Tag: Harrison Ford

42

THIS IS A REPUBLISH FROM APRIL 13th 2013!!

“42” is the story of two men; The Great Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) and the Legendary General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Ricky (Harrison Ford)
Branch Ricky decided to take a grand stance on racism and prejudice by changing the game of baseball and hoping it would change the world.
In 1946 Branch decided to go after and get a man of color to join the Brooklyn Dodgers in Spring Training. He had been following the “Negro Leagues” and had an idea of the caliber of players that played. He sought after Jackie Robinson. Once he convinced Jackie Robinson to sign with the team for Spring Training, this signing put Ricky and Robinson in the line of fire with the media as well as the “Color Line” in Baseball and the World. The story unfolds from there…
“4 Stars” for “42”; Harrison Ford was masterful as Branch Ricky. From what I know of Jackie Robinson’s character I would say that Chadwick Boseman did an excellent job of portraying Jackie Robinson. The movie is very insightful, entertaining and educational. You don’t have to be a Baseball fan to see or like “42”, but it helps if you understand the game a little bit.
You will also learn a lot about Jackie Robinson as a man. He had great patience and courage.
“42” is a definite “Must See”.

This is a 4 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!!

Blade Runner 2049 the IMAX 3D Experience

Thirty Five Years later, “Blade Runner” returns.

It’s the year 2049, a secret that has been buried for a long time is brought into the light by a young blade runner, Officer K (Ryan Gosling). This secret leads Officer K in search of a former blade runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who has been missing for over thirty years. The story unfolds from there…

I may be in the minority, because I did not find “Blade Runner 2049” entertaining. It was Dark, Cloudy, Overcast, Dirty and Boring. There was little to no excitement!! The characters were mostly stoic.

However there are some positives, the cinematography is awesome. The special effects are cool and the 3D aspects are on point. The action was sometimes intense, but most of the time just ho-hum.

I just wasn’t able to get into the movie. That doesn’t mean it was bad. You may find that you enjoy it.

This is a 3½ Star Movie!

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – the 3D IMAX Experience

Star Wars is back with its seventh installment! This is the first of a Trilogy under the Walt Disney umbrella.

The events that occur started after the 1983 “Return of the Jedi” which was installment number six.
Its 30 years later and Luke Skywalker has disappeared. The First Order has risen and is out to eliminate Luke and destroy the Republic. The Resistance, a military force that is led by Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) Luke’s Sister, opposes the First Order while searching for Luke. The story unfolds from there…

There is never a dull moment in the movie. It’s entertaining, there is constant action, mayhem and a Sci-Fi extravaganza! The pick-up from the 1983 installment does an excellent job. You are duly reminded of what happened previously.

The cinematography is excellent, it’s definitely worth the 3D and IMAX Experience.
There is a nice lead-in to the next installment.

This is a 4 1/2 Star Movie!!

The Age of Adaline

“The Age of Adaline” is about a woman, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) who remains 29 years of age for 8 decades due to an accident. Although Adaline does constant research about her strange dilemma, she can find nothing in any medical journal.
So Adaline goes about living a solitary life because she is afraid of running into someone who might reveal her secret. A Chance meeting of a good looking philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. Ellis invites Adaline to his childhood home for a long weekend to meet his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker), but it turns out that Ellis’s Dad is a man from Adaline’s past. The story unfolds from there…
The first part of the film is boring, this is due to the fact that Blake Lively sashays through her scenes as if she is on a runway. Once Helen Burstyn, Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker appear in the movie, things get interesting. Unfortunately they are not in the movie very much.
I can think of several other actresses (Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock or Julia Stiles just to name a few) who could have played the role of Adaline Bowman better.
With all of that being said, “The Age of Adaline” is still a “Date Night” movie.

This is a 2 1/2 Star Movie!

The Expendables 3: An IMAX Experience

The Testosterone filled franchise is back!! “It’s Old Dogs, Young Dogs and New Tricks”; in this third installment.

In this installment Barney (Stallone) and the team come face to face with an enemy, Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson) they thought was long since dead. Years ago Conrad and Barney co-founded The Expendables, but some bad blood caused them to separate and Barney was forced to kill Conrad several years ago, or so he thought.

Stonebanks (Gibson) has eluded death and resurfaced and is making it his mission to get rid of “The Expendables” for good, but Barney (Stallone) has other ideas. The story unfolds from there…

The movie starts great and has a strong ending, but the middle is just a muddle of senior moments. I have to say that there are a few good comedic moments, some interesting cinematography, some eye opening stunts and questionable special effects.

I find this installment to be better than the previous one. There is lots of non-stop action and some intrigue. There are a few new faces and the on-screen chemistry is interesting. There is a new female member to the team and she is pretty cool!!

I believe that when Sylvester Stallone signed up to do this franchise there were only going to be 3, but the door appears to be open for a 4th.

Maybe if there is a 4th installment it will continue to get better.
If you are a fan of “The Expendables” franchise, this installment should not be missed.

This is a 3 Star Movie

Ender’s Game

An Elite group of talented and gifted children are selected to train for a potentially very catastrophic War.

Ender Wiggins, shy but a strategically brilliant young leader, is recruited to join the elite group.

Once at the Battle School, Ender quickly masters the increasingly difficult challenges and simulations that are presented to him.
Ender soon gains that attention of Graff who is one of the schools Commanders who ordains Ender as the military’s next great hope. Ender is soon promoted to Commander School where he is trained to lead and given his own team of soldiers to lead into the next epic battle. The story unfolds from there…
If you read the NY Times best-selling novel you won’t be disappointed. It’s definitely a must see in IMAX to get the full effect. The special effects, cinematography and camera angles are fabulous. There is a small lull in the film, but it arrives at the end respectfully. Although this is a first chapter, “Ender’s Game” will lead to a blockbuster franchise.

Paranoia

“Paranoia” is a suspense thriller about the high stakes of corporate espionage, corporate rivalry and technology hacking. Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) is trying to get ahead in his current position with Wyatt Telecom. Adam has plenty of ideas as to how the company should adjust its thinking to better serve its customers.

When his ideas are met with disdain from the CEO Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman), Adam decides to take his team out on the town with his corporate credit card to the tune of $6,000 dollars. Adam is called into the CEO’s office the very next morning. As payback the ruthless CEO wants Adam to spy on his rival company, steal technology and secrets. The story unfolds from there…

The story is very disjointed. It’s all over the map. You are not provided with any foundation or basis for the events or actions that take place at the beginning, middle or end of the movie. The plot is totally illogical. Although the execution of some of the events are very good, it’s still not enough to waste your hard earned money on. I am very disappointed. I really like Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman. This is a “Thriller that doesn’t Thrill”.