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.  

Movie Review: Batman Begins

This is a very good new beginning to Batman, with a lot of pre Batman explanation. like how he learned his fighting skills.  He actually trains with a group that is against crime, to the point of taking it into their own hands.  Bruce Wayne has a falling out with them, and returns to Gotham with a new goal and sets himself up as Batman.   But the past haunts him. 

Ducard is the person from the past who helped train Bruce Wayne.  Alfred is the butler and Lucius Fox is Bruce Wayne's inside man at Wayne Enterprises.  Rachel Dawes is a district attorney and Bruce Wayne's friend from growing up years.  Jim Gordon is a police officer and becomes Batman's liaison.  And Dr. Jonathan Crane is with the gangs and also working for Ducard and his group.  He is the mask man who uses a toxin to make people hallucinate and thereby he gets them off on insanity pleas.  

The gangs have been smuggling the toxin in for sometime, and putting it in the water supply.  They have stolen a water vaporizer and plan to vaporize the toxin in the air and release the poison toxin into the air.  This will create paranoid people killing each other and Gotham will destroy itself.  Only Batman, and Gordon can turn the tide.  

Batman vs Ducard makes very good conflict.  A cute side bar is the president at Wayne enterprises and Lucius Fox.  When Fox becomes the president he asks the former president, "Didn't you get the memo?"

• 

  Christian Bale

  Bruce Wayne

  /Batman
• 

  Michael Caine

  Alfred
• 

  Liam Neeson

  Ducard
• 

  Katie Holmes

  Rachel Dawes
• 

  Gary Oldman

  Jim Gordon
• 

  Cillian Murphy

  Dr. Jonathan Crane
• 

  Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox  

  
  

Movie Review: ***^Oblivion (2013)

 Tom Cruise stars in this futuristic view of earth after a war with aliens.  Cruise actually portrays several different characters, all named Jack, each cloned form the same base person.  He and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) man an outpost on earth.  The humans apparently won the war, but the aliens, scavengers, are also eft on earth.  

Things turn upside down when Jack is captured by the scavengers, who are not aliens but humans who have been left on a post apocalyptic earth.  They are lead by Beech (Morgan Freeman).  Turns out they are the remnant of the inhabitants of earth.  Jack has been having dreams of a woman, Julia (Olga Kurylenko) his wife from a past life, and turns out that her ship crashes into earth and Jack is able to rescue her. 

Most of earth is off limits, considered a radiation zone.  Beech tells them that if they really want to know what is happening they will find answers in the radiation zone.  This movie has a very serious twist.  I was surprised.  Nothing is as it seems.

Clint Eastwood Movie Review: Unforgiven

 This is an "R" rated movie.  I don't usually watch movies rated "R" but made an exception as this movie won best picture andv and Clint Eastwood won for best director.  Gene Hackman won for best supporting actor.  Eastwood was nominated for best actor.

Two customers at a brothel become upset and cut a whore on the face, scarring her badly.  When the sheriff intervenes he fines the two horses to recompense the proprietor of the brothel.  Nothing for the young woman.  

So the women of the brothel raise some money, and hire some bounty hunters with $1000 award.  So Bill Munny (Eastwood) comes out of retirement at the request of a new bounty hunter, The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Wolvett).  He reluctantly agrees to do so as he is failing as a widowed farmer raising two children.  He in turn recruits his old friend,  Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman).  

Together they ride for Big Whiskey, Wyoming.  Munny takes sick and has a fever and is half conscious of things.  When they get there Munny goes to the bar while the two others head to the whore house.  Sheriff Dagget (Gene Hackman) confronts Munny.  He has heard about the hiring of bounty men by the prostitutes and wants to discourage this.  He beats up Munny.  They hear this upstairs and the two escape out the window.  The catch up with Munny and get him to a barn on the outskirts of town where they, with the help of the prostitutes nurse him back to health.  So next they extract revenge on the men who abused the prostitutes.  However Logan quits on the enterprise and heads back to Kansas where they are from.  Things do not go well for him as he is captured by some of the sheriff's men.  He is beaten severely in an attempt to get him to tell the location of Munny.  When Munny hears of this he goes to town in a sour mood to confront the sheriff.  Things turn out poorly for the sheriff and his minions.

I think the theme of this movie is that sometimes your past catches up with you.  Richard Harris plays a cameo role as English Bob who is also a bounty hunter.  However the sheriff caught him, took his gun, and whipped him before sending him out of town.

Movie Review: ***^An Unfinished Life (2005)

Here is a very good character expose featuring Robert Redford as a grandfather, Morgan Freeman as his cow hand who was mauled by a bear and is now crippled.  Jennifer Lopez shows up, his daughter-in-law (played by Jennifer Lopez) and his grand daughter who he has never met.  Grandfather's son was killed in a motor vehicle accident and grandfather has never forgiven her.  However she is fleeing from an abusive man and lands on his doorstep.  She takes them in while her life gets back in order.  But boyfriend follows.   Not only that but the bear also shows up.  Both situations require some resolution. 

Movie Review: ***^The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

The Christmas Season has begun, and this is my first Christmas movie.  It was entertaining.  Sort of a combination of Nutcracker (with less dancing) and Babes in Toyland.  Clara's (Mackenzie Foy)mother has passed away, and this is their first Christmas without here.  Clara has been especially set back and is hard on her father (Matthew Macfadyen).  Drosselmeyer is played by Morgan Freeman, who as Godfather introduces Clara to a kingdom discovered by her mother.  There she meets the Nutcracker (Jayden Fowara-Knight), who is a guard of a bridge to the kingdom.  This kingdom is torn with four realms.  Clara first visits what appears to be an evil realm, ruled by Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren).  She appears at war with the other kingdoms, especially Sugar Plum (Keira Knightly).  A key is needed to save the kingdom, which fits an expanding machine, and Clara's small ornament.  She is disappointed when she discovers only a music box in her ornamental ball.  However the key also opens the machinery, and Sugar Plum is not who she seems to be.  With the key she begins manufacturing tin soldiers to control the kingdom.  And Clara found the key for her and has only made things worse.
Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum is so sugary it is disgusting.  The music of Tchaikovsky is played in bits through out. 

Movie Review: ***Going In Style (2017)

Going In Style (2017)

What do you do when you are old, and medical and other bills are eating your retirement.  Rob a  bank of course.  And in this case it is the bank that stole your retirement.  This is a remake of a 1979 movie of the same name.  How do three old people rob a bank.  They get the idea when one of them is at the bank during a previous hold up.  The three old gentleman are played by Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin.  There is some funny stuff with old men getting ready to heist a bank.  Christopher Lloyd, and almost senile old man at the senior center.  They together volunteer for senior Center bazaar as an alibi, and the alibis hold.  One uses the restroom—he has a problem and has to go for a long time.  He sneaks out the back side.  Another is singing with Ann-Margaret and makes it look like he doesn’t leave the party they are catering.  The other is helping in a group, of all yellow shirts and is lost in the crowd. 

They wear masks of the Rat-Pack.  Everything hinges though on a witness at the bank.  Morgan Freeman has an anxiety issue, and has difficulty breathing.  A little girl helps him, and sees his distinctive watch.  However, she doesn’t turn him in.  They restore their pension with over $two million from the bank.

If I could condone bank robbing I would give this movie higher marks; but I cannot.

Movie Review: ***Deep Impact (1998)

Deep Impact: Here is a comet hitting the world dooms-day scenario.  There were two similar movies made at the same time.  The other movie they are more successful with diverting the comet heading for Earth than this.  However, a group of astronauts sacrifice themselves in the end to divert the larger comet.  The smaller one hits and the East coast is devastated with a tidal wave.  Tea Leoni stars as Jenny Lerner the reporter on this case.  She is granted a position to be safe in a cave; but declines for a co-worker with a child.  Robert Duvall portrays an astronaut, Spurgeon Tanner, who is the old man and the only with experience landing a craft as he travelled to the moon.  Now he must land on an comet.  Elijah Wood portrays on of the co discoverers of the comet.  He is also granted a place in the shelter, but declines for a girl.  He is able to rescue the girl, and her baby sister on a motor bike.  They reach higher ground.  Lastly Morgan Freeman portrays the President who is dealing with a hopeless situation.Deep Impact: Here is a comet hitting the world dooms-day scenario.  There were two similar movies made at the same time.  The other movie they are more successful with diverting the comet heading for Earth than this.  However, a group of astronauts sacrifice themselves in the end to divert the larger comet.  The smaller one hits and the East coast is devastated with a tidal wave.  Tea Leoni stars as Jenny Lerner the reporter on this case.  She is granted a position to be safe in a cave; but declines for a co-worker with a child.  Robert Duvall portrays an astronaut, Spurgeon Tanner, who is the old man and the only with experience landing a craft as he travelled to the moon.  Now he must land on an comet.  Elijah Wood portrays on of the co discoverers of the comet.  He is also granted a place in the shelter, but declines for a girl.  He is able to rescue the girl, and her baby sister on a motor bike.  They reach higher ground.  Lastly Morgan Freeman portrays the President who is dealing with a hopeless situation.
Entertaining movie but not terrific.

Movie Review: ***Evan Almighty (2007)

In the Almighty movies we have modern day interactions with God.  In this case God is played by Morgan Freeman and a Noah like character, Evan Baxter, is played by Steve Carell.  Baxter is a young congressman.  He is taken in as a co sponsor on a bill to loosen environmental regulations and make it easier to develop land.  The bills sponsor is Congressman Long (John Goodman).  God comes to Baxter, and tells him to build an ark.  Baxter lives in a new subdivision close to Washington, D.C.  The purchase extra lots for the boat, and supplies begin to arrive.  Baxter's wife (Lauren Graham) is terribly confused.  She is even more confused when Baxter starts to look like Noah.  However, Baxter is finally able to convince his family, wife and three boys) to join him in the project.  They reconnect as a result of working on the ark together.
In the meantime things are not going well in congress.  Baxter withdraws his support of the bill.  Long is looking for revenge.  He does this by trying to force baxter out of congress.  He also takes aim at the ark.  He gets an order to have it destroyed.  baxter is convinces a storm is to arrive any moment.  Along with this animals have come and entered the ark.  However the storm doesn't come, except for a downpour which doesn't last very long.  However a dam breaks, and a wall of water washes them away.  All Baxter's neighbors, after chastising him in unbelief quickly enter the ark.  The are saved, and the ark is carried to congress buy the current.
This movie lets us know that miracles are not dead.  There is one last meeting between God and Baxter, which puts a final touch on the movie.

Movie Review: ****Robin Hood (1991)

This movie starts with Robin of Locksley, (Kevin Costner), returning to England after the crusades, grateful to have escaped with his live, and bringing with him a Moorish friend, Azeem (Morgan Freeman), who has a debt to pay to Locksley, and has vowed to save his life in return for his life having been saved.  However England has changed, with the absence of King Richard (Sean Connery).  The Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) is plotting to become king.  He is helped by a witch, who is actually his mother (Geraldine McEwan).  After finding his own lands in ruin, and his father executed, he seeks refuge at the home of Marian Dubois (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who of course greets him poorly.  Robin eventually falls in with the thieves of the forest, and takes them on a mission of revenge against Nottingham.  However he has bit off more than he can chew, and with the Celts as hired mercenaries they are overwhelmed and many taken prisoner and scheduled to be hung.  That is what sets up the doom of the sheriff, as Robin will not let this happen.  Seven men take on his forces, and with the people rising up, win the day.  Great adventure, and terrific scene with Robin and Azeem being catapulted over the wall.  Perhaps the best thing about this movie, is the song sung with the credits, with several lines slipping in during the show:

"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"

Look into my eyes – you will see
What you mean to me.
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more.

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for.
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you.

Look into your heart – you will find
There's nothin' there to hide.
Take me as I am, take my life.
I would give it all, I would sacrifice.

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more
You know it's true:
Everything I do, I do it for you, oh, yeah.

There's no love like your love
And no other could give more love.
There's nowhere unless you're there
All the time, all the way, yeah.

Look into your heart, baby...
Oh, you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more.

Yeah, I would fight for you, I'd lie for you,
Walk the wire for you, yeah, I'd die for you.

You know it's true:
Everything I do, oh, I do it for you.

Movie Review: Ben Hur (2016)

The 2016 version of this story has many things to be liked.  The replay of the Chariot race is again the high light, and it is very intense.  However it lacks the hubs sticking out which rip the spokes of the other racers.  It does have considerable peril.  This movie also lacks the part where Judas Ben Hur saves the Roman consul, so he comes back to Israel not as a Roman citizen, but as an outlaw,  for whom his benefactor makes arrangements for his  release, if he wins the race.
Morgan Freeman places the benefactor, Ilderim, Jack Huston plays Ben-Hur, Toby Kebell his adopted brother and nemesis, Messala, Nazanin Boniadi Ben-Hur's wife, Ayelet Zurer Ben-Hur's mother and Sofia Black D'Elia his sister,
The redemption scene at the end of this movie, I do not remember from the original movie; however it is well done.  After being enemies for so many years, Judah and his adoptive brother make amends, and the go off with Ilderim, along with the rest of the family.  They are going to tour others circuses to  race chariots.

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

Motivational Movie: ***^Invictus

This movie released 2009 and is now on DVD.  I am watching it courtesy of Netflix.  It stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freemon and is directed by Clint Eastwood.  This movie tells of the relationship between Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienarr, Captain of the South African rugby team.  It talks about overcoming odds, and doing better than you can do.  It is a study of what inspires us and motivates us.

I think the best part of the movie was the Invictus poem, written  by William Ernest Henley who had tuberculosis in his leg, and his leg amputated:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The conclusion of the movie, with Nelson giving the Cup to Francois, is a true story, and is considered one of the most inspiring sports scenes to be portrayed on British  television.  That this country was able to pull itself out of apartheid, and then jointly support their team to the World Cup is incredible.  I hope to remember the line, "I am the master of my fate:  I am the captain of my soul."