Category: Animation

The Minions: Rise of Gru

The Minions: Rise of Gru

They say laughter is good for the soul. Well, there has not been much to laugh about lately, but if you see this latest installment of the Minions with all of their silliness, you will laugh.

Set in the 1970s, Gru is growing up in the suburbs. A fan of the super villain / super group known as “The Vicious 6”, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. To his luck Gru gets some mayhem making backup from his loyal followers. Kevin, Stuart, Bob and new comer Otto who all deploy their skills to assist Gru in helping him make their first weapon and pull of their first mission, but the Vicious 6 have other ideas. The story unfolds from there…

This is not the best installment in this franchise, but the silliness and laughter it brings makes it worth checking out. There are a few silly gags, some laugh out loud moments and some karate type props that make this a fun diversion. If nothing else the star-studded cast, makes you want to see/hear who is doing the voices of these silly characters. 


Believe or not, there were only adults in the theater when I saw this movie.


“The Minions: Rise of Gru” is open in Theaters

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

The Angry Birds Movie 2

Although I did see/review the first installment, “The Angry Birds Movie 2” was not on my original “Watch List”, but after seeing a couple of deep trailers I decided to check it out.

The Flight-less Birds and Pudgy Pigs are back and they are taking their feud to a new level.
The Birds are unaware that a long time ago one of their own had a romance and left the bride behind. In present time the jilted Eagle who was left at the Alter, is planning and executing her revenge. Everyone is fair game. The story unfolds from there…

This installment is hilarious!! There is everything from “Speed Dating” to “Star-Crossed Lovers”.
Adults will get and understand the story, young children will not. While this is animated, it’s still plays for adults.
Next to “Toy Story 4” and “The Secret Life of Pets 2”, “The Angry Birds Movie 2” stands tall.

There is great cinematography and excellent special effects. There is a story, a plot and raw humor. What else do you need in an animated movie?

“The Angry Birds Movie 2” will offer comic relief and animation for those who need it.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Toy Story 4 in AMC Dolby

Woody and the gang are back!! Nine years ago Bo Peep was separated from Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the gang. As time moves along Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang are now the favorite toys of a little girl named Bonnie. Bonnie plays with them all every day. Soon it’s time for Bonnie to go to Kindergarten. She doesn’t want to go, but after some prodding from her parents off she goes. Bonnie doesn’t realize that Woody is in her back pack to help make sure her first day is a success.

During Arts and Crafts Bonnie makes a new friend. She actually builds a friend using a plastic fork, some felt tubing, glue, clay and some toy eyes. Bonnie calls her new friend “Forky”. Bonnie absolutely loves “Forky” and refuses to be separated from him.
“Forky” meets Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang, but “Forky” soon decides he is better off if he’s in the trash, so he constantly puts himself in the trash while Woody gets him out. The story and adventure starts from there…

“Toy Story 4” is fun, cute, lighthearted and very entertaining. The cinematography is great. I honestly did not think this franchise would go on this long, but the story continues to have meat. There is a life lesson in “Toy Story 4”.
Pixar has managed to keep us adults all engaged in this franchise. There was definitely more adults in the theater than children. I am not sure if there will be a “Toy Story 5”, but if there is I will go.

If you like the “Toy Story” franchise than “Toy Story 4” is a must see.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

The Secret Life of Pets 2 in 3D (Early Screening)

I was fortunate enough to be offered an opportunity to attend an early screening of “The Secret Life of Pets 2”.

It’s been 3 years since the 2016 Blockbuster that showed us what our pets are really doing when we leave home. This second installment is no different. The lives of our pets are on full display and take on new meaning after we leave for work and school each day in this second installment.

“The Secret Life of Pets 2” has its moments. The movie is funny, hilarious and entertaining. There is definitely a story.

One of the best elements of the first installment was the Poodle changing the boom box music from classical to “Acid Rock” and inviting his friends over for a party the minute his owner got on the elevator. Disappointingly the Poodle did not appear in this 2nd installment.

“The Secret Life of Pets 2” opens wide Friday June 7th. If you want to know what your pets do when you are not at home, then go see this follow-up to the 2016 Blockbuster hit.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Cars 3

Lightning McQueen and the gang are back!!

This installment finds Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) struggling to win a race. There is a new generation of super-fast cars on the race circuit and suddenly Lightning McQueen can’t keep up. He turns to a young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) who has her own unorthodox way to train and her own plan to win a race. Lightning also gets some help and inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet. The story unfolds from there…

“Cars 3” is “Cute, Cute, Cute!!” “Cars 3” goes back to its roots from the first installment. The story is relatable. There isn’t quite as much humor as I would have expected. “Mater” the Tow Truck is a bit quiet in this installment. He is one of the funnier characters. None the less, the movie is entertaining and heart-warming. The cinematography, action and animation are excellent. Children of all ages will enjoy it.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

Moana

I am ending the year with one last review…

“Moana” is a delightful, heart-warming and entertaining animated movie. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
The movie is predictable, but refreshing because there are some twists and turns in the story that were not obvious.
“Moana” is about a young Pacific-Islander girl, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) who against her Father’s wishes goes out on a dangerous mission across the Pacific Ocean to save her people. There are many obstacles along the way, but none of them deter Moana.

The CGI and special effects are tastefully done. The cinematography is excellent. The story and the characters are very endearing.

“Moana” is a movie for the entire family regardless of age.

This is a 5 Star Movie!

Sing in Real 3D

“Sing” is a cute funny animated movie. It’s not “Zootopia” or “The Secret Life of Pets”, but it is still entertaining.

A Koala Bear impresario, named Buster Moon (McConaughey) stages a singing competition for the animal kingdom much like “America’s Got Talent”, but this event is to save a Grand Theater. Buster advertises that there will be a grand prize of $100,000 dollars, but the selected singers find out by accident that there isn’t any prize money. The story unfolds from there…

“Sing” is funny, silly and warm-hearted entertainment. The story is familiar as it definitely relates to real-life situations.

The movie is more for teenagers, not really a child under 8 years old. There is some rude humor and some disturbing peril that a younger child might not understand.

If you are looking for a movie this holiday season that is animated, funny and warm-hearted then “Sing” is your movie.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

The Secret Life of Pets: The IMAX 3D Experience

Do you have a pet? Maybe a Dog, Cat, Bird, Fish, Hamster, Bunny or even a Snake. Do you know what your pet does all day while you are at work? Well “The Secret Life of Pets” is going to show you exactly what type of shenanigans your pet gets into the moment you leave for work or school.

Max the dog has a cushy life with his owner. She spoils him rotten. One day Max’s owner comes home with another dog that she picked up from the pound. The new dog is introduced as Duke. Duke is HUGH. When the owner isn’t looking Max is not very nice to Duke and this causes Duke to misbehave. The next morning after the owner has left for work, Max, Duke and the other Dogs in their neighborhood are taken for a walk to Central Park. Duke wants to get back at Max, so he lures Max away from everyone and suddenly they are on the run from Animal Control. The story unfolds from there…

“The Secret Life of Pets” is absolutely hilarious!! I laughed out loud many times. The 3D Aspects are awesome. I found myself ducking a lot. There are so many fun scenes from the Poodle who throws a Heavy-Metal Party, the Dachshund who uses the Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer Beater as a Massage Tool, to the Cat who eats a whole chicken that is sitting in the refrigerator. The Poodle is so interesting that the movie circles back to the Poodle’s Heavy-Metal party a second time. There are so many crazy things going on that all you can do is shake your head.

“The Secret Life of Pets” is definitely worth the ticket.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Finding Dory in 3D

Sometimes Animated Movies are more thought-provoking, entertaining and intriguing than the movies made by adults… I will review “Central Intelligence” later this weekend.

Dory a Blue Tang Fish (Ellen DeGeneres) has a short memory span. Somehow Dory loses her parents. As Dory tries to figure out what when wrong, a year passes. She frantically searches the big blue sea. Soon though she finds out that it’s possible that her parents were “captured” and placed in “Quarantine” at the Science Marina Aquarium. Dory, Nemo and Jenny set out in search of Dory’s parents, but then a giant Octopus chases them and Dory gets separated from Nemo and Jenny. The story unfolds from there…

“Finding Dory” is cute, funny, entertaining, thought-provoking and light-hearted. The 3D aspects were excellent. There is a message about the meaning of family. This message is for every one of all ages.

I loved the cinematography and the graphics. The colors in the ocean with all of the different types of fish were awesome.

If you are looking for some light-hearted entertainment, I suggest “Finding Dory”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

The Angry Birds Movie in 3D

Have you ever wondered why the “Angry Birds” are so angry? Well you can find out in “The Angry Birds Movie”.

“The Angry Birds” reside on their own paradise island out in the middle of nowhere. The Pigs from Pig Island decide to pay the Angry Birds a visit. All of the Angry Birds except “Red” (Jason Sudeikis) are willing to welcome the Pigs to their paradise. What they don’t know is that the Pigs plan to steal all of the Bird Eggs. The Bird Eggs are the soon-to-be off-spring of the Angry Birds. The Pigs plan to dine on eggs for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

After staging a HUGH party to get the Angry Birds away from their homes, the Pigs make off with all of the eggs. By the time the Angry Birds figure out what has happened, the pigs have all but left the paradise. “Red” rallies the Angry Birds to devise a plan to get their eggs back. The story unfolds from there…

“The Angry Birds” Movie is not an “Inside Out”, but it does have moments of entertainment and laughter. There are parts of the movie that are a bit disjointed and would be over a child’s head. Young children will not notice this, but adults should. This is another attempt at bringing a video game to the big screen. Overall it’s so-so. The 3D aspects are awesome. When I took off my glasses I could not see the movie.

A child will find “The Angry Birds” Movie enjoyable.

This is a 2 1/2 Star Movie!