When The Game Stands Tall

PG
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Laura Dern, Matthew Daddario, Clancy Brown, Stephan James and Ser'Darius Blain
Running Time: 1 Hour and 55 Minutes

This is the true story about the 2004 De La Salle High School football team. De La Salle is a private Catholic school for boys located in Concord, California. It is based on their legendary coach, Bob Ladouceur.
Coach Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel)  is notoriously famous for his 151 game winning streak.
He is a coach who has taught and led by example. He is a gentleman who has integrity and honor and has set the standard high for his young men to follow. The coach believes in unity and is trying to build camaraderie between the players. He likes to incorporate bible verses into his pep talks to help inspire and motivate his players. One of the scriptures he quotes is Matthew 23:13,  "Whosoever exalts himself shall be humbled. And whoever humbles himself shall be exalted".  Trying to teach the kids not to be selfish but to play for one another. The team endures some tough set backs when the coach suddenly suffers a life-threatening heart attack and is struggling to stay alive. He recovers and once again resumes his position as coach.
The team then suffers another devastating tragedy when one of their best teammates, T. K. Kelly (Stephan James) is suddenly shot and killed.
I have always been a sucker for a good sports movie. I enjoyed this movie but I didn't love it. I found myself getting bored and a little uninterested. It did have its high points and some exciting moments but overall, it just felt rather flat to me.
Parents be advised: The shooting scene and heart attack scene were sad and emotional. Also, one of the player's fathers was obsessed with his son breaking the record and he got abusive and violent with him which is always hard to watch!
I am giving "When The Game Stands Tall" two and a half bags of popcorn.

If I Stay

PG-13
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Jaime Blackley, Mirelle Enos, and Joshua Leonard
Running Time: 1 Hour and 46 Minutes

This much anticipated story is about seventeen year old Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz), who is a prodigy on the cello. It is based on the popular teenage novel, of the same name. She is a very beautiful, dedicated and intelligent young lady whose lifelong dream is to attend Julliard.
Things become a little convoluted when she meets Adam (Jaime Blackley) a fellow student at her high school who asks her out on her first date.
He continues to pursue her and she continues to resist. She is totally devoted to her love of playing the cello. She finally caves in and accepts a date with young Adam. He is a lead singer for a small local rock band and she feels that they have nothing in common. She feels completely out of her element when she goes to watch him perform.
Her father Denny (Joshua Leonard) was a former musician who played in a rock band and her mother Kat (Mirelle Enos) is a free spirit with the attitude that anything goes. Her mother continually encourages her to date Adam.
Things take a terrible turn when the family gets into a catastrophic car wreck and some of them are fatally injured.
Mia is immediately unconscious and the movie takes place from her point of view while she is in a coma.
She is in a place between life and death and finds herself alone and unable to communicate with anyone to let them know she is still around. Faced with the mind-boggling dilemma of, should I stay or should I go?
The story is so mixed up, it jumps from before the coma to while she is in the coma.
I  found this movie to be so discombobulated and all over the place that I did not enjoy it.
 Her parents, especially her mother condoning and encouraging her to go and get romantically involved with Adam, both emotionally and physically. It was a relationship that was totally uncharacteristic for Mia's own personal behavior.
Parents be advised: I am recommending this movie for children ages 13 and over. The car wreck and the early age sexual relationship are too intense and too suggestive for young children. I feel the sexual relationship scenes are even too much for high school aged young adults. There is also some mild profanity.
I am giving "If I Stay" two bags of popcorn.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

PG
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Whoppi Goldberg, Alan Ritchson as "Raphael", Noel Fisher as "Michelangelo", Pete Ploszek as "Leonardo" Johnny Knoxville as "the voice of Leonardo", Jeremy Howard as "Donatello", Danny Woodburn as "Splinter", Tony Shaloub as "the voice of Splinter", and Tohoru Masamune as "Shredder".
Running Time: 1 Hour and 41 Minutes

This was a really fun movie. Not knowing how they were going to revive this incredibly popular TV series, it transitioned pretty smooth and I was totally entertained. My oldest son was the biggest TMNT fan of all time, so I took him with me to the screening and he really enjoyed it too. It was a completely different look for this crime-fighting foursome.
New York City was being inundated by the evil, always diabolical and very intimidating "Shredder" (Tohoru Masamune). Shredder was directing his wicked foot clan to overthrow everyone in the City from the politicians to the police.
While out riding her bike one night, on-air reporter, Miss April O'Neil  (Megan Fox) is able to film the foot clan up to no-good on her cell phone and then the story begins.
She goes home and finds a box of keepsakes which includes a video of herself as a child in her father's laboratory and she discovers the secret of why the turtles were mutated. She had seen the turtles on her cell phone video and sets out to find if these new full-grown turtles could be the same ones.
With all of the evil that Shredder is inflicting on the city, the turtles (heroes in a half shell) come to the rescue.
There is a lot of action is this movie! There is one scene where they (April, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) and turtle Raphael)  go to the home of wealthy politician and so called friend Eric Sacks (William Fichtner).
Soon after a dramatic and intense snow covered downhill chase between, a rocket powered skateboard, a Humvee and some other vehicles takes place.
The turtles never fail to disappoint. Cowabunga, they brought the heroes in a half-shell back to the big-screen in a big way!
This is a fun and action-packed movie that will keep the young ones on the edge of their seats.
Parents be advised: I am recommending this movie for children ages 8 and up.Shredder is a violent and scary creature. I did notice one swear word and at the end of the movie, there is a very unnecessary "Victoria's Secret" billboard ad (Times Square style)  that shows the turtles crawling into the bra of the model. Completely random!
I am giving "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" two and a half bags of popcorn.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

PG
Starring: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, CharlottenLe Bon and Amit Shah
Running Time: Two Hours and 35 Minutes

This was a beautiful movie. I Really enjoyed it with the sweet story, the beautiful French scenery and the great cooking. A very touching and cultural masterpiece that will stay with you.
This story is about the Kadam family from India, who after experiencing the overthrow of their government and numerous tragedies decides to migrate to London and then on to the French countryside. There they set up housing and attempt to open an Indian restaurant directly across the street from a Michelin starred elite French restaurant.
Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) the owner of the very popular and storied French restaurant is not at all happy about her new neighbors and the competition just a mere "Hundred feet" from her restaurants front door.When the new neighbors try to befriend her and inform her that they will be opening an "Indian Cuisine Restaurant", she does everything in her power to undermine and dash their dreams.
Little by little things start to change and Madame Mallory begins to soften her hard heart.
She sees great potential in Hassan (Manish Dayal) and decides to take him into her restaurant and tutor him in the art of fine French Cuisine.
He actually shows her a trick or two about what he was taught about Indian cuisine as a young boy from his beloved mother. Soon he is being heralded as a high-ranking chef and is being sought after by some of the finest restaurants in Paris.
He moves to Paris to fulfill his dream of becoming one of the worlds finest chefs. He is becoming known throughout France, but he is not feeling complete. He had met a beautiful young french woman named Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon) who worked at Madame Mallory's restaurant and he longed to be reunited with her.
This is a movie that will lift your spirits and make you feel good. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was really nothing objectionable in it, thus the PG rating.
Parents be advised: I would recommend this movie for children ages eight and older just because of the more adult story, probably a little boring for children.
I am giving "The Hundred Foot Journey" three bags of popcorn.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

PG-13
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, and Vin Diesel.

"Guardians Of The Galaxy" is the movie everyone is talking about but not too many people know what to expect. Guardians is based off of a Marvel Comics galactic ragtag superhero team, that in it's current form was only created in 2008.
The team's leader Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), or "Star-Lord" as he likes to refer to himself, is abducted as a young child and raised as a space outlaw. He comes to find himself in possession of a mysterious orb early on in the film. The "orb" is something that is highly desirous by many in the galaxy including the evil and unrelenting "Ronan The Accuser" (Lee Pace) who plays the antagonist in the film.
Star-Lord teams up with the other members of the Guardians along the way to make sure that the orb doesn't fall into the wrong hands. The team includes a green assassin named "Gamora" (Zoe Saldana), a revenge seeking brute, "Drax The Destroyer" (Dave Bautista) and a genetically enhanced genius, "Rocket Raccoon" the voice of  (Bradley Cooper and finally a walking and talking tree with a very limited vocabulary "Groot" voiced by (Vin Diesel).
This is a fast-paced, action packed, laugh out loud funny movie with some very touching and emotional moments as well. I found  Peter Quill to be very likable and an all around great character. Guardians lives up to all the hype! Marvel may have just made their best film to date with this one.
Parents be advised, there are some really quirky looking characters and some intimidating moments that might be too intense for young children. There is also a little bit of swearing. I would recommend this movie for children 10 and over.
I am giving "Guardians Of The Galaxy" four bags of popcorn.