DC Animated Movie: League of Super Pets

 Krypto/ Superdog (Dwayne Johnson) joins forces with a bunch of pound animals who have gotten super powers, while those with super powers have lost them thanks to a villain guinea pic, Lulu (Kate McKinnon).  In this way she has captured all the supers, and plans to free Lex Luthor (Marc Maron).  Krypto had let his guard down for a moment as Superman was involved with Lois Lane (Olivia Wilde) and he feels left out.  However Krypto and his friends seem to defeat Lulu several times, but then she keeps coming back stronger and stronger.  The movie doesn't know when to end.  Finally Krypto has to travel around the sun and bring the sun's powers to bear on Lulu.  He would have died had not the pound dog, Ace (Kevin Hart) saved him.  Other notable voice roles, Keanu Reeves as Batman and John Krasinski as Superman.  It seems all the super heroes have a bet emulating them, Wonder woman, Batman, Flash etc.

This plat is a bit more far fetched than even a super hero movie, but it seems to make its point, that all creatures are worthy of friendship and love.   

Music Review: History: America's Greatest Hits

 History: America's Greatest Hits, Produced by George Martin, Warner Brothers Records, 1975.

When this album was released America had previously released five albums with a couple number one singles.  This album took advantage of that early success and reached number three on the album billboard chart.  It was number 41 of the top albums from Top Pop Catalog Albums published in 2007.  It included all eleven of America's charting singles up to that time and the song "Sand Man" which to that point had not been released as a single.  The songs that had reached number one were "Horse with no Name" and "Sister Golden Hair."  They are very nice.  "Horse with no Name" was part of their first album.  It was originally called "Desert Song." My personal favorite of America is "Lonely People."  It gave me hope when I was so shy I had a terrivle time meating girl.  This song told me not to give up.  They also recorded "Muskrat Love" before the Captain and Tennille.  I really like "Tinman" as well.  "I Need You" is also very memorable.  

At this time America was the original trio who were American children of service members serving in England and the band formed in England.  They are, Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley.  

Music Review: Paul McCartney: Back in the U.S.

 This is a two C.D. collection with 35 songs from McCartney's 2002 tour of the U.S.  Someof the songs were written by Paul McCartney himself, some with John Lenin, some with Linda McCartney and one by George Harrison (Something).  There is music from the Beatles as well as Paul McCartney and Wings.  There is quite an array of music.  For my taste just hearing "Black Bird" makes the album worth it.  I love to hear the music to this song and sometimes sing along.  Then you add "Yesterday" and "Let It Be" and you are already overfed.  There is much more, from harder rock, "Sgt Pepper's/The End," to soft and easy, "Hey Jude."  There is "Live and Let Die" from the James Bond movie.  There is just lots to like with this music.

Musical Movie Review: ***^ Music and Lyrics (2007)

 Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant and Haley Bennet take on the musical genre.  Drew Barrymore plays Sophie Fisher, the house made who has a knack for poetry and lyrics.  She works for Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) who is a has-been musician doing the state fair circuit.  But even that is falling apart.  However he has a life line, Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) who is currently hot, wants him to write a song titled, "Way Back Into Love."  And of course it turns into a love story with Fisher and Fletcher falling for each other.  Some disagreement over artistic interpretation gets in the way, but resolves itself in the end.

I liked the music, and the partnership, and the feel good love story in the end.

Warning: Cora wears scanty clothing and uses sexual innuendo in her songs.

Movie Review: ****The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

 This is a very good retelling of the Loch Ness monster story.  A boy finds an egg, and takes it home.  The boy is introverted and clumsy, and scared of the water even though he lives by the loch.  His father is away to fight in the war.  The egg hatches into a cute little seal looking creature.  He keeps it secret, but it is impossible to keep it secret forever.  The man who has moved into the house to do the upkeep, Lewis Mowbray, finds our, as does his sister Kristie.  But his mom doesn't.  He lets the beast go, as he grows very fast.  He visits the beast and they go on a swim.  However the military is defending theloch under Captain Hamilton, during WWII.  Some practice rounds get too close to the beast and causes him to have som PTSD.  Now the military are looking for him, and others, some for the notoriety and some for possible money.  His mother finally realizes he is not lying about the monster when it visits, and now they are trying to escape past the submarine nets.  

• Alex Etel as Angus MacMorrow
  • Brian Cox as Older Angus MacMorrow
  • Louis Owen Collins as young Angus MacMorrow
• Emily Watson as Anne MacMorrow
• Ben Chaplin as Lewis Mowbray
• David Morrissey as Captain Thomas Hamilton
• Priyanka Xi as Kirstie MacMorrow

Movie Review: ****^ The Notebook (2004)

 This is a story that tells you the true love wins out in the end, despite all the odds against it.  A summer fling appears to not go anywhere, but both partners, Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) profess their love.  Noah confesses his dream of restoring an old house, and living with Allie in the house.  It is Allie's mother (Joan Allen) that gets in the way.  The family ends their vacation early, and Allie is prohibited from seeing Noah.  Allie tells a friend to confess her love to Noah.  But when Noah writes every day for a year, the mother takes the letters and does not deliver them to Allie.  He joins the military for WWII, and she goes to college.  

Seven years later Allie is engaged, but comes upon a news story about Noah and the house he has restored.  She has to see, and thus rekindles the flame, even though they have not seen each other for seven years.  Allie's mother brings her the letters she kept from her, and indicates she had to make the same decision at one point, and went with the man who could provide best rather than the man she loved and wonders if her decision was best.  Allie now has a similar choice.

This story is overlaid by a an readinga notebook to his partner ho has deentia.  She does not remember things but likes the story.  By the end of the movie we realize that this is Noah (James Garner) and Allie (Gena Rowlands) reading Allie's journal about their love story.  When they come to the end Allie finds her memories for a time, but then becomes confused again.  After having a heart attack, Noah survives, to sneak into bed with his wife where they die together.

Musical version at theater

Movie Review: My Giant

 Billy Crystal plays a hollywood scout, Sammy, whose last client has just fired him.  He is down on his luck.  He finds himself in Romania on business and crashes his car.  He is rescued by a giant, Gheorghe Mureșan playing Max.  Max leads a lonely life, having been brought up by a monastery as his parents gave up on him because he was so big.  Max is convinced to go with Sammy to America to look for an ex girlfriend, Liliana (Joanna Pacula).  Sam hopes to sell hi to Hollywood.  Sam finally finds her, but she does not want anything to do with Max.  It had been over twenty years since they last saw each other.  Sam recruits his estranged wife (Kathleen Quinlan) to take the place of Lilliana, and it works.  His wife as Lilliana says she has found another so Max gets soe closure.  Sam does get Max a role as a giant with Steven Seagal.  Pretty fun, and everyone is better for it in the end.  Sam gets back with his wife, and Max reconciles with his parents.  The downer is Max has an inoperable heart condition.