes me stoked about Nightwing or Batgirl or any other Bat-based spin off Warner Bros comes up with.  It does not, however, make me any more excited about Dawn of Justice.

Understand, I’m still planning on watching this movie the second that it comes out.  I’m still

hoping to like it (and just being as good as Man of Steel will be enough for me).  I just can’t

bring myself to get my hopes up when I can’t bring myself to believe that it’s actually Superman

flying around in the sky.

So what do you think about Dawn of Justice at this point in its production?  Are you more excited than trepidatious about it?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Lady's Choice: Magic Mike XXL

Guess who's taking over!

So Magic Mike XXL and Terminator Genisys were released ahead of the 4th of July weekend, making Brian's and my date night night at the theater this week on a Tuesday instead of on a Thursday. Once again, Brian and I are going to divide up the movie reviews with what I think is an appropriate division. On a previous Lady's Choice, I reviewed Magic Mike (2012), so makes sense that I'd also review the sequel with Brian reviewing Terminator Genisys. It appears that audiences weren't entirely impressed by the new movie offerings with Terminator Genisys coming in 3rd and Magic Mike XXL coming in 4th with $12.8 million. Perhaps it being a holiday weekend actually hurt it but only time will tell for this stripping filled sequel.

Three years after Magic Mike, things are exactly what Mike Lane thought they would be when he finally was able to open up his custom furniture business and leave the world of stripping behind. This includes Brooke leaving Mike as we find out later. He only has one employee and can't afford to pay the employee's health insurance. After getting tricked into meeting up this buddies from the Kings of Tampa (the stripping group that Mike was apart of) by being told someone died. Luckily none of the Kings have died, but they were abandoned by Dallas and The Kid, who moved to an overseas market. They have decided to go the stripper convention in Myrtle Beach (it makes sense that they'd have one, but it still kind of surprised me that there was one) for one last performance, and they want Magic Mike to come along.

After what I would call a great tip of the hat to the first movie, Mike decides that he will join the Kings of Tampa for a little get away from what is currently going on in his life. One of their first stops is a drag queen show where the boys have a bit of fun. Mike also meets Zoe (played by Amber Heard), an aspiring photographer, when she takes a break from taking pictures of drag queens to him. After continuing their trip, Mike shows everyone that they don't have to do Dallas's old routines. However, due to some shenanigans, Tobias (played by Gabriel Iglesias) has to stay at a hospital, and their truck gets totaled.

Mike and the rest decide to continue on to Myrtle Beach. Along the way, the Kings of Tampa have to return to where Magic Mike was known as White Chocolate and an unexpected private audience where previous acquaintances make an appearance. In the end, Mike and the gang have to keep their eyes on the prize: their last blow-out performance.

This movie is both similar to and different from Magic Mike. Let's start out with the obvious: there is more male stripping. From Mike dancing in his furniture workshop to the last performance, the movie probably has double the amount of performances that were in the first one. Not only that but they take place in more than just on the stage, including a convenience store. Also, most of the performances are new in keeping with Mike's strive to not use Dallas's old routines since he left them behind. This was also a bit different because of the incorporation of male entertainers from a different group.

One thing that Brian like about the first Magic Mike was that it had plot (though he says it felt like half a movie). I liked that too. With Magic Mike XXL, there is not the same kind of plot. It feels like a different movie. The first one was somewhat of a love story/finding yourself story. This one is a "getting the band back together" kind of plot. That seems to be the biggest complaint: that it sacrifices plot for stripping. I have to say that they did a bit, but between Brian and I, I see the plot. Both movies are fun. Magic Mike XXL isn't as deep as the first one, and I am okay with that. I still had a good time watching this movie.

That all being said, I honestly don't think they could make a third Magic Mike and hope that they don't. Mike got the girl, lost the girl, and now may or may not have a new one (that is honestly up in the air). The boys may or may not have revived the Kings of Tampa. While I can see this being a trilogy, I am happy with it just being the two. Only time (and success of Magic Mike XXL) will tell.

Rating:  7/10

Buy on BluRay:  If you are a fan of the stripping and the boys having a road trip, then yes

So what did you think about Magic Mike XXL?  Was it as entertaining as the first Magic Mike?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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The Weekend Report: Inside Out Eeks Out a Win During the Slow Holiday Weekend

In which I run down the big winners (and losers) at the box office this weekend.

Despite shaping up to be a dynamite weekend at the box office, nothing much ultimately came of this weekend's two new releases: Terminator Genisys (a review of which will be up shortly) and Magic Mike XXL.  Both franchise's hoards of fans chose barbecues and fireworks over retreads of ultimately better movies (despite how impressive one of these two actually was to see).

Although easily the best of the two big releases this weekend, Terminator Genisys massively underperformed in a third place debut.  Don't let its disappointing numbers fool you, however: it's the best Terminator movie that we've seen since Judgment Day, and an easy pick for third best of the entire franchise.

Although the movie is obviously trying to undo its tangled, future-stranded continuity with a massive jolt to the time stream to allow for any number of future sequels Days of Future Past style, it refreshingly does so while remembering what made the original the classic that it is today.  Sure, time travel reboots might be a tired cliche by this point, but the concept is so deeply rooted in Terminator's narrative DNA that you can't help but give it a free pass on this one, especially when it pulls it off so incredibly well.

There are exceedingly few movies that I want to see fail.  Even if I don't like a movie, I generally want it to give its competition as much trouble as it can.  That's what makes these rankings exciting, after all.

Magic Mike XXL, however, is a rare exception.  Expect to see Becky's review this sequel to the 2012 hit later this week.  You can further expect to see my thoughts of it up shortly thereafter.  Let it suffice to say that whatever magic the first movie stumbled upon was lost when Warner Bros decided that what we really needed was a second Fifty Shades of Grey to hit theaters this year.

Although not the kind of movie that I'm generally interested in, the word of mouth for this rom-com about a reluctant friendship between a boy and his cancerous classmate is ultimately encouraging.  While it does strike me as a bit too similar to the saccharine The Fault in Our Stars, its relatively strong opening weekend will ensure a space for more "serious" teen-centered movies in the future.

What's really going to be interesting to see is if this weekend's numbers are so low purely because of the holiday weekend, or because Terminator Genisys and Magic Mike XXL failed to resonate with movie-goers in general.  I wouldn't be all that surprised if both movies' numbers improve next weekend when the party-goers who missed it over the 4th decide to make up for lost time.

Box Office Rankings

1)  Inside Out - $29.7m

2) Jurassic World -  $29.2m

3) Terminator Genisys - $27m
4) Magic Mike XXL- $12.8m

5) Ted 2 - $11.1m
6) Max - $6.6m
7) Spy - $5.1m

8)  San Andreas - $2.8m
9)  Me, Earl and the Dying Girl - $1.2m
10)  Dope - $1.1m

So did you bother to see a movie in theaters this weekend?  If so, what did you go to see?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Lady's Choice: 11 More Movies to Look Forward to in 2015

Guess who's taking over!

We are halfway done with 2015, and this year has been the year of movies for me. I have seen a lot this year (almost 1 a day between new ones, old ones that I hadn't see yet, and re-watches), but there are still a lot that I am looking forward to. Now, when I first put this list together I had a lot of the same movies that I put on the first list I made back at the beginning of the year. So I decided that if it was on that list, it couldn't be on this list. Also, it has to come out after July 4th, even if Brian posts this way in after that. Here we go with 11 more awesome looking movies that are coming out in 2015:

Trainwreck (July 17, 2015)

I am not a fan of most chick flicks. I also have not seen Bridesmaids, though I really like Knocked Up. In fact, when I first saw the posters for this movie, I just shook my head. Then the trailers started coming out, and I found myself laughing. Trainwreck stars Amy Schumer as Amy, a girl who has taken her father's advice that monogamy is not possible, and Bill Hader, as the sports doctor Aaron Connors. Amy is assigned to interview Dr. Connors, who becomes taken with her. Of course, hilarity ensues. I'm not expecting Oscar material, but I am looking forward to a good time.

Straight Outta Compton (August 14, 2015)

This one really surprised me. I had no clue they were making a movie about this until about a month ago when I saw the first trailer. I recognize Dr. Dre and Ice  Cube but do not the whole story. Perhaps that is what peeked my interest so much. It looks like it is going to be well acted and well written. Of course, this is based on just seeing the two different trailers. It stars O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Neil Brown Jr as DJ Yella, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, and Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller as their manager.  

Sinister 2 (August 21, 2015)

The first Sinister scared the crap out of me. We walked out of the theater, and I kept double checking all the shadows real quick cause I thought I was seeing things. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard that they were making a sequel and a little nervous at the same time. The first was so good that I don't want a bad sequel to spoil the Sinister name. This one picks up after the first one with a young mother and her twin sons moving into a rural house where Bughuul resides. Bughuul of course tries to get one of the sons to murder his family. I find it funny that James Ransone, who also started in the first movie, is actually billed as Deputy So-And-So, a nickname given to him in Sinister. The poster to the left was released not too long ago and give me a lot of hope for this horror sequel.

Hotel Transylvania 2 (September 25, 2015)

When I found out about this sequel and talked to a colleague about how I couldn't believe it got a sequel, she told me that the first one was actually pretty good. So, Brian and I rented Hotel Transylvania, and it was pretty good. It was fun despite staring Adam Sandler as Dracula. With all of the cast returning, I am looking forward to this kid friendly Halloween-time release. Dracula is now a grandfather and has to face the fact that his grandson, who's mother is vampire and his father is human, might not have inherited any vampire. To make things more stressful for Dracula, his father Vlad arrives at the hotel for a family visit.
 

The Martian  (October 2, 2015)

This year seems to be the year for a lot of big budget sci-fi movies from Jurassic World  to Ex-Machina. And that is not a bad thing. I have always been a fan of sci-fi movies. Matt Damon stars as Astronaut Mark Watney who is believed to be dead after a storm on Mars and the rest of the time leaves. This leads to his fight for survival and trying to make contact, which a rescue mission will take four years or more. This movie reminds me of the Alien franchise in that it appears to have a confining set. It probably is also important to mention that Ridley Scott, who directed Alien, is the director.

Pan (October 9, 2015)

Disney has done and plans to continue a string of live action versions of their animated classics, which I happen to really like. While this is a retelling, live action version of Peter Pan, this is a Warner Bros production with Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, Gerrett Hedlund as Hook, and Levi Miller as Peter Pan. This also isn't just a retelling  of what we know of Peter Pan running around with Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys. Instead, this is about Peter before he became a legend when is just a orphan who gets taken to Neverland for adventure. It has a good looking cast and great visuals.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (October 23, 2015)

I didn't see any of these movies until Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones came out on DVD. However, I am a fan found footage movies with one of my favorites being Quarantine. While I haven't seen Paranormal Activity 4, I have liked all the others in the series. They have released the first trailer for this movie, and it looks good. A family moves into a new home in Palo Alto, California, and they find the types of Katie and Kristi from the previous movies being taught supernatural abilities. In these tapes, one of the girls notice the brothers presence despite the time difference. There is also a camera that can see paranormal phenomenons. This is also supposed to the final in the series, which is produced by Blumhouse Productions.

The Last Witch Hunter (October 23, 2015)
I have recently developed more of a liking of Vin Diesel as an actor. This is probably because Brian and I watched all of the Fast Furious series before seeing Furious 7. Vin Diesel is an immortal witch hunter named Kaulder who has to protect humanity from the New York City covens and their plague. Rose Leslie plays Chloe, a female witch that teams up with Victor, and Julie Engelbrecht as the Witch Queen. It also has Elijah Wood in it. Again the visuals of the trailer were a big draw for me. 

Spectre (November 6, 2015)
Brian's already talked about the newest bond movie in his Most Anticipated of 2015. Again, this is a case of liking the actor the more a series progresses. Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond (and no I haven't seen all the Bond movies).The talk of this being Craig's last Bond movie makes me a bit sad if it is true. What grabbed my attention second after Daniel Craig is that part of the movie takes place in Mexico during the Day of Dead celebrations. The plot also shows just how complex James Bond is a character and how MI6 stays alive when political forces want to shut it down.

The Good Dinosaur (November 25, 2015)

Now this is a movie that I have already mentioned on Lady's Choice when I listed my favorite dinosaur movies. Arlo the Apatosaurus (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) lives in a world that was never hit by asteroid that wiped out all the dinosaurs. Arlos ends up loosing his father in an acident and  falls into the river. He wakes up far from home. He has to make a long journey home and along the way finds a cave boy that he names Spot (voiced by Jack Bright). I am so looking forward to Pixar's next film. I haven't seen a bad Pixar movie yet (I believe that the only one I haven't seen is Cars 2).

In the Heart of the Sea (December 11, 2015)
First off, the release date is not March. It got moved back to December after the poster to the left was made available. I think they're going for the "prestige" release date since it appears to be a movie that would probably get Oscar attention. This movie is based of the book (same title) by Nathaniel Philbrick and stars Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, the First Mate, and Benjamin Walker as Captain George Pollar, Jr. It is being directed by Ron Howard. Set in 1820, the Essex, a whaling ship, is sunk when it is rammed by a very large bull sperm whale. This story was the basis for Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.


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