In Theaters ***^ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

In Theaters ***^ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

This is an animated feature.  We are given not only Peter Parker (Chris Pine), Spider Man (who actually dies at the beginning of the movie) but several versions of Spider-Man, including Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who is newly bitten by a radioactive spider and is learning how to be Spider-Man; Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) who is an older version, and comes from a different verse; Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) who is Gwen Stacey but Spider-Woman in her verse; Peni Parker (Kimiko Glen) a Japanese version with a robot; Spider Man Noir (Nicholas Cage); and a porky the pig version (John Mulaney).  These spidermen team up to defeat King Pin (Liev Schrieber), whose manipulations of inter-dimensional technology to bring his family back, may rip apart the universe.  Another twist is that Miles Morales' uncle (Mahershala Ali) works for the King Pin.  There is some great fun and action here, and also confrontation of your fears. 

Movie Review: The Croods (2013)

Nicholas Cage and Emma Stone star in this animated feature.  The Croods are a close family, whose life is protected by the confines of their cave.  However when the cave is destroyed by an earthquake their life is thrown out of balance.  They have to find a new place to be safe, no easy tasks in a world of creatures and earthquakes.
This movie focusing on the importance of family, and making decisions to benefit the group.

Movie Review: **** National Treasure (2004)

National Treasure           

This is a very exciting ride, and it includes enough intellectual history trivia to peak my interest.  This movie features Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) trying to find a great national treasure which was hid by the Masons about the time of the Revolutionary War.  The Gates family has been searching for the treasure for several generations, all with the clue that it has something to do with the Columbia.  And so we see Gage and Poole in the Arctic, where they find an old ship, in which they find what looks like a pipe.  They are double crossed by the financier, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) for their venture and left for dead in the Arctic.  However they make it back  The clues they found in the ship leads them to look at the Declaration of Independence, so they can expose a secret map on the back of the document.  Both groups, Howe and his henchmen, and Gage (Gage to keep it from Howe) decide to steal the document to continue hunting for the treasure.  In doing this, they meet Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) who works for the National Archives.  The stealing of the document is very exciting, and bits both groups against each other.  The FBI is now on their trail, so they turn to their Gage’s father (Jon Voight) for help.  He does not believe in the quest, but he has some old letters they need to.  They find writing on the back, a series of codes, but need more information, so they are off to Philadelphia where they are still pursued by Howe.  They find some glasses to help with the deciphering of the script on the back of the Declaration of Independence, while Howe gets the actual document from them.  Gage is arrested by the FBI, but to get the Declaration he is allowed to meet Howe.

This journey is one good ride.  I especially like the action and they little bits of knowledge which are thrown in as part of the clues they find.  Very fun