In Theaters: **** Moana (2026)

 Of all the disnay remakes, this movie most closely reflects the original animated version.  The story is pretty much exact but we now have live characters with the obvious exceptions.  Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.  Many years ago Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole the heart to give to people so they would have the power of creation.  However instead of being a good thing, with out her heart Te Fiti is unable to bless the people and everything is starting to rot, which spreads further and further each year.  Moana lives on an island, and is expected to stay there and serve the people.  Her father, Chief Tui (John Tui) and his wife Sina (Frankie Adams).  Even though she is told to stay, Moana always feels pulled by the ocean.  Her grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) encourages her in this.  When things get worse on the island, she finally gets the courage to go on her journey, to seek out Maui and restore the heart.  I really enjoyed this show, as did all those who went with us.  Where it was the same story as the animated feature, Tony stayed home.

Movie Review: ***^ A Beautiful Mind (2001)

 Russel Crowe stars as John Nash, a mathematical genius who developed a genius idea about economics when he was in school.  He also suffers from a mental illness.  The journey is very intense.  He has to learn how to distinguish what is delusion or hallucination vs what is real; and then ignore the hallucination.  He says he chooses not to acknowledge them even though he still sees them.  John Nash received a Nobel Prize for economics and this movie portrays this and how he overcame his mental illness.  In addition to Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly plays his wife, Christopher Plummer plays the psychiatrist, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany and Vivien Cardone all play hallucinations. School companions include Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas and Anthony Rapp.  This is a film directed by Ron Howard.  He likes to direct movies based on true stories. 

 

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: ***^ Jamaican Inn (1939)

 This is the las Hitchcock film in which Hitchcock himself did not have a cameo role.  Mary Yellen (Maureen O'Hara) travels to live with her aunt after her mother's death.  She is left at the home of the local squire, justice of the peace, Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton).  The next day she walks to her aunts, Patience Merlyn (Marie Ney) home, and is not so warmly welcomed by her uncle, Josh Merlyn (Leslie Banks).  It doesn't take her long to figure that something is not right.  She discovers her uncle is the leader of a band of cutthroats who are causing shipping accidents and then stealing the goods.  They attempt to hang a member of their company, Robert Newton (Jem Trehearne).  They try to hang him and Yellen is successful in cutting the rope.  She and Newton make their way to Pengallan for protection.  Pengallan in truth is the leader of the gang, telling them what ships to attack based on information he gleams from his rich friends.  Pengallan goes along with Newton, who is a spy sent to stop the murder and theft of crewmen on the ships they have been sabotaging.  The group is doing another job, with Yellen captured and forced to go with.  They turn out the light warning of rocks, but while they are distracted, Yellen is able to restor the light and the ship escapes.  Everything goes to pot, with the men turning on Banks.  Banks and Yellen escape with Banks being shot.  When they get back to the Inn he dies, and Pangallan shooting his wife before she can divulge that Pengallan is the crime boss.  Pengallan leaves with Yellen, on their way to America.  He has an attraction to her.  Newton also has an attraction and follows with a group of officers.  They track him to the boat, where he jumps from a mast causing his own demise.

Lots of action and good acting.  Maurene O'Hara's firt major roll.  Alfred Hitchcock directs based on a book by Daphne Du Maurier.  Jamaican Inn is a real place in Cornwall, England and had problems with marauders.

In Theaters Movie Musical Review: ****^ Hadestown (2026)

 A telling of the Orpheus/Eurydice (Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada) love story.  I should have known things would not turn out happy.  Hermes (André De Shields) the narrator kept sing "it's a sad song."  The story also recounts the love of Hades and Persephone (Patrick Page and Amber Gray).  Hades had a boot on his leg and determined this was not part of the character but an actor playing the part with an injury.  Hades has a very deep voice, and Orpheus is a high tenor.  I really like his song, which he must sing to win his love's release.  I did not like the ending, but it was sealed by the fates make this a true Greek Romance.  So we start the story again hoping for a better ending.  The music is haunting and very effective.  Hades, Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice and Persephone are all very strong musically. 

Only in theaters for a week, but I highly recommend this movie.  This is an on stage production.  The floor of the stage plays several different tricks to facilitate traveling.  It goes around and up and down.  

Movie Review: I Am Legend

 An apocalyptic New York with Doctor Robert Neville (Will Smith) trying to find a cure for a devastating virus that has killed most of the people, left others as man eating zombies and as far as he knows he is the only one with immunity.  He does have a dog, and mannequins he communicates with. We assume his wife and daughter (Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Willow Smith) do not get away, because in a flash back it appears they die in a helicopter crash. 

He keeps looking for a cure, and captures a zombie for a human test.  He feels he has failed in his studies, but the zombie does not die.

The zombies are allergic to sun light, so he is able to travel during the day at will, but at night it is zombie time.  Zombies have sharp teeth and big mouths, and are very gruesome.  His dog travels with him, but becomes infected when saving Neville from rabid dogs.  The dog becomes infected and he has to put him down.  Very emotional scene.  Turns out he wants to die and take as many zombies with him as he can.  However he is saved.  There is a woman, Anna (Alice Braga) and her son, Ethan (Charlie Tahan) who likewise are not infected, who save him.  They get him to his compound, but the zombies now know where he lives.  They attack with a vengeance, and they retreat to the basement, his lab.  The zombie he had experimented on is still breathing in the lab, and it looks like she has been cured.  Can the cure be given to people, or will the zombies kill everyone?  

Tom Clancy in the Movies

 ****^ The Hunt for Red October 1990. Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan and Sean Connery as Russian submarine commander

***^ Patriot Games 1992.  Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, saves British Royal, rated R for language and violence.

****^ Clear and Present Danger   1994. Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan

**** The Sum of all Fears 2002.  Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan

**** Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 2014, Chris Pine as Jack Ryan

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski (2018-2023)

Jack Ryan Ghost War (2026) with John Krasinski 

Tom Clancy/ Harrison Ford Movie Review: ****^ Clear and Present Danger (1994)

The president's (Donald Moffat) friend is killed in the Caribbean.  And the president wants to seek revenge.  He indirectly orders forces to Columbia.  In this movie the head of the CIA (James Earl Jones) is diagnosed with cancer.  Consequently Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) is shoved more into the spotlight.  The president wrangles him to go to Columbia.  They have discovered accounts in the name of the president's deceased friend where he was laundering drug money.  The Columbian drug lord is Ernesto Escobedo (Miguel Sandoval) and his henchman is Felix Cortez (Joaquim de Almeida).  Clark (Willem Dafoe) is tasked with putting together a team to go to Columbia.  These men are good at their job and cause Escobedo some headaches.  James Cutter (Harris Yulin) as security advisor and Robert Ritter (Henry Czerny) as his underling put the program together.  The even direct a plane dropping a bomb on a meeting of cartel leaders.  

Eventually Ryan, as the deputy director of the CIA, figures out what is happening.  Part of this is that a secretary (Ann Magnuson) of the US. government has inadvertently been feeding information to Cortez.  Cortez kills her.  Ryan's wife (Anne Archer) notices that her death coincides with other happenings, and they realize it is tied with the Columbian issue.  Cortez is tracked and a conversation intercepted he has with Cutter.  The President, Cutter and Ritter kill the programs with no extraction.  Ryan decides to go down to Columbia and get the U.S. service men out if he can.  He and Clark are to the rescue.  

Netflix Movie Review: ***^ Enola Holmes 3 (2026)

 I have loved the Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) movies, and the third movie does not disappoint.  However in this movie we have a couple kidnappings, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Lord Tewkesbury's (Louis Partridge) mother (Hattie Morahan).  Enola's mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) provides support, as does Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel).  Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) is back and more evil than ever as they look for the gold stolen by Lord Tewkesbury's father many years ago.  This is over the top of the Tewkesbury/Holmes wedding.  This is a fun movie with lots of intrigue.

In Theaters: ***^ Supergirl (2026)

 There is lots to say about Super Girl in the media, most of it bad, (based on what Milly Alcock said rather than the show) but the movie is really pretty good.  There is the underlining theme of men vs women and they talk of why Clark Kent is Superman and Kara is Supergirl.  Supergirl (Milly Alcock) is having some kind of life crisis; and goes to a world where there is no yellow sun, so her powers are inert.  Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and his villains steal Kara's space ship.  They also poison Super Dog and Supergirl has only three days to get the antidote from Krem.  Kara is in pursuit on public transportation with Ruthye (Eve Ridley) tagging along as she wants to kill Krem for killing her parents and brother.  The public transportation ship is robbed, and only after the kick Supergirl off the ship does she get close enough for her powers to be restored.  They then chase the bad guys.  Lobo (Jason Mamoa), a bounty hunter, is also in pursuit of Krem and his men.  This leads to a big confrontation.  There are also several smaller confrontations on the way.  Krem's business is stealing women and selling them for breeding.  Supergirl has to rescue the women several times.  Supergirl convinces Ruthye not to kill Krem when she has the chance.  She worries it will ruin her spirit.  After her adventures she returns to Earth to settle down and visits Superman ((David Corenswet) with her dog.  

Movie Review: ***^ The Fifth Element (1997)

 Bruce Willis as Korbin and Milla Jovovich as Leelo/The Fifth Element form a relationship when she falls into his cab.  Turns out he is more than a cab driver but is ex-military taking a break from that life.  To save the world the Fifth Element, with two special stones need to be in the temple before the evil destroys them.  I did not much care for the futuristic world that is presented in this movie.  Everyone seems to be hyper-sexualized.  Zorg (Gary Oldman) is helping the dark power.  Cornelius (Ian Holm) is the priest at the temple and knows somewhat of what is gong on.  Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) is a radio personality who adds some humor.  The concept of the movie is good but I do not much care for the universe that has been created.  

In Theaters: *** Masters of the Universe (2026)

 This movie really didn't hit it for me, but Skeletor (Jared Leto) is a really bad guy.  He takes over the kingdom imprisoning the king (James Purefoy) and queen (Charlotte Riley) while their son, Adam/He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) who goes with the sword of power to earth, but loses the sword.  He has great difficulty in getting back.  He first has to find the sword.  After he does, in addition to a monster to get the sword, Teela (Camila Mendes) also comes to save him.  Her father Duncan (Idris Elba) had been captain of the guards, and has become alcoholic after failing to protect the king.  Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) and Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson) are Skeletor's side kicks; while Ram Man (Jon Xue Zhang) and Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson).  There seems no great theme to this movie other than good vs evil.  If you like fighting you may enjoy this show.  I took Jeremy's boys and they seemed to enjoy it.  

Movie Review: ****^The Hunt for Red October (1990)

This is early in the career of Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin).  He is pulled into a case because of his knowledge of Russian Captain Ramius (Sean Connery).  A year after the death of his wife, Ramius plans to defect to America, with a new submarine that does not make noise.  Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones) is retired Navy and CIA director and Ryan's boss.  Most of the officers aboard the Red October, Ramius' submarine are in on the plot.  The crew is not.  Captain Borodin (S
am Neill) supports him and wants to visit America.  They have to get the crew off, and convince them the Red October has been destroyed so the Americans can take the ship and study it.  The medical officer on the ship is Dr. Petrov (Tim Curry).  Admiral Painter (Fred Thompson) is the commander aboard an aircraft carrier Ryan sees on his way to get to the submarine tracking the Red October captained by Bart Mancuso (Scott Glen).  They are able make contact through periscopes, and then actually visit.  There is a problem in a saboteur aboard the Red October.

Lots of good excitement and intrigue as Ramius tries to defect without someone killing him; either American or Russian.

In Theaters: ****^Toy Story 5 (2026)

 This is a very cute show with Bonnie having difficulty meeting new friends.  And the toys struggling with technology taking the place of toys; and as a result children making a different kind of friend.  Who you meet online is not always a good friend but could just be superficial, or even harmful.  Cyber bullying is a theme of this film, and how to deal with it.  And so the toy's mission is to help Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) make a friend.  There are some cute aspects.  We have a lot of Buzz Lightyear's who even upgrade so they actually can fly.  And Woody is back with a bald dome.  The imaginative weddings are fun.  

Jessie (Joan Cusack) has a much bigger roll in this movie.  It is she who takes the lead in finding a good friend for Jessie.  Lilypad (Greta Lee) represents technology, and what is wrong in the world.  But even she improves over time.  Of course Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) play their dependable selves.  It is difficult to find a good friend for Bonnie.  She is very shy.  She finally does meet Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris).  Turns out they have some common interests. 

This is a delightful movie.  Sheri and I have both seen it twice and it was fun each time.  Fun cameo by Conan O'Brien as Smarty Pants, tech to help with potty training.  

Movie Review: **** The Sum of all Fears (2002)

 This is a very good Tom Clancy movie.  In the time line it happens towards the early part of Jack Ryan's (Ben Affleck) career.  He does not prevent the nuclear explosion, but deals with the aftermath, an preventing a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia.  The CIA director is Morgan Freeman, who is killed in the nuclear blast.  The president is played by James Cromwell.  General Lasseter (John Beasley) supports retaliatory attacks against Russia.  Jack Ryan wants to verify first.  That verification leads to the discovery the uranium was U.S. produced, not Russian.  He concludes a third part is playing them pushing a U.S.-Russian war.  Ryan is locked out of communications with the president, but comes up with an ingenious move to get the information through--by talking to Russian premier Nemerov (Ciarán Hinds).  He knows the president will be listening in.  In this way war is averted.

Likes of tense excitement and a fun movie.  

In Theaters: ****^ Disclosure Day (2026)

 I listened to a radio program where the speaker said he was disappointed with this movie, but I really liked it.  They were especially talking about the ending, which seemed sort of short.  I can understand.  It seems there was a long communication which came out as one word, "Listen."  But that final day was very traumatic.  This movie reminded me of "Close Encounter of the Third Kind."

The movie pits people picked by the aliens, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) and Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) and Hugo (Colman Domingo).  They are trying to divulge information the gobernement has been hiding about aliens being real.  One the other side is the Wardex organization headed by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth).  He has many resources and many men working with him.  He is also able to inhabit others, using allien technology.  He does this to Kellner's girl friend, Jane (Eve Hewson) and convinces her to kill Kellner.  She however resists his control by stabbing herself in the hand instead.  There is lots of intent actions and quirky things about alien history, Roswell and other crash sites, and crop circles.  In the end there is an alien who appears.  They make a nice use of animals, who sometimes are aliens appearing as animals so we aren't scared of them.

I would recommend this movie.  It is a Steven Spielberg sci fi movie.  

In Theaters: ***** Young Washington (2016)

 This is an excellent movie.  I just got home from the theater.  George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) should have been killed in the battles with the french and Indians outside of Fort Duquesne.  The movie presents two battles in the area.  The first Washington was a colonel of volunteers, rising in rank rather quickly.  However they were overrun by the french and Indians, and Washington signed a surrender in which he took blame for the death of a French officer.  The second he was an adjutant as he had resigned his commission after the first battle.  However when things started going awry again, it was he who, although he was sick, rode forwarded and rescued many men and extracted a small victory from defeat.  This is when he should have been killed.  Native Americans fired at him but say he was protected so the could not hit him.  Washington returned a third time with a larger force.  The French abandoned Fort Duquesne after the Indians had a abandoned them.  They burned the fort and left.  

Several interesting things happen before this.  The movie starts with the death of Washington's father.  Where he had no father they would not let him attend school.  So his brother, Lawerence (John Foss) educated him (boy Washington played by Will Joseph).  Joseph has high ambitions.  He throws himself towards a young woman, Sally Cary ((Mia Rodgers).  However she ends up with a British aristocrat of the Fairfax family.  However it is Lord Fairfax (Kelsey Grammar) who gives Washington a job as a surveyor.  It is during this job that he observes a French fort, Fort Duquesne, in land claimed by Virginia.  This leads him to report to the governor (Ben Kingsley) and he is given his commission as a captain of volunteers.  In his adventures he recruits his friend, Chris (Leo Hanna).  He is with him on the surveying trip and in his first commission.  However he is killed.  This partly leads to Washington's resigning. 

Very moving look at our founding and I highly recommend this movie.