Disney Movie Review: *****The Lion King 1994

 The Lion King is a fantastic movie and deserves great praise.  This was when aDisney was making good movies and they all seemed to hit.  The Lion King (child Jonathon Taylor Thomas, adult Matthew Broderick) runs away when his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is killed, thinking he will be blamed.  It was actually Scar (Jim Cummings) who killed his father with the help of the hyenas.  Simba meets a couple friends, Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) A meerkat and a warthog.  Simba grows up with these two friends who teach him to not worry about anything.  It is only when he is visited by his childhood love, Nala (child Niketa Calame-Harris, adult Moira Kelly that he is reminded of his responsibilities.  However it is the baboon sage, Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) that the Lion is inspired to return to the Pride Lands and reclaim his kingdom from Scar and the hyenas.

This story has a very good theme--remembering who you are.  I really enjoyed this movie.

Christmas Movie Review: ***^Red One (2024)

 Santa (J.K. Simmons) has been kidnapped.  Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) as head of security is in charge of getting him back.  Zoe (Lucy Liu) head of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority announces what has happened, and provides information to Callum about who hacked their system, Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans).  They go to visit him and he indicates he didn't know what he was hacking, and the buyer was anonymous.  Zoe hires Jack to help with the pursuit and places a tracker on him,  He is working with Callum who is reluctant to take him along.  However using Jack they find Ted (Nick Kroll) an information broker.  He divulges Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), the winter witch as the buyer.  As soon as Gryla's name is pronounced she is able to perceive this and sends snow monsters.  Ted is frozen.  They then travel to the home of Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), Santa's estranged adopted brother.  He is Gryla's ex.  He always thought things should be rougher for those on the naughty list.  Krampus is not involved, but Gryla has borrowed from him the Glaskäfig, which can be used to trap someone naughty.  Santa is in a similar device which zaps his magical power and keeps him unconscious.  Gryla wants to punish anyone who has been on the naughty list.  She tests this on Jack and his estranged son Dylan (Wesley Kimmel).  Being in adjoining Glaskäfig cells they are able to talk.  As they talk they warm up to each other.  The Glaskäfig begins to melt as they are no longer naughty and they are freed.

In tracking Jack's tracker they discover he is at the North Pole.  Santa has been held there the whole time, as have the elves and Mrs. Clause (Bonnie Hunt).  Gryla's sons have been helping her.  The rescue Santa and a big confrontation ensues, in which Santa is able to capture Gryla with the help of the elves.  Then on to save Christmas.

I found this to be an enjoyable Christmas movie but not a classic.  

***The New Mutants (2020)

 I think this is the least enjoyed of the mutant franchise; as manifested by its poor showing at the box office.  The plot is not very much like the other movies in this franchise.  Dani Moonstar wakes up one morning in a locked facility, her hands cuffed to the wall.  Dr. Reyes releases her and then she is introduced to four other residents.  They all have special mutant skills, but all have their own demons.  Rahne is a werewolf type being, Illyana can go across dimension and controls a magical sword and dragon, Sam has super speed and project himself into the air, Roberto can control solar energy, which makes him very, very hot at times.  The skill of Dani is not yet defined.  However after she arrives everyone is having lifelike dreams.  They in fact are real dreams of their worst fear or experience.  Dr. Reyes appears to be the only staff on site.  She too has a power to manipulate energy to make protective fields around herself or others.  She has put such a force field around the school so no one can escape.  

Finally Dr. Reyes gets the order to put Dani down as the decide there is no way to control her power.  this is when all havoc breaks loss.

This movie is much more like a horror movie than an action movie like the other X-Men movie.  And of course the elephant in the room is the first openly gay relationship in an X-Men movie.  This is likely why it did so poorly at the box office; This and bring released during COVID.

	Maisie Williams	...	Rahne Sinclair
	Anya Taylor-Joy	...	Illyana Rasputin
	Charlie Heaton	...	Sam Guthrie
	Alice Braga	...	Dr. Reyes
	Blu Hunt	...	Dani Moonstar
	Henrique Zaga	...	Roberto da Costa (as Henry Zaga)

***Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

 I saw Mufasa at the movie theater.  It goes a long way to explain where Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) came from, and why Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) was persona non grata at the beginning of Lion King.  Mufasa was carried away by a flood, away from his family; and was rescued from the river by flood and some crocodiles by Taka who becomes Scar.  Taka is a lion prince.  However when a different lion pride invades their land, Scar and Mufasa are left to fend for themselves as Taka's parents are killed.  The leader of this new pride, Kiros (Mads Mikkelson) has sworn vengeance on Mufasa who killed his son trying to defend Taka's mother.  They must run, and they meet Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) a stray lioness who is traveling with  Zazu (Preston Nyman), her scout and Rafiki (John Kani) who is leading them to Milele, a supposed place of plenty.  Rafiki wants to go there to meet a long lost brother he saw in a dream.  Mufasa wants to go there as his parent were headed there when the flood came.  However Kiros is still following them.  Sarabi causes and elephant stampede to give them some room from their pursuers.  However in doing so she becomes trapped admist the stamped ad Mufasa rescues her.  Knowing Taka is fond of Sarabi Mufasa gives credit to Taka for the rescue.  However Sarabi sees through this as she has fallen for Mufasa.  Taka is jealous, plots with the pursuers to let them know where they are going.  Consequently when they get to Milele the lions lead by Kiros also arrive.  Our travelers are outnumbered and outwitted.  The animals of Milele rise up with persuading from mufasa and beat back to invading lions.  However Kiros has trapped Mufasa.  Taka realizing his treachery and comes to save Mufasa.  In doind go he is scarred around his eye.  That is how Taka gets a new name.  He is allowed to stay with the pride, but as an outside member.

Not as good as other Disney shows.  This uses computer animation so the animals are more realistic.

Movie Review: ***^X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

 This movie uses the younger X-Men actors putting it chronologically before the original X-Men.  An ancient Egyptian, Apocalypse or En Sabah Nur, has come back to life, who has incredible power which he uses to increase everyone's power, and dong so recruits a good group of X-Men, Magneto, Angel, Storm, Jubilee, Psylocke.  Magneto is easy to recruit because his wife and child were killed by humans.  He is seeking revenge.  In addition they capture Professor Charles Xavier, who is to help them get everyone at the same time, mutant and human.  He is able to send a message to everyone with his powers supplemented by Apocalypse.  

For the other side they are first taken prisoner by Colonel William Stryker.  They have to get away from him, before than can go to Egypt and capture the real bad guy.  They release Wolverine, who was being held for experimentation.  He takes care of all the guards.  

Then they are off to Egypt to confront the real danger.  This sets up a very big confrontation and everyone's loyalties are tested.  Jean finally unleashes her true power.  

Moira shows up as she is investigating the Egyptian phenomena the turned into Apocalypse for the CIA.  Xavier gives her back her memories.

	James McAvoy	...	Professor Charles Xavier
	Michael Fassbender	...	Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
	Jennifer Lawrence	...	Raven / Mystique
	Nicholas Hoult	...	Hank McCoy / Beast
	Oscar Isaac	...	En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse
	Rose Byrne	...	Moira Mactaggert
	Evan Peters	...	Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver
	Josh Helman	...	Col. William Stryker
	Sophie Turner	...	Jean Grey
	Tye Sheridan	...	Scott Summers / Cyclops
	Lucas Till	...	Alex Summers / Havok
	Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
	Ben Hardy	...	Angel
	Alexandra Shipp	...	Ororo Munroe / Storm
	Lana Condor	...	Jubilee
	Olivia Munn	...	Psylocke

Musical Movie Review: *****Wicked (2024)

 Some movies are jest fun to watch, and this is one.  Can we accept things that are different--a woman who is green, animals talking and teaching, a woman who wears a different hat; and what is popularity, and friendship, are the themes of this movie.  You add in the defense of animal rights, a love triangle and a young sister in a wheel chair who wants to stand on her own and you have the makings of a great movie.  The music is superb.  My only complaint is that the story was not concluded but presented only the first act.  We have to wait for the second act.

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba

Ariana Grande as Galinda/Glinda

Jeff Goldblum as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible 

Marissa Bode as Nessarose

Jonathan Bailey as Prince Flyero

Ethan Slater as Boq

Peter Dinklage as Dr. Dillamond (voice)

Movie Review: ****The Wolverine (2013)

During WWII Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)was a prisoner of war in a Japanese prison camp near Nagasaki.  We see the atomic blast, and wolverine saves a Japanese guard, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi) using his mutant powers.

Some years later, Yukio (Rila Fukushima) catches up with him in the back country where he has been living since killing Jean, and convinces him to see Yashida one last time as he is dying and wants to say goodbye.  But more is going on.  Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) has poisoned Wolverine and he is losing his powers; his regeneration is slower and wounds are not healing as they should.  Yashida passes away shortly after after the say their goodbyes.  But not before he confides to Logan/Wolverine that people are trying to kill his granddaughter, Mariko (Tao Okamoto) and when they make the attempt Wolverine intervenes.  However with his diminished ability.  

In this show we get a view at Japanese culture and customs.  I didn't know it was a bad omen to leave the chopsticks sticking up.  This movie leads to a very tense conclusion.