Red Tails

Directed By: Anthony Hemingway

Written By: John Ridley and Aaron McGruder

Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Nate Parker and David Oyelowo

Rated: PG-13

MY RATING: B+

Historic action in the skies with heart and importance!

Red Tails follows a group of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program.  Despite their skills they face segregation during World War II and are not allowed to participate in combat.  With nothing but time on their hands they constantly train in hopes of one day putting their skills to use.

They finally get their chance when Colonel A.J. Bullard’s (Terrence Howard) constant efforts pay off and they get their first mission.  Disproving all of the negative stereotypes the pilots turn out to be some of the best in the air.  This is an action packed movie with lots of flight sequences.  At the same time this one delivers heart through the bond that the pilots share.  

Pros: The acting - especially Terrence Howard, Nate Parker & David Oyelowo, the action - great flight scenes and the realism which transports the audience right to World War II times.  There’s also comedic relief thanks to a job well done by Ne-Yo.

Cons: The love story between “Lightning” (Oyelowo) and Sofia (Daniela Ruah) was unnecessary, rushed and therefore felt a little unbelievable and out of place. 

(Note to Parents: There is profanity and some graphic violence.) 

I'd say definitely see this one and tell others to see it too!

The Adventures of Tintin

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Written By: Steven Moffat

Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig

Rated: PG

MY RATING: B+

A high tide of adventure for children and adults alike!

This film begins with news reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell) purchasing a model ship, the Unicorn, at a street market.  When a gentleman named Mr. Sakharine (Daniel Craig) shows a peculiar interest in the ship Tintin uses his research skills to find out why.  Soon he and his dog Snowy are racing against Mr. Sakharine to find answers.  Along the way they meet Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) who drunkenly masters Sakharine’s ship and agrees to help Tintin and his four legged companion.  Captain Haddock reveals that his ancestor Sir Frances Haddock was forced to abandon the original Unicorn ship and now he proves to be the missing piece to the puzzle.  So the trio sets off on an air, land and sea adventure that is truly entertaining.

Pros: Superb animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy and Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock.

Cons: Storyline a little hard to follow at first.   

I'd say this is definitely worth seeing for the great animation and action! 

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Directed By: Bill Condon

Written By: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer (novel)

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

Rated: PG-13

MY RATING:  B+

Romantically wild and over the top fun for fans of the series!

Breaking Dawn Part 1 begins with Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) marriage to Edward (Robert Pattinson). Of course Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is not happy about the event and noticeably missing from the festivities. Later on their honeymoon Bella and Edward finally consummate their marriage. Defying what is known, Bella becomes pregnant which puts her life in danger and the lives of everyone around her. With the impending birth all bets are off, including the treaty, and it’s werewolves versus vampires. Everyone has choices to make in this film and you’ll have to check it out to see the paths they take.

Now I must admit that I am a fan of the series so my opinion is not completely unbiased. To be a fan of the Twilight series you have to put aside reality, good dialogue and sometimes good acting and just go on the romantic journey with Bella, Edward and Jacob. We know it’s silly but we don’t care and this time around I was not disappointed.

I wasn’t overly impressed with the wedding scene, visually or otherwise. Also there were moments when Bella looked as if she was terrified but yet she went through with it and we’re supposed to believe it was romantic. Um not so much. The honeymoon even got off to a shaky start for Bella (Stewart) but the scenery made up for it. Beautiful location! Then I was disappointed again when it came to the love making scenes. Not much was shown so they leave a lot to the imagination. But when Bella (Stewart) reflects on some of the moments with Edward (Pattinson) I thought it was beautifully done.  

The story really begins to take off however when Bella realizes she’s pregnant, 2 weeks into their honeymoon. From that point on I enjoyed the story and got a lot of what I was waiting for in some of the other Twilight films. The tension between Edward and Jacob (Lautner) was great as always. And I loved the werewolves! I think they do a great job capturing their essence!  The last 15 minutes of the film were the best and of course I won’t ruin them for you.

All in all it was one of my favorites of the series, maybe my favorite but I’m still trying to decide. Can’t wait for Breaking Dawn Part 2!

(Note to Parents: The scenes are very sexual and in my opinion more for children 16 and older.) 

I'd say if you’re a fan of the series then definitely see this one!

Puss in Boots

Directed By: Chris Miller

Written By: Charles Perrault (characters), Brian Lynch, Will Davies, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler and John Zack

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis and Billy Bob Thornton

Rated: PG

MY RATING: B

A cute kitty cat comedy for the whole family!

In “Puss in Boots,” we learn how Puss (Antonio Banderas) grew up to be an outlaw. We also learn of his former bond with childhood pal Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Joined by Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) the trio sets out on a journey to find the magic beans which will lead them to the goose who lays the golden eggs. They each believe the golden eggs will solve all of their problems but of course it’s never that easy.

Antonio Banderas brings this cartoon kitty to life like no other. When Puss in Boots was first introduced in Shrek 2 he quickly became my favorite character. Now I wasn’t sure if he had enough weight to hold up his own movie but the writers certainly did a good job with this one.

Puss in Boots offers lots of comedy, action-adventure and of course a little heart. You can’t help but love this kitty!

Kitty Softpaws, voiced by Selma Hayek, proved to be a match indeed for playboy, Puss in Boots.

I enjoyed the story and thought the script was well done. I mean it wasn’t the most heartfelt story like classics, The Lion King and Finding Nemo but it was good enough. Definitely funny so it doesn’t disappoint with that either. There is a “dance fight” scene in the movie that did go too far on the silliness meter for my taste but I’m sure the kids will get a kick out of it. All in all it was a cute little movie. Still love Puss in Boots!

So I'd say if you have kids then it’s definitely worth seeing!

If you don’t have kids but are a fan of animated movies then check it out but there’s no rush.

The Rite

Directed By: Mikael Hafstrom
Written By: Michael Petroni
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Collin O'Donoghue, Ciaran Hinds & Alice Braga
Rated: PG-13

MY RATING: C+

It's Anthony Hopkins in a creepy role, what else needs to be said?

Based on actual events.  In The Rite, Michael Kovak (Collin O'Donoghue) is an American seminary student who has lost all faith.  He is about to give up on being a priest when his mentor sends him to Italy to take a course in exorcisms.  Once in Italy, Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds) who is teaching the course, learns of Michael's lack of faith and sends him to work with exorcist Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins).  Through working with Father Lucas, Michael witnesses things that shake him a little but nothing he can't explain.  As his journey continues however he can no longer deny the presence of the devil and resurrecting his faith in God is the only thing that can pull him through.

I enjoyed this film but it wasn't that memorable for me.  It's difficult to critique the storyline since it's based on actual events. However I thought there were holes missing in Michael Kovak's backstory or maybe a clear enough picture wasn't painted.  There were many flashback scenes that in the end had no impact on the story.  Other than that I enjoyed the rest of the script. The exorcism scenes were quite disturbing as they should be.  Now I know they were trying to give Anthony Hopkins a Hannibal Lector type of role but this one didn't quite hit the mark.  Don't get me wrong, Mr. Hopkins did a great job but it wasn't as memorable as his Hannibal Lector character.  I did however love the arch that Michael (O'Donoghue) went through.  This story I believe is relatable to many people.  I even shed a tear towards the end of the movie.  Job well done on the makeup effects, special effects and use of locations.  Visually perfect.  As a drama this would be great, but did it scare me? Not so much.  However this is still a good exorcism movie to put on the list.


So I'd say see it but there's no rush.