Movie Review: **Venom

Venom is a popular Marvel Comic.  Eddie is a hard nose reported, and in doing an interview with Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) industrialist, he uses secret files of his girlfriend (Anne (Michelle Williams).  Eddie (Tom Brock) become enmeshed with the symbiode Venom when he visits the industrial complex of Carlton Drake who has brought to earth three alien creatures, trying to expose him for performing experiments on humans, killing most of them. When Eddie and Venom are combined there is quite a struggle, but over time Venom decides he likes humans.  This leads to and attempt to undo the plans of Drake, and Riot (a symbiode that has combined with Drake.)  They want to bring millions of creatures to earth so they can feed on the population. 
Too much violence for me.  I just can't stand the thought of people getting their heads bitten off and eaten. 

Movie Review: ****^The Greatest Showman (2017)

This is a positive thinking film of the first order.  It shows what happens when you chase a dream, lose sight of the dream, and then regain your focus.  P.T. Barnum is from a poor family, with a big dream and a love of his life who is from a rich family.  How can he support her in the style she deserves.  He comes upon the idea of presenting those who are on the edge of society, a midget, a bearded lady, a tall man, a fat man etc.  His show in New York keeps getting bigger and expanding.  However he loses sight we he tries to be accepting by the aristocratic society, financing a U.S. tour of a European opera star.
P.T. Barnum... Hugh Jackman
His wife Charity Barnum...Michelle Williams
Co M.C. Phillip Carlyle...Zac Efron
Trapeze artist...Zendaya
Opera singer Jenny Lind...Rebecca Ferguson
Bearded woman Lenny Lutz...Keala Settle
Midget Tom Thumb... Sam Humphrey
Young P.T. Barnum...Ellis Rubin
Barnum children Caroline and Helen...Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely
This movie is thoroughly entertaining throughout.  Tony and Miranda are still singing the songs.  The theme of pursuing your dreams is prominent.

Movie Review: *****Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

I love L Frank Baum, and this movie captured his spirit.  It is his spirit and wit that made the Oz series so popular.
Instead of starting with a little girl from Kansas, this movie starts with a con-man magician from Kansas.  He escapes an upset husband of a  woman he had been pursuing.  The pursuer happens to be the strong-man of the carnival.  He escapes in a balloon, which happens to go into a tornado, and he is whisked off to Oz.
The director, like in the ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, has used black and white until this point, and then we enter a colorful world.  This world is  controlled by three governing witches, one good, one bad and one we are not so sure.  However it takes some time to determine which, witch, is which.  (I like that.)

The theme of the show is repeated several times by the wizard, “You can do anything if you believe.”  However the wizard doesn’t really believe this of himself.  It isn’t until faced with an impossible crisis that he actually begins to believe in himself.  When he releases his own skills, slight of hand, creativity, use of the moving camera, etc that he truly begins to become a wizard, although a humbug wizard at that.

This movie has fantastic characters.  James Franco portrays Oz, and Michelle Williams Glinda.  We also meet Theodora (Mila Kunis), who is not yet the evil which she eventually becomes. Evanora (Rachel Weisz) is already evil and deceitful.  Oz surrounds himself with the "China Girl" (Joey King) and Finley (Zach Braff), a flying monkey.  We also meet the munchkins, who can't fight, but are very good singers.  The Tinkers, who can build anything. 

I recommend this movie highly.  I think it is fun.  Sheri and Caleb both had issues with special effects surrounding the China Girl.  I didn't have any problems.  I thought this character was one of the most intriguing, delicate but tough at the same time.  Many characters have dual roles as in "Wonderful Wizard of Oz".