Movie Review: *** The Lady in the Van (2015)

 The Lady in the Van has Maggie Smith portraying, Mary or Margaret who is on the run from the law, and goes off grid and parks her van in a driveway, for 15 years.  She lives in the van and takes advantage of the restroom in the home of Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) who is torn between empathy and taking advantage by writing her story.  He is a playwright.  He often does one person shows talking about his mother.  He is wanting to add a new show about the homeless lady.  Jennings actually plays this character twice, the generous man and the take advantage man.  We often see him talking to himself.  Smith does a great job of portraying the cantankerous old lady who lives in the van, and often grumbles.  But then there is Mr. Bennett who actually cares for her.  She has a brother (Jim Broadbent) who visits on occasion.  It isn't until after she has died that we learn why she is living in the van and she has changed her name.  She is actually a pianist who has played with the symphony.   

Movie Review: ****Hook

This is one of my favorite movies.  It is based on a continuing story, after Peter Pan (Robin Williams) has grown up.  He married Wendy's daughter Moira (Caroline Goodall) It starts with Peter Banning neglecting his children because he is too involved in business.  He misses his son's baseball game, and most of his daughter's play.  They travel to England to visit Grandma Wendy (Maggie Smith) and present a special award to the lady who adopted the lost boys.  Somehow Hook (Dustin Hoffman) is not satisfied with the way things have gone, and leaks through to London, where he steals Peter Pan's children.  This sets up a series of events in which Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) must first remind Peter of who he is, teach him how to fly, and restore his confidence.  This will give Hook the satisfaction of battling a worthy opponent.  Peter must rescue his children.  In the meantime, Hook sets out to win Peter's children over to him, so he could take the parental role.  This almost works.  One of the cute scenes is where the pirates are playing baseball, and Jack, Pan's son, (Charlie Korsmo) hits a home run.  Hook says that's my boy, and Pan is left in the dark as his boy is losing his loyalty.  But it is when Pan gets his happy thought that the show reveals its theme.  His happy thought is his children.  That is what makes it so he can fly again.  John Williams wrote the music for the movie, including the theme sone, "When You're All Alone"

When you're all alone
far away from home
there's a gift the angel sent
when you're alone.

Everyday must end
but the night's our friend
angels always send a star
when you're alone.

At night when I'm alone
I lie awake and wonder,
Which of them belongs to me,
which one I wonder?

And any star I choose
watches over me
so I know I'm not alone
when I'm here on my own

Isn't that a wonder?
When you're alone
you're not alone
not really alone.

The stars are all my friends
till the night time ends
so I know I'm not alone
when I'm here on my own

Isn't that a wonder?
When you're alone
you're not alone
not really alone.

Pan's daughter Maggie, (Amber Scott) does a beautiful job with the song.  

Peter Pan starts out shaky in his relationship with the lost boys, but this develops and is one of the highlights of the movie.  Rufio (Dante Basco) plays a great modern rufian.

Movie Review: ****^Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This is a great continuation of the Harry Potter story.  This year Dumbledore is back at Hogwarts, and they have the task to figure out how to kill Voldemort.  Part of this plan is totally unexpected.  Dumbledore, is intent on discovering how they can defeat Dumbledore.  To do this he must review the memories of Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) (prior potions teacher who has agreed to come back to teach) with regards to a conversation with Tom Riddle (Voldemort).  This conversation had to do with Horcruxes, and how you could put your soul into a physical object, and thereby assure your own immortality.  This could be done by murdering someone.  They discover that Voldemort did this several times, and thus there are many Horcruxes around, which must be destroyed.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince:

Draco Malfoy also received a special mission from Voldemort, and Snape is brought into this agreement with a spell he cannot brake, to assist Draco.  Dumbledore and Harry meet regularly to review memories of Voldemort in the pensieve.  Harry Potter does very well in school thanks to a book owned by "The Half Blood Prince" which he has found.  This gives keys to making potions and casting curses.  

Dumbledore and Harry visit a cave, where they feel they will find a Horcrux.  This experience leaves Dumbledore in a weakened state, he had to drink a poison to get to the Horcrux, but they do discover what they think is the Horcrux.  As they get back to Hogwarts, Draco has let death eaters into the school.  He faces Dumbledore, but is not able to kill him, but Snape does kill him.

The last scene is Harry chasing Snape.  He uses a curse from the book, and Snape says, don't use my own curses on me.

I enjoy all the Harry Potter movies.  This movie is no exception.  There is plenty of action.  The movies keep getting a bit darker as we go along, and the murder of Dumbledore was not expected.

Movie Review: ****^Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

This movie is made perfect by the appearance of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) who is the "teacher" of the dark arts.  Actually she is a plant of the ministry who is to keep an eye on Hogwarts, and make sure that news of Voldemort's return is considered to be nothing more than a lie.  Because they are not able to really learn at school, they set up a special class, Dumbledore's Army, and hold class in the room of requirements.  This organization mirrors the Order of the Phoenix, an organization among the adult wizard world which is set up to protect against Voldemort.  In the meantime Hagrid has been among the giants, and shares a half brother who he has brought back with him, and who is living in the wood.  This half brother is a full blood giant, and more wild.  When Umbridge breaks up the gang, and discovers their name, Dumbledore is forced out of the school, but instead of going quietly, he flies off with the help of his phoenix.  However the school is left unprotected, in Umbridge's care.  Voldemort uses an ability to invade Harry's mind, and lets him know that Sirius in danger (this is not true, but a vision put in Harry's brain by Voldemort.)  Umbridge intervenes before they are able to go to the rescue.  She is intent on breaking the group and incriminating Dumbledore.  For this reason Hermione is able to lead her on a wild goose chase, where the giant and the centaurs are able to take care of Umbridge.
The group takes off to the rescue, and find themselves in the ministry, where prophecies are kept.  Voldemort is intent on having the Harry Potter prophesy.  Harry is able to recover this, but as it is a trap, death eaters are waiting for them.  The Order of the Phoenix comes to the rescue, but in the struggle Sirius dies.  Also in the struggle Dumbledore battles Voldemort in the Ministry, and his existence can no longer be denied. 
This movie keeps up the tension of the series.  It is very well done.  It continues the fight of good against evil. 

Movie Review: ****^Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I am seen all the Harry Potter movies, but this is only the second review as I have just gotten done watching this again.  These are movies that you watch over and over.  "The Goblet of Fire" is the fourth in the series.  This is the movie were Voldemort comes back.  I liked this movie because I recognized The Doctor as (David Tennant) as Barty Crouch.  The new teacher for defense of the dark arts is Alastor Moody (Brendan Gleeson).  This is a dual role.  The plot is Voldemort wants to come back from being a glob in which he was left.  However the conditions must be just right.  He plants a spy in the Tri Wizard Cup games with the goal of getting Harry Potter to him, so he can set up those conditions.  Voldemort is evil, as are those who surround him.  Barty Crouch is just bad, and Voldemort has this snake that talks, it is just bad.  Harry has dreams of this evil plot, but doesn't figure out what is happening until it is too late.
Lots of action this version, and lots of relationship strife between our three leads, Harry, Hermione and Ron.   Too many top rank actors to list them all, but this show is a good time, and lead us to further adventures.

Movie Review: *****Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

First we loved the books, then the movies. This movie presents us with an imaginary world inside out regular world.  In this world there are sorcerers and sorceresses, and they live side by side regular folk without the regular folk knowing they are there. 

Harry(Daniel Radcliffe), although he has a destiny in this world, has been raised by his “regular” or “muggle” aunt and uncle.  They have not treated him kindly, spoiling their own boy while making harry live under the stairs.  Into this world is thrust a plethora of letters, inviting Harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft.  His aunt and uncle try to keep him from this fate, even escaping to an island in the sea.  To this island comes Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), on his flying motorcycle.  I love the part where he knocks down the door and then says, “Sorry about that.”  One of my favorite lines from the movie.  Harry is on his way to the witchcraft school, and he learns he has a special place in the witch’s world. 

He is a first year, and put into the house of Gryffindor.  Two friends he met on the train are also placed in this house, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint).  The head of their house is Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith).  The headmaster of Slytherin House is Professor Snape (Alan Rickman).  Snape holds a bit of contempt for Harry, and Harry always misinterprets his intentions.  At school there is a mystery.  Someone let a troll into the house.  It was luck no one was killed.  However Hermione and the others determine someone is looking for the Sorcerer’s Stone, which will make someone immortal.  As they make this discovery, it falls on them to prevent the robbery of the stone.  They have to go through all the charms protecting the stone, following someone who has gone this way before them.  That someone turns out to be the professor of defense against the magical arts, Professor Quirrel (Ian Hart) who has been inhabited by the dark magician who must not be named.  The confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, he who must not be named, is classic.  It is a struggle between good and evil, and this movie is very tense to the end.  Richard Harris portray Professor Albus Dumbledore.