In Theaters: ***^ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

 This is a movie more enjoyable to kids than adults.  It is very much like playing the game, at least in terms of the music and some of the graphics.  However it does add a plot.  Rosalina, Prince of the Star land (Brie Larsen) is captured by Bowser's son (Benny Safdie).  His goal is to free his father so they can rule the universe together.  She appeals to her long forgotten younger sister, Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy for help, and she turns to Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day).  They want to use Rosalina's star power to power their doomsday weapon.  This movie is about sisterly love, as well as brotherly love.  And finally father an son love.  However it is when Bowser (Jack Black) realizes his circle includes his friends too that things begin to change.

At the Movies: ****^ Mercy (2026)

 This movie takes on AI.  It is placed in 2029 Los Angeles.  Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) is confined to a chair when the movie begins, and he is charged with murdering his wife (Annabelle Wallace).  Raven is a police officer with L.A.  He was instrumental in gaining the first conviction through a system called Mercy.  He is given 90 minutes to prove his innocence or be executed.  Apparently the contraption he is connected to can do that immediately.  Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) is the face of the AI system which has accused Raven of murder, with 98 percent certainty he is guilty of murder.  Everything points to him being the only person in the house, and they have access to cell phone and camera information.  He also has his police partner (Kali Reis).  Together they begin to unravel a plot.  That plot gets more and more complicated, and results in the kidnapping of his daughter (Kylie Rogers).  The plot involves the brother (Chris Sullivan) of that first person executed by Mercy.

This movie is very entertaining.  It is different than any movie I have ever seen in that Raven is in a chair, but able to interact with people far away in the field.  This includes asking many questions of different people.  Even the judge begins to glitch as the guilty percentage slowly goes down.

Movie Review: ***^The Electric State (2025)

This is a made for Netflix movie.  The Electric State is about a war between humans and robots.  Robots initially helped an, but eventually they wanted their own lives, which resulted in a war for freedom.  However the humans won the war and established a world without robots; but with helmeted devices where people control drones of themselves.  It has become illegal to have a robot.  However, one shows up at the home of Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) a student.  Cosmo (voice Alan Tudyk) explains that he is a drone controlled by Millie's brother, Christopher (Woody Norman) and he needs Michelle to save him.  Michelle has for years thought her brother dead in a car accident.  

So begins a trek to find her brother.  He is in the offices to Neurocaster with CEO Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci).  Neurocaster developed the technology to win the war by being able to make drones dependent on people, sort of like VDR headsets.  By developing this technology, people were saved during the war with computers so the computers sued for peace.  They were banished to the world outside the populated areas. The Neurocaster technology is not working as well with Cosmo gone. It is very difficult to get to the Neurocaster site.  Stake hires Colonel Bradbury AKA the Marshall to bring the drone traveling with Michelle back to the company.  He is a bounty hunter policing for computers who do not stay in their own area.   

Michelle and Cosmo are joined on their trek by a couple of black market runners, Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot, Herman (voice Anthony Mackie).  Herman is a robot that can change sizes.  Of course he is illegal being in the human areas.  The make it to a community of robots in the outlying district.  There they meet the scientist, Dr. Amherst (Ke Huy Quon).  He has left the Neurocaster company but was significant in telling Michelle his brother had died.  He also built Cosmo for Christopher.  He explains that the found Christopher in a vegetative state.  However Christopher was a genius so they were able to use him to develop the technology to build the Neurocaster system where people could control a drone through their headset.  

Lots of adventure.  Bradbury and those who work with him finally attack the computer city ruining everything.  However the computers put themselves back together and decide to go after the Neurocaster base.  At the same time Michelle wants to talk to her brother.  There is a difficult decision coming as all the Neurocaster technology runs through Christopher.  

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.  

In Theaters: ***^Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Lego Movie 2: The Sequel  When siblings have spats the consequences can create a ripple effect.  That is what happens here, and everything is not awesome all of the time.  They take off from the “Everything is awesome” song with this added lyrics:

Everything's not awesome
But that doesn't mean that it's hopeless and bleak
Everything's not awesome
But in my heart, I believe (I believe)

[Bridge]
We can make things better if we stick together (If we stick together)
Side by side, you and I, we will build it together (Yeah, we'll be together)
Build it together (Together forever)
All together now

Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks voice the main characters. 

Movie Review: ****Guardians of the Galaxy Volumn 2 (2017)

Again our heroes team up to save the galaxy, this time from the father of Peter (Chris Pratt), Ego (Kurt Russell).  This movie has all our old beloved characters, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) the blue humanoid, Drax (Dave Bautista), the tattooed guardian, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper)  the raccoon looking creature and Groot (voiced by Van Diesel).  In addition to Ego, we have two other new characters, an empath named Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Gamora's sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan).  First our heroes are saved by Ego, and then betrayed by him, as he is hoping to use Peter to help him reshape the universe, destroying all life except himself and his son.  Seems pretty demented.  However, since Ego is an immortal, it makes his defeat pretty complicated.  Yondu (Michael Rooker) the individual who kidnapped Peter when he was young, and emotional abused him,  also plays an important part, that enables Peter to come to terms with his past, and understand what happened.  The two sisters finally come to an understanding, after trying to kill each other most of their lives.  Some of the funniest moments happen when the empath interprets the emotions of the others.
The think that makes this movie is the relationships between the characters.  there is platonic love, admiration, friendship and camaraderie.   In theaters now and good for a fun adventure.

Movie Review: ***^Passengers (2016)

This movie has a fascinating premise, you are woken 89 years before your arrival on a ship where you are suppose to hibernate for 90 years on your way to a colony.  The ship is on autopilot, and suppose to regulate itself.  However, a large asteroid causes a miss function, and one of the hibernating pods frees the passenger.  The only other beings on the ship are robots, cleaning, medical, and a bar tender (Michael Sheen).  SO the dilemma is created when our passenger (Chris Pratt) spies a woman in her functioning pod, who fascinates him.  He begins to study her, listens to her video blog.  She is a writer, and intends to write stories no one has written before.  He studies her (Jennifer Lawrence) and also the functioning of the ship.  He discovers that he could also cause a malfunction in her pod, and awaken her; but should he.  Of course in the end he does, and then there are two alive.  He however is carrying a very big secret.  Another crew member is also awoken, (Laurence Fishburn), however in his case, there are also physical health problems from the process.  However, he knows enough to know that something is wrong with the ship, and it is getting worse.  I really enjoyed this movie.  It is a romance in space, and an Adam and Eve type scenario.  Very fun.

Movie Review: ***^Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

This movie is really very fun.  Each of the characters has his own back story.  Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) was kidnapped just from earth after his mother passed away.  He was raised by smugglers and thieves. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) was orphaned.  She is green, and was raised by Ronan (Lee Pace), the psychopathic killer, and served him as an assassin.  Rocket, (Bradley Cooper) the talking raccoon came about because of illegal experimentation and manipulation.  Of course this manipulation was painful and left considerable scarring. Groot (Vin Diesel) is Rocket's partner.  He is a walking tree.  We really don't learn much of his background; but he is unique.  These four have a chance meeting which leads to their arrest and imprisonment.  Quill discovers an orb, which is high desired for its powers.  Gamora is sent to kill Quill and get the orb.  Rocket and Groot recognize Quill as someone with a bounty on his head, and they want to collect.
In prison they meet Drax (Dave Bautista) whose desire in life is to revenge the murders of his wife and daughter at the hands of Ronan.  He first takes his vengeance on Gamora, but is convinced Gamora may be used as bait to attract Ronan.  become a team, and work at breaking out together.  They even recover the orb, and Quill's cassette tape of Earth songs.  However Ronan is after them.
They get to the buyer who is going to make them rich, but Ronan intercepts the orb, and leaves them mangled and disheartened.  Ronan is set to use the orb to cause mass destruction.  The team find their better, heroic natures, and are after Ronan to keep him from destroying the world. 

Movie Review: ***^The Lego Movie

  This movie has many parallels, parallel universes with different types of Lego worlds, such as Western, under water, in the clouds, Star Wars etc.  And in the end a parallel between the Legos and the humans playing with them.  There has been much talk about this being an anti corporation movie, but I didn't see it.  It is more a movie of finding what your niche is, and then doing the best you can in that niche, even if the niche is being normal, regular.  With regards to the double theme presented by the father and his son; and Emmet versus Lord Business the father is gluing his Lego set together so his son can’t mess it up; but in the end he changes, he repents and invites son to play, and his daughter.  In the same manner Lord Business wants to glue everything so it is in the perfect position.  He also changes, when he realizes people can like him for who he is.  There is another theme I find in the movie.  Sometimes we can be lolled into complacency, letting others take our rights away in the name of change and making things better, until it is too late, we have be rocked to sleep until the day when it is too late.  In the movie this was done by manuals, songs and control of the media. 

However the song is fun: Everything is awesome
Everything is cool when you're part of a team
Everything is awesome, when we're living our dream

Tony and I came home from the movie singing the first two lines of the song.  Tony gives the movie a big thumbs up by the way.  I had a hard time dealing with everyone and everything looking like a Lego.

Emmet voiced by Chris Pratt

Lord Business and father by Will Ferrell

Wyldestyle by Elizabeth Banks

Vitruvius by Morgan Freeman

Bad Cop/ Good Cop by Liam Neeson