Friday, June 17, 2016

Finding Dory

PG
Starring the voices of: Ellen DeGeneres. Hayden Roylance, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Idris Elba and Kaitlin Olsen,
Running Time: 1 Hour and 43 Minutes

In this very special follow up sequel to the 2003 Disney Pixar movie "Finding Nemo", we find Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), Nemo (Hayden Roylance) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) are all back together again for another action packed sea-life adventure.
When Dory miraculously remembers she has a family of her own which is a miracle in and of itself because she struggles mightily with short-term memory loss. She decides she must go and search for her mother and father.
Nemo's father Marlin is opposed to Dory leaving and searching for her family on her own. He is very comfortable with things they way they are and wants them to remain that way. Dory insists and ventures out on her own. The three of them ultimately end up together at a Marine Life preserve.
Dory encounters Hank (Ed O'Neill) an octopus with just seven legs.
Some other fun new characters that were introduced were some sea-lions, a beluga whale named Bailey (Ed O'Neil) who struggles with his sonar skills, and a whale shark named Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) who is partially blind. All of these characters have an issue that they are dealing with along with Dory and her short-term memory loss. These issues help them all to develop there characters and become even stronger.
Eventually Dory is re-united with her parents and it ends up being a very sweet movie.
I really enjoyed "Finding Dory", but I still found "Finding Nemo" to be my favorite of the two.
The animation was absolutely spectacular in this movie!
Parents be advised: "Finding Dory" is rated PG. It is a sweet and very touching movie with a couple of very minimal perilous scenes including being captured and trapped and being chased by predators. I think it will be fine for children ages four and older.
I am giving "Finding Dory" three and a half bags of popcorn.







Friday, June 3, 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

PG-13
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Stephen Amell, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Tyler Perry, Laura Linney, Brian Lee, Stephen Farrelly, Gary Anthony Williams, Peter Donald Badalamenti II, and Brad Garrett
Running Time:1 Hour and 52 Minutes

When the first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie in 2014 was resurrected from the original cartoon series, a lot of the die-hard fans were left feeling a little let down and disappointed claiming that there was no real content carried over from the cartoon series.
Well, I'm guessing that the filmmakers got that message and decided to follow the fans wishes.
This sequel went directly to the roots of the cartoons and brought back some of the most beloved and iconic characters.
This movie starts out with a bang! Pitting the good guys vs the bad guys against each other. The always evil Shredder (Brian Lee) is back and up to his nefarious ways!
The turtles really do come out of the shadows and become the heroes they are known and loved for. Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Leonardo (Pete Ploszek) and Raphael (Alan Ritchson) are back at it again behaving the way they always do, goofing off and squabbling like most siblings do. Their beloved Splinter (Peter D. Badalementi II) is still their revered guru and counselor whom they still look up to.
April O'Neil (Megan Fox) is back and doing all she can to help the turtles. Casey Jones (Stephen Amell) is a bit of a vigilante but trying to become a police detective.
Also returning are the bad yet funny guys Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady/Sheamus (Stephen Farrelly). They featured the always dreaded bathroom humor! That brings me to the most diabolical of all, Krang (Brad Garrett)!!!! He is evil beyond description, but hey, cowabunga dudes isn't that what good guys vs bad guys is all about? Just some turtle power nostalgia for you.
Do not go into this movie expecting a cerebral challenge! This is simply a reprisal of the original cartoon series brought back to life for fun and entertainment. I took my die-hard TMNT son /fan with me to the screening. He found the movie to be a lot of fun and very clever! He got a real kick out of it.
Parents be advised: this movie is rated PG-13. It has a lot of what I call, clang and bang. (loud sequences) Also a lot of CG action and energy. There were some intimidating characters and some dark scenes too. There was also some profanity, no f-bombs though. I think children ages 8 and older will be fine with this movie.
I am giving "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" two and a half bags of popcorn.
(My son said I should give it three bags of popcorn.)




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