In Theaters: ***** The Sheep Detectives (2026)

The Sheep Detectives is an excellent movie.  I wanted to clap and the end and did a little, but others did not.

How they can make the sheep work with humans, especially since the sheep only talk to themselves and not with people.  But in this case they are the brains as well.

George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) loves his sheep.  He would not think of butchering them, but just sells their wool.  However he has leased some land to his neighbor, Caleb Merrow (Tosin Cole) who does butcher his sheep.  Needless to say, Hardy does not like him.  Hardy also does not like the butcher, Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill).  Hardy reads to his sheep; detective stories which they very much like, and the most clever of them, Lilly (Julia Luis Dreyfuss) seems to be able to solve the mysteries before Hardy reads the end.  

There are two newcomers in town.  One is the daughter of Hardy, who he has not seen for many years as she was adopted, Rebecca (Molly Gordon).  Hardy has been seeking reunification with her and to introduce her to his sheep.  She was adopted and the local priest, Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith).   The other is a reporter in town to cover a cultural event which is put together by Beth Pennock (Hong Chau).  It is pretty lame.  She has feelings for Hardy, and steals a letter to her.  

One morning Darby does not feed the sheep like usual, nor give them his medication.  The sheep find him dead.  Merrow bad been trying to get him to sell his sheep.  He discovers the body.  Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) takes over the investigation.  He is not very bright and concludes it is a heart attack.  

Other sheep who play in the story are Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) who is a mysterious ram who worked in a carnival fighting in a ring against dogs and was rescued by Hardy; the winter lamb (Tommy Birchall) who is ostracized being born at the wrong time of the year; Sir Ritchfield (Patrick Stewart) who is always regal; Mopple (Chris O'Dowd) who helps with the investigation, and accidentally gets his face covered with a cloth and knocks things over in the house during the reading of the will

Lastly also new in town is Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), the lawyer for Hardy and there to read the will.  The will leaves most everything to Rebecca and she becomes the primary suspect.  It also divulges there is another brother in South Africa.  Harbottle talks to him on the phone.  

This movie is very fun with sheep doing crazy sheep things, and their coaching Derry with the investigation.  

Movie Review: **Logan (2017)

X-Men series

Logan  I like this movie for the advancement of the story.  I hate it for the salacious violence and language.  Again this is a future look at X-Men; particularly Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).  Xavier has a bad seizure disorder, which effects those around him.  Caliban (Stephen Marchant) has been helping them.  He has an ability to track others but is susceptible to light.  Apparently many of the others have passed away, except for a new generation of young mutants who have escaped a facility in Mexico.  Logan is brought into the fray by Laura (Dafne Keen), his genetic daughter.  When they are confronted by Pierce (Boyd Holbrock) who has been contracted to bring the girl back, we end with a trio, Laura, Xavier and Wolverine, on the road trying to find the safe house for the mutants in the north.  The story line to this movie is really good.  I have watched the tv edited version.  Even with this the movie is too violent and (even though dubbed out on tv) there is too much bad language for me to recommend this movie. 

In Theaters: ***The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

**^The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)  Most of this movie was pretty likable; but nothing to write home about.  In other words, pretty mediocreThis is a child centered, middle school age, movie with a school defending the world against evil demons from the King Arthur era, who are coming back due to general apathy in the world.  This movie has not been very well received but it is passable.  The strange thing about it are weird hand motions Merlin makes which helps him perform magic.  Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) is the evil witch, dragon, and is perhaps over the top as well.  She lives in the roots, and uses plants and roots to spy and trap people.  Classic battle, demons versus students at the end.  Patrick Stewart portrays the adult Merlin. 

Movie Review: ****X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men series

This movie is cool and in the same genre as the others; but I think it is a bit over the top.  They bring Jean (Famke Janssen) back form the dead, but she has no control over her powers, and her inability to control turns into a power that can take atoms apart, and basically destroy everything. She accidentally kills her boy friend Cyclops (James Marsden),  Dr. Xavier (Patrick Stewart) tries to keep her in an induced coma, while she heals, but Wolcerine (Hugh Jackman) feels they are imprisoning her and lets her out.  Then all trouble breaks lose.  Xavier becomes a victim of the atom thing and is killed. 
A sub plot is the development of an antidote for the X-men phenomena.  All who want to  be cured of being X-men just need to ask.  This becomes a recruitment tool for Magneto.  Beast (Kelsey Grammar) plays a big part, both as a politician and an X-man.  Storm (Halle Berry) takes over Dr. Xavier's school.  Thus the big battle between X-men under Magneto (Ian McKellen, and those who follow Dr. Xavier. It is fought in San Francisco. 
The last battle is a bit intense.  It is about even until Jean/Phoenix starts dissolving everything.  Then only Wolverine can save the day.
Something I don't understand.  How is Dr Xavier in future movies if his atoms have been scattered all over the place.   Maybe someone can explain.

Movie Review: X2 X-Men United (2003)

X-Men series

This is a movie with lots of excitement.  The part about Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) looking for his roots, and finding everything abandoned and destroyed at Lake Alkali was sort of not congruent with the action and was a bit lost.  But he comes back just in time to protect the children at the school from a governmental incursion by our evil enemy, William Stryker (Brian Cox) (who wants all mutants dead) and is actually the creator of Wolverine.  This movie makes good use of Magneto (Ian McKellan) and his side kick shape shifter Mystique (Rebecca Romijn).  Mystique helps Magneto escape by giving one of his guards an injection of iron; which Magneto uses to make bullets and a metal platform on which he can float. It also tells us more about the powers of Dr. Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his machine Cerebro.  However, in the wrong hands, and with the wrong manipulation this machine can become one of great power, capable of killing.  The school is attacked by Stryker's government men, and most of the students escape, but six are taken hostage.  Cyclops (James Marsden) is taken captive with Dr. Xavier.  Stryker has a drug with which he uses to manipulate people.  He used it on Magneto to get information about the school and Cerebro.  He also uses this on Cyclops to make him an enemy to the X-men.  This movie is about team work, and some members sacrificing and protecting others. Wolverine ends up leading the escapees with Storm (Halle Berry) and Jean (Famke Janssen).  They not only have to keep the children safe, but also rescue Cyclops and Dr. Xavier.  This takes teaming up with Magneto and Mystique.

Movie Review: ****X-Men (2000)

X-Men  series

 This movie introduces us to several interesting characters.  It is based on the Marvel Universe.  The reason for all these characters is that some have an advanced genetics as humanity goes through a progression in their evolution.  I was not familiar with the comics when I first watched this, so all the characters were new.  There is Magneto (Ian McKellen), who is the leader of those who want to control everything, and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), on the opposite side who also runs a school for young mutants.  Two drifters are invited to the school, to keep them away from Magneto’s grasp; Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin).  Wolverine is almost indestructible, and has long claws, Rogue can take the powers of anyone she touches.  Other important characters are Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) who is a shape shifter and pretty wicked and Magneto’s assistant; Storm (Halle Berry), Cyclops (Scott Summers) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) are in Professor Xavier’s inner circle. 

The story centers around how the government is wrestling with the idea of registering all mutants, who they are and what they can do.  Magnet is resistant to this, so he is planning a demonstration to prove his point.  He is going to turn many people into mutants, even though the process he has developed is unstable.  He kidnaps Rogue to carry this out, puts her in a machine which will kill her for sure.  The machine of Xavier is sabotaged by Mystique, and almost kills him.  The students have to fight on their own.  They take on the henchmen of Magneto, for the safety of many dignitaries that are discussing mutant issues.  It is a rough go, but they do prevail in the end, Wolverine saving Rogue, and letting her use his regenerative powers.  The first part of this story ends with Xavier’s men on top of sorts.  Magneto is captured, and in a plastic prison (he can manipulate anything of metal) and hopefully there is the possibility for good relations between human and mutant.

The theme of this movie is accepting those who are different than ourselves.  It is hard to do, but possible with patience and understading.

Christmas Movie Review: ****A Christmas Carol (1999)

Made for T.V. "A Christmas Carol" 1999 with  Patrick Stewart is one of the better versions and one of my favorite.  In all the viewing I have done, this is the one that takes first place for me.  Patrick Stewart is superb.  In the first he goes to strike a child with his walking stick, which was very harsh.  The movie is choppy at places with stops made for commercial breaks, but the characters come through.  The first ghost was not a woman and I thought this fit perfectly with the character.  The change from miserly to charitable Scrooge was done in a believable fashion.