Cruella is the story of Cruella Deville. How did she become so evil with a hate of Dalmatians? This movie answers this question. Emma Stone does a superb job as the woman with black and white hair. However Emma Thompson, who portrays the evil baroness and Cruella's biological mother. In this movie we enter the world of fashion design. Who is the greater fashion genius, the daughter or the mother? Playing supporting rolls are Joel Fry and Paul Hauser as Jasper and Horace, who support Cruella through thick and thin. There is lots of intrigue in this movie and we learn what happens when you design a dress of moths.
Friday, August 27, 2021
Sunday, August 22, 2021
TV Review: *****The Bad Batch
I thoroughly enjoyed Star War: The Bad Batch, as I generally enjoy anything Star Wars. This is a new animated series. The original premise we have about the Bad Batch, is they are just that, clones who were mismade some how. However it has been an advantage to them as they are generally more aggressive and they fight outside the general mode of the other clones, which makes them a more formidable fighter. However, as this series progresses we find that perhaps their differences were not accidental. They seem to each have their own specialty. And then we add a fifth member to the Bad Batch, a young girl. She too has her own special abilities and by the end of the series we begin to figure out what these are.
Conflict is created when one member of the Bad Batch is very intense on following orders, and as such leaves the group and joins the empire. However we are never sure how much the empire actually appreciates him, or are they just using him. All of the episodes from the first season are now available through Disney+.
Friday, August 13, 2021
Movie Review: ****Jungle Cruise
This is a very entertaining movie based on the jungle cruise ride at Disneyland. It stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. Lily Houghton (Blunt) is determined to find a magical petal which will cure all illness. Frank (Johnson) is the captain of the boat she hires to take her up the Amazon to find the petal. Lily is accompanied by her brother (Jack whitehall) and pursued by Prince Joaquim (Jesse Plemons) who wants the petal for the benefit of the Nazis. It makes for some fantastic adventures and peril. The scenery is very well done. And their is an ancient legend with natives guarding the way. I enjoyed myself and especially like the was Blunt and Johnson interact. The humor and puns were very good.
Movie Review: ****^Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker
This review is very late. Only a couple years after the movie do i realize I had neglected to right a review for this movie. I actually watched this in theaters, several time, when it first came out. Over the months, there have been those who have expressed opinion about this episode, the final of the original ning episodes. Many want to trach the final three altogether, while others are the opposite and love them. I would put myself in the group that loves them. I must admit, "The Last Jedi" was a disappointment to me. This movie had to fix so many things--such as Luke Skywalker throwing a light saber over his shoulder. That was just too out of character for me. Anyway, this movie attempts to repair the damage with a different director. It also brings us to Exegol. This is a fitting environment for the last battle. Palpatine has returned, and Rey is his off spring. But Rey is not a Palpatine. The interaction between she and Kylo Ren is very well done. The story comes full circle. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat to the end. Is was fantastic to see a cameo of Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker who had both passed away in previous episodes.
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Music Review: Vivencia: Mi Cuarto
The duo has rhythmic guitar and acoustic guitar and adds harmonic at times.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
TV Review: Dwight in Shining Armor
Dwight in Shining Armor is an offering from BYUTV. It is now in its fifth season and I have enjoyed them all. There is only one episode remaining. The premise is that the Champions Spell has been caste by the courts magician because Greta, the princess, was in deep trouble. The Champions spell puts everyone to sleep, until a champion is found. In this case that took 1000 years, and the champion is a high school student. In this story, two extreme cultures collide. Creatures awake as the spell is fulfilled, and so we find trolls, and dragons and many other creatures and characters in our modern world. It was been a great ride. Sloane Morgan Siegel is the champion, Dwight, Caitlin Carmichael portrays the princess Greta, Joel McCrary is Baldric the court magician and Danielle Bisutti, Hexela, a witch who helps Baldric.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Movie Review: ****Stagecoach (1939)
This is the movie which made John Wayne a star. It was directed by Glen Ford. Andy Devine stars as the stage coach driver. The stage coach is traveling through Apache country and Geronimo is on the war-path. There is additional tension as two "undesirables" have been forced out of town and onto the stage, one an alcoholic doctor who hasn't been able to support himself, and other a woman thought to be of loose character. Lastly Ringo Kid, who has escaped from prison, joins the passengers but is arrested by the sheriff who is riding shot gun. He is intent on traveling to Lordsburg where he hopes to confront the murderers of his parents. My major complaint was how easily the Apache were cut down. I know Geronimo rarely lost many warriors with his style of fighting.
Friday, May 7, 2021
Movie Review: ****Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Winter Soldier is the second Captain America movie. The Winter Soldier is Bucky, Captain Roger's childhood friend. However he was captured by Hydra and turned into a super soldier with a prosthetic super arm. Turns out Hydra had infested SHIELD with some very devious plans based on an algorithm predicting the future of people and eliminating those who are undesirable. Fury is wounded in an assassination attempt because he is onto the infiltration. Lots of great action which leads to the confrontation between Winter Soldier and Captain America. We are introduced to Falcon who helps Captain America. Black Widow also plays a big part. Alexander Pierce is the Hydra leader but also Fury's boss.
Chris Evans is Captain America
Samuel L. Jackson is Nick Fury
Scarlett Johansson is Black Widow
Robert Redford is Alexander Pierce
Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie as Falcon
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Movie Review: ***Tom and Jerry
This movie took me by surprise and I was just laughing on several occasions. This movie combines animation and live action. The antics were just so ridiculous at times you just had to laugh. Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz) plays an assistant hotel manager who is in charge of getting rid of Jerry, a nuisance mouse who is ruining the wedding plans for a couple rich social lights. Tom is recruited to this task. However the rivalry between Tom and Jerry is about to ruin everything. Antics with mice and elephants and Tom cats and bull dog and birds. This is a crazy show.
Friday, April 30, 2021
TV Review: ****Wanda Vision
I was a faithful watcher of WandaVision as the series ran on Disney +. It was very hard to figure out at first, and was very confusing as they went through different decades of television sitcom styles. However the characters are very intriguing with Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda and Paul Bettany as Vision. The sit-con episodes center around them but Vision slowly realizes that things aren't as they seem. The have twins, Billy and Tommy played by Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne, who age very quickly but have their own superpowers. Kathryn Hahn plays Agnes, who plays an important part but unwilling to give the show away won't say more. Teyonah Parris plays Monica Rambeau (a character introduced in Captain Marvel.) Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) also shows up. She is a character from the Thor movies and has expertise on unnatural phenomena, because the town of Westview where everything takes place is very strange and has a protective energy field around it. Rambeau and Lewis are studying this energy. Another interesting additional character is Pietro, Wanda's twin brother who died at the end of Avengers Ultron. However things are not quite right as he is played by Evan Peters, who played a similar character in X-men universe rather than Marvel. With these characters we have the making of a very good time and that is was this series is; a very good time. I really enjoyed myself. It will be interesting to see how these characters play into future Marvel offerings.
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Disney Movie Review: ***Mulan
This movie had a strike against it before I saw it given the political situation in China and Disney given thank you credits to the regime that has ethnic populations in concentration camp. What it had going for it was a plot that was already familiar. Of course, not being animated, somethings had to change, and mostly this is the dropping of the dragons and the ancestors. The other drop was the music.
There were some nice additions. The skill with which people maneuvered on posts and planks was very exciting. They were jumping from building to building and doing all kinds of crazy stuff. The growth of Mulan was also well done.
I prefer the original animated version with music from Donnie Osmond and Lea Salonga.
Yifei Liu stars as Mulan and Donnie Yen as Commander Tung.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: My Reviews
Phase I
Captain America: The First Avenger
Phase II
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Phase III
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Phase IV
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Disney Movie Review: ****Onward
This is a movie that sort of got forgotten with the Covid madness. This is the movie I thought should have won the animated Oscar. I am partial to father and son movies, and this is a father son movie with a twist. The twist is dad is only a bottom half as he is stuck in an incantation to bring him back, but it only works half way. This also makes for a great brother bonding movie, and a mother to the rescue movie. I really liked the story. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt provide the voice for our brothers.
Disney Movie Review: ***Soul
Now since Soul won the Oscar for best animated picture this last weekend, I will put in my two-cents worth. I didn't much care for this film, even though I enjoyed the music. I didn't care for the depiction of the afterlife, and if you don't accept the hullabaloo they've created the movie is not very enjoyable. That is my spot, I have a hard time buying into it and so this movie wasn't my favorite. It stars Jamie Foxx.
Sunday, April 25, 2021
TV Review: *****The Mandalorian
I have really enjoyed the first two seasons of Mandalorian. It was genius on the part of Disney to introduce the little Yoda from the very first episode. I think after that introduction everyone was hooked. And then to bring Ahsoka Tano to the screen in season two. She is so hard core. The return of Luke Skywalker was just the most. I love the Star Wars universe and characters; and this film reintroduced old characters but also brought to the screen new intriguing characters. I wait for the next season and hope Disney politics don't ruin it. Great fun. Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, Gina Carano as Cara Dune, Giancarlo as Moff Gideon (the bad guy) and Rosario Dawson and Ahsoka Tano.
Saturday, April 24, 2021
In Theaters: Movie Review: ****^Raya and the Last Dragon
This is an offering from Disney but has the feel of Japanese Anime. It has a definite Asian flavor with writers from Malaysian and Vietnamese backgrounds. Kellie Marie Tran of Vietnamese descent and Star Wars voices Raya. This movie is very entertaining. The fantasy world Kumandra fascinated me with its dragons and rivers. This is a great family movie and teaches not only perseverance but also trust and loyalty. I would recommend this movie to others. It is playing locally in Kingman as well as available through Disney +
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