The Expendables 3

As a fan of the Expendables, I was at an early showing to see how the ‘guys’ did this one. As usual, Expendables 3 is full of shooting, great stunts, and lots of well known actors. I think that is the part I love the most. Who is going to show up next. You have the usual, Sylvester Stalone, Barney and Jason Statham, Christmas along with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Trench,  Dolph Lundgren, Gunner Jenson,  Randy Couture, Toli Road and Terry Crew as Ceaser, who gets hurt and is only in it in the beginning and very end. Jet Li as Yin Yang from the previous two Expendables shows up near the end.
This time around they added some other well known names Harrison Ford, as Drummer (taking over Bruce Willis’s role) Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes (so glad to see him again, and there is a priceless line near the beginning of the movie which had me laughing really early - if you know the history of Wesley Snipes you will get it. If not, ask me and I will advise you). Kelsey Grammar has a part in helping Barney find the new ‘young’ crew - Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Kellan Lutz, and Ronda Rousey. Each actor plays a contributing part and I enjoyed everyone.



The story line is usual, bad man (Mel Gibson) has to be taken out and the Expendables have to do it. Barney (Stallone) goes after a new team (the young ones) and they get captured and so its up to the old team (yeah - so happy to see them involved) to go save them. Then the ten of them work together to fight the bad guy and an army. Impossible odds, but heh this is the Expendables. Lots of great stunts as previously said, and if you don’t mind the noise of things being blown up then you will enjoy the Expendables once again.


Personally, I enjoyed it. I like love seeing the older actors, they are like a familiar family member. Now I’m attached to the new ones. I do hope they do an Expendables 4 with both teams alive and well once more.

3 ½ out of 4.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - movie review

After putting off going to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I decided yesterday afternoon I would go.  They had a 2D showing at 4pm, it was a very hot day, so what better time than to visit the movie theatre.


The question often asked of me when I see a movie is "Did you enjoy it?".  I can't say I enjoyed it, but I am glad I saw it.  Andy Serkis as Caesar is phenomenal, and Jason Clarke as Malcolm I thought played his part well. Of course Gary Oldman gave his usual stellar performance in his role as Dreyfus.


So what did I come away with.  A few things.  Near the beginning of the movie, the humans make the comment amongst themselves stating they want their lives to go "back to the way it was".  This struck me as absolutely silly. You don't go backwards, you go forward.  It was the wanting to get a hydro-dam back working that had the humans getting into contact with the Apes.


Then the following:  fear and guns are not good together.  Hatred, especially bottled up hatred, distorts and creates all sorts of problems. Rejecting anything which is different from oneself can lead to misunderstanding and therefore problems.  You could say this is a anti-gun movie. As it is guns which begin the problem and keep on creating the problem.


You have two different groups, with some of them really wanting peace between them, while others either filled with fear, hatred and do not understand differences escalate the problems.  I would not recommend that this is a movie you 'have' to see. But all the Apes were done wonderfully, the directing, editing etc, was done well.  But I left thinking "how sad we cannot respect differences and listen to each other".  And is that not happening in our world right now.  Perhaps we truly need to learn to respect and honor each other once again.  I will await the next sequel and see what they do with that.
I give this movie 3 out of 5.

Hercules - movie review

Setting off to see Hercules I did not have any expectations of what I was going to see.  If there were any, they weren't very high. I was pleasantly surprised.  Should have realized Dwayne Johnson was not going to be in something which did not have some substance. Plus Brett Ratner as director usually spins a good, tight story. This they did.


At the end of the movie, I turned to my movie companion Trish and "I enjoyed that". This movie has all what you expect in a myth tale. It contains great stunts, and you did not feel you were watching generated ones, you thought you were watching real people doing them. A story line of betrayal and heroism. The good guys definitely win, when you think they may lose. Of course the hero has to come out on top. Hercules and his group of friends save the day in more ways than one.


The line up of actors supporting Dwayne Johnson was good. John Hurt as Lord Cotys, always plays a bad guy well. Ian McShane as Amphiaraus was great as the 'seer' of the bunch.  He supplies the most humor with his comments. Rufus Sewll as Autolycus (I always love his eyes) as Hercules's longest friend.  Reece Ritchie who plays Iolaus, Hercules's nephew - the constant story teller gives a sense of humanity to the story.


If you like adventure, if you like good stunts, if you like a myth coming alive then you will enjoy this movie.  I did.  Oh yes, Dwayne Johnson must have worked out considerably to get his muscles to be that big!!!!  Forget Arnold is his day, Dwayne wins!
4 out of 5 for entertainment.

Winter's Tale - moview review

Who would have thought that Colin Farrell could make such a wonderful romantic lead.  Whoever did the casting in Winter's Tale, knew something that most didn't.  If you want to see one movie which depicts a love story which totally embraces love, time travel, and mythology, then this is it.


What a beautiful story.  A thief (Colin Farrell) who has a fight on his hand with an old nemeses (a demon played aptly by Russell Crowe) has a beautiful white horse come into his life (Pegasus) and while he burglars a particular house falls for a girl who is dying.  She eventually dies in his arms, but not before the most wonderful love scenes of sincerity and joy have taken place. Plus lots of philosophy of life.


Then his nemeses sees him dead, except somehow he arrives not knowing who he is in our time. Here he encounters another person (Jennifer Connelly) who has a daughter who is dying from cancer. It is how this story unfolds and how although he thought he was supposed to save the original red haired girl, it turns out he can save the young red haired girl instead.  He also gets to destroy the demon, and flies away on Pegasus.  Sounds a bit much, but really it is beautifully done.  Akiva Goldsman who co-wrote and directed this movie has done a wonderful job of bringing a sensitive, hard to put into movie form story.  I believe he did it.  (I know many critics say it didn't).  But as I sat there with tears in my eyes (at the end) I was so glad I saw it and so did my friends who were there with me.


This is a beautiful love story, soft, gentle and leaves you with the feeling that love is real. Enjoy all of life fully while you can.  Go see this beautiful story.  The settings are wonderful. Especially those set back in time.  Oh yes, can't not mention Will Smith who has a small role as the 'Judge', (the Devil).  As usual he is great!. Plus Eva Marie Saint has a small role. Great to see her also.  A Winter's Tale, is definitely a winter winner!
4 out of 5. 

The Book Thief - movie review

Just after seeing Saving Mr. Banks, my friend Trish and I decided to go and see The Book Thief. I had wanted to see it and to ensure I got to see it before it disappeared in we went and once again we were not disappointed.  I must make a parallel here. We came out of the light yet very insightful movie of Saving Mr. Banks to come into the relatively heavy movie of the Book Thief, they could not be as far apart on the spectrum of entertainment. Yet the similarities were there. Both dealt with the past influencing the present. Both dealt with loss, forgiveness and understanding. It was quite a night for Trish and myself. As we drove back home (we had gone north to see these two movies) we discussed them - something we don't always do. But both movies had an impact.  Now onto The Book Thief.

World War II movies are not very popular, especially when the main character is about the German side of things, yet this human story is so touching of a young girl who is taken to live with strangers. She learns to read and loves books. In her love of books she steals 'borrows' them, memorizes them and either reads them to the young Jewish man the family is hiding, or recites them to others while in the bomb shelter.

This is a story which is not for the faint of heart, but wonderfully told and portrayed by the main characters. Lisiel played by Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush who plays her Papa and Emily Watson her plays her Mama.  Ben Schnetzer plays Max the young Jewish man. Her young male friend Rudy is played apply by Nico Liersch. 

Death plays a part in this movie, in fact is narrated by Death. What a perspective, and because it is death, perspectives are looked at which one may not necessarily consider.  I was concerned during the movie that all my questions would not get answered. What happens to this one, what happens to that one, and guess what they all get answered. Thank goodness.  It also shows the caliber of the movie that one is so involved you want to know what happens to them. Leave no end dangling.

I have not read the book, but a friend tells me it is excellent, and that I can believe, in fact, I may just have to read it because the movie is so impactful on how impactful war is no matter what side you are on. 

4 out of 5.

Delivery Man - movie review

After all the advertising, which seemed to go on months before this movie, Delivery Man, came out, I wasn't really sure I even wanted to see it. To my surprise I enjoyed it.  Vince Vaughn, who I often find over talks in his roles, was great in this role as the man who has unbeknown to him fathered over 500 children. In the movie you discover why he donated so much sperm.

It is touching, funny and a statement about relationships.  Father/son; Boyfriend/girlfriend and family. How when the 142 of them, who are contesting in course to find out who their father 'Starbuck' really is, he says, you have found each other.  Family....that is the hidden message behind this.

Vince Vaughn is good in this role, Chris Pratt as his friend creates some laughs and Cobie Smulders playing his pregnant girlfriend, all give their roles justice.  Writer/Director Ken Scott should be proud of this. A great combination of comedy with emotion of a serious subject.

Not much to really say except, for a movie which brought a tear to my eye, lots of laughs and a couple of hours well spent.  Go see it.
3 1/2 out of 5.

About Time - movie review

Want to go see a lovely, soft movie with a great message. Slow paced, yet impactful About Time is the movie to see.  Tim, Domhnall Gleeson, learns at the age of 21 hat he can travel in time and change what has happened (how we wish).  As he experiments with the girl of his dream Rachel McAdams he learns the pifalls of interfering with time.
This is a delightful movie, with a delightful message of enjoy everyday fully. As is often said, 'be present' or 'be in the moment'. 
Although not a big budget movie, with Bill Nighy as Tim's Dad and Lydia Wilson as Kit Kat the sister, the support cast all play their parts well. 
Enjoy the gentle, easy movie and the wonderful lesson it states.
3 1/2 out of 5.

Thor: The Dark World - movie review

The other day I went to see Thor: The Dark World, and realized this is one movie I need to see in 3D so off I went to see it in 3D and I was not disappointed. All the shots that I thought would be great in 3D were, plus more.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, in fact I may have enjoyed it more than the first. Chris Hemsworth at this best, Natalie Portman doing her wonderful work and the absolutely wonderful Loki played by Tom Hiddleston.  Even the support cast of Stellan Skarsgard, as the mad scientist, Anthony Hopkins, as the Thor's father, Kat Dennings as the side kick and Christopher Eccleston as the bad guy Malekith.
In fact, everyone played their part great and I feel in love with Zachary Levi. (Loved him in Chuck too).
The story plot of a dark energy (wonderfully red) is unleased into Jane Foster (Portman). Thor comes to save the day with personal sacrifices along the way. Where would Thor be without Tom Hiddleston as the devious Loki. This story has some shifts and changes and its a 'ride'. 
In seeing this film two times within a few days of each other, I honestly could go see it again. The detail, the story line with its twists and turns, the magnificent sets as you visit other planets. 
Worth seeing, most definitely, entertainment with great acting, wonderful bodies and how friendship, love and even brotherly competition can unfold.  It has enough explosions, fighting and flying through the air for those who want to see that to be more than satisfied. Also has enough human relationship interactions for those who love that.
Oh yes, make sure you don't leave the theatre until the last credit is played....you will not be disappointed. (Remember last credit - stay sitting)
41/2 out of 5.

Last Vegas - movie review

If you are over 50 I think you will enjoy this movie - Last Vegas. I most certainly did.  Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline play four older buddies who have been friends since they were six and now have very different lives. They all go to Las Vegas for the wedding of Michael Douglas's character. I must say I enjoyed seeing Kevin Kline as I had not seen him recently and I've always been a fan!

The laughs come a lot. Mary Steenburgen plays the woman of the group, and I won't say the ending, but if you want to laugh, and relate to what they laughter is about then go see this funny movie.
My friend who came with me, said as we went in, I'm tired of seeing movies about older people and its not funny. At the end she said, "I enjoyed that". I did also. 

Everyone needs to laugh and the antics each one of these characters get into is great.  Dan Fogelman as the writer really needs applause, as this could have been ridiculous, as many of the movies my friend was talking about are. But it is not, it is very real, and has a great message. Live each day! 

I also have to mention the Director, Jon Turteltaub, who has directed some great movies which I have enjoyed, and he manages to bring out the characters so well.

The cast has been well casted, as even the support players did their roles proud, Romany Malco as the person who takes care of them at their Hotel (that's another story line) and Jerry Ferrara who plays the young person who fetches and carries (that's another story line). 

This movie is full of inner story lines (after all you have four men all with their own agendas) and each one is presented funny.

If you love to laugh, and don't mind laughing at the older spectrum of things, then this movie is a must.
3 1/2 out of 5.  (4 for laughs).

The Fifth Estate - movie review

The Fifth Estate is based on the true story of WikiLeaks, from books written by Daniel Domscheit-Berg (played most adequately by Daniel Bruhl - I loved his eyes when he took his glasses off). Benedict Cumberbatch, plays the founder Julian Assange and does a wonderful job as this South African who wants freedom of speech, no matter what the cost.
The interesting way in which these two men Julian with the vision and drive and Daniel as the tech get WikiLeaks up and running and then becoming a world wide name. I remember when the news became full of WikiLeaks and what it was up to. It is the results of their work that we did not know, and now after this movie, which keeps you totally engaged right to the last moment, we know a lot more.
I enjoyed this movie, I liked the pace of the movie, the scenes created to show how the two men's minds were working (and this was not over done) and also how when you believe in something and won't let anything stop you (like exaggerating the truth), you can achieve.  It is also a story of how two men both had different agendas but did not realize it until the end. Communication of ideas right at the beginning of any partnership is important. But what is more important is to be sure that you are actually both on the same page.
3 1/2 out of 5.  A worth seeing.

Gravity - movie review

Gravity, a movie about being set adrift in space. Everyone's worst nightmare. Yet with the great acting of Sandra Bullock, who basically is the movie, with support from George Clooney has this movie leaving you with a sense of 'no way' do I want to go out there and also how appreciative it is to feel the 'earth' under your feet.

If you want your adrenaline going from the beginning to the end, then this movie - Gravity -  is for you. Now the adrenaline is not in the red line, it is just 'up there' all the time. I was tired by the time I got home, all that tension, all that uncertainty. Sandra Bullock will no doubt get an Oscar nod for this performance. George Clooney does a great job as the support person. Basically that is all there is.  We see a few other people, but after the first few minutes, everyone else is dead. Lovely.

From then on, we see George Clooney for a short while and then only Sandra Bullock. Sandra who has one trial after another as she works to get herself back to earth, first through a Russian station and then a Chinese. Nothing like international cooperation out in space.  This could have been called 'Lost in Space' and it would have been true. 

This movie Gravity does give you food for thought, it does give you adrenaline rushes and it does give you hope. It shows how the human spirit will fight to live.

Worth seeing - yes!

4 out of 5.

Lee Daniel's The Butler movie review

Every now and again you get to see a movie that has everything. Lee Daniel's The Butler is it. It contains everything, education, emotion, plus great acting. This is the movie of the year. The cast was phenomenal.  Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gains the Butler, whose life we follow is his usual superb self. Oprah Winfrey, who you forget is Oprah, as she becomes Gloria Gaines Cecil's wife. She portrays the different stages and what she as a wife of a Butler in the White House, plus raising two sons goes through. 

David Banner who plays son Earl, who joins the freedom rides and even the Black Panthers is also great. Then comes the actors who play the Presidents, John Cuscak as Richard Nixon, Robin Williams as a great Dwight D Eisenhower, James Marsden as John F Kennedy, Liev Schreiber  does a great job as Lyndon B Johnson and Alan Rickman makes a wonderful Ronald Regan. They were all great selections for their roles.  You learn a lot about the Presidents and the affect having Black Butlers played in their awareness of equality.

In fact the whole cast was so well cast that there was not one person you thought, wow, this is miscast, in fact, for the over 2 hour movie, you hardly recognize the time. The movie moves through the years, with ease, and with each character being so well played, you get caught up in the story quickly as it touches you emotionally, and you go for the ride. At the end, I found my self sitting there digesting it all. Let us hope we do not forget what people went through in order to have equality - even though in some ways it still on going.

I'm sure you have heard the story line, of how this share croppers son, who is taken in and trained to be a 'house nigger' ends up as a Butler in the White House. As you follow this tale you begin to identify with the 'struggle' as the White Staff of the white house receive 40% more monies than the Black staff. It appears it was Ronald Reagan who changed that so they all received the same.

Also through the movie comments were made by the Presidents which showed that having  Black Butlers, whom they trusted and came to 'know', did make a difference.  Nelsan Ellis who plays Martin Luther King, Jr. makes a statement during the movie of not to demean the Black Help, but due to their work ethic (can't remember it all, but it was another great statement during the movie) advising Earl, to recognize the contribution his father was doing.

There were so many wonderful moments, so many wonderful actors playing their parts that I can't possibly mention them all. All I can say, if you want to see a movie of the year, then go see this one.
5 out of 5.

Elysium - movie review

I went to see Elysium - at 10.10pm show - because I wanted to see Matt Damon in this role. After all I had seen him with his bald head for many months quite a while back.  Unfortunately, I felt the movie missed its mark. It did not emotionally engage me.

The story line should have.  The poor in future earth trying to get to the 'land of milk and honey' Elysium, (the international space station 100,000 times larger with a landscape like prosperous L.A.  The aspirations of the poor, to get where all illness is miraculously healed, so you don't get old, you don't get sick, you live this wondrous life. Or at least a few do.

The rest, well they live in an overpopulated, crime-ridden, rubble-covered Earth (filmed in a garbage dump in Mexico where a couple of thousand people actually do live).  Matt is Max who receives an overdose of radiation and then is made into a machine-man, who downloads a program into his head, and he needs to get to Elysium (which is heavily guarded - blowing unauthorized transports out of the sky).

The movie sets up as to how Max gets radiated, made into a machine-man, and how he gets to Elysium. Of course there is the emotional quotient as well. His childhood friend has a little girl who is dying and needs what Elysium has in order to get well.

There is some good support actors with Jodie Foster playing the going for power in Elysium, Sharlto Copley as the 'bad, bad guy', Alice Braga as Max's childhood friend grown up. Also Diego Luna, Wagner Moura and William Fichtner (he seems to be popping up a lot - still love his Crossing Lines TV show). 

I'm not sure what makes this movie miss the mark, but for all the guns, the fighting, the human heart tugging, it did not touch me, or my friend who came with me. We both sat at the end and said, what's not right with this movie. I was disappointed.  I like action movies, I like movies which have human heart strings, but somehow the director Neil Blomkamp missed the mark.  Mind you, I was one of the many who did not overly enjoy District 9, so should have known.   I understand I'm not alone in my estimation of this movie.  I'm disappointed in that, because Matt Damon deserves a better movie.
2 out of 5  (the lowest I think I've given maybe ever, but for a long long time.).

PS  Neil Blomkamp is south African, and I delighted in seeing the South African Flag on the side of Sharlto Copley's air transport plus he spoke with his South African accent.  Look for the flag if you go see this movie.  My friend missed it but you don't want to as it brought a smile to my face.

R.I.P.D. movie review

I'm not sure if it was the planets were not aligned right, or if it was the mood I was in, but I did not really enjoy R.I.P.D. I have mentioned before I find my humor is situational, not slapstick, not put down, and definitely not embarrassing, and by rights I 'should' have enjoyed this movie.  I attended with a friend, who I noticed did not laugh a lot either, but said at the end she enjoyed it. I laughed twice. When I spoke with my usual movie going friend Trish, she said she laughed all he way through it. Humor is so directed to people's taste.  If you have Trish's taste, you will enjoy this movie, if you have my taste, give it a miss.  Now onto the movie itself.

Ryan Reynolds a recently deceased cop is teamed up with Jeff Bridges an older lawman. In the earth vibration these dead cops, look like a gorgeous blonde female (Bridges) and an older Asian gentlemen (Reynolds). Mary Louise Parker, is there controller, who has some interesting verbal by play with Bridges. The real bad guy of the movie is Kevin Bacon. The plot was unusual, paying penance by being a cop and rounding up escaped dead bad guys.

As you follow them tracking down aliens who look normal, but when shot with a special gun, turn into all sorts of strange, usually large bulging, peoples. As they go on their rounds, looking and tracking down these escaped dead bad guys, they discover a plot, which will basically destroy the world as we know it by reversing the going up into the afterlife, but having all of them coming back onto earth.  Luckily, the heroes of the day succeed in achieving the end result of defeating the bad guys.  And everything turns back to normal.

Obviously by the 1st paragraph I did not particularly like this movie.  To me its a 2 1/2. To my friend Trish is a 3 1/2.  Go see it and see where your humor button is.

PS. Mary Louise Parker had two movies come out at the same time. She is also in Red 2, which I'm going to write about next - now that one I enjoyed.

Now You See Me - movie review

Now You See Me, is a movie worth going to see.  Why? because it is not like any other movie you have seen, it has magic, it has a most unexpected ending, and it is well acted.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end.  I sat there mesmerized by the story unfolding before me.
Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco play their roles wonderfully well. Woody as the elder statesmen and mentalist of the group, Jesse as the arrogant magician, Isla has the previous assistant to Jesse, but is now an escape artist and Dave who plays the young thief magician.
Then Mark Ruffalo as the FBI agent who is trying to capture these four as they steal a bank, from Paris, France no less and then give the money to the audience, plus other similar escapades.
I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between the four main actors, and that means the writers did their job.
The direction was good, because as I said, it kept my attention right to the very end.  I wanted more, I wanted to see some clips at the end (which more and more movies do these days) but no, the end was the end.  For a few hours of entertainment, because that is what it is, an entertainment movie, then go see this. Enjoy!
4 out of 5.

Olympus Has Fallen - Movie Review

If you want to see lots of people die, lots of explosions and lots of hand to hand combat, then this is the movie to see.  It reminded me of the war movies we used to watch, where people just got mowed down. This was a bit more up front and personal. Seeing people shot in the head is not my usual taste, fighting, and things blowing up - yes I don't mind that at all, but this was .... wow ... a lot of killing for an action movie.
Now after saying all that Olympus Has Fallen, with Gerard Butler as the main character was good if you like action movies. Yes the killing was more than usual to say the least, the theory behind it was interesting. A terrorist group taking the White House and getting the President, played aptly by Aaron Eckhart, and other higher up officials to give them important, secret codes was an interesting concept. I found myself wondering, would it be that easy to take down what is described as the most secure house in the world.
One line of the movie the terrorist says to the President "it takes your army to get here in 15 minutes and we took this in 13".  What are they saying to the world.  Do not movie makers have some responsibility to what they tell the many terrorists out there.  I felt like a plan was being delivered to someone, somewhere.  I'm not sure if this was a book out there or if this was a screen play, but somehow it seemed like Homeland Security needed to be a little more involved when movies show the security bits and pieces of a place like the White House.
Morgan Freeman, plays the Speaker of the House, who takes over when both the President and the Vice President is in the bunker held hostage by the Terrorists.  Then then is Gerard Butler, Mike, the man of the hour, coming to rescue the day. He was good. He is worth going to see. Saving the son, killing a lot of terrorists and finding his way to say the day.  At one point near the end I'm thinking, Rocky in action.
Now I think a really good movie does not have you thinking about security of the White House or Rocky while you are watching it. You are supposed to be fully engaged, so this movie although worth seeing if you like killing, blowing up and a hero in action.  I give it 3 out of 5, but nearly gave it a 2 1/2 because of the over abundance of violence.  Defiantly not for the youngsters, please do not let your children see this, they see enough violence on TV and Video games.  Adults only.  Oh yes, here I am sitting in the first showing of the day with ---- wait ---- two other women.  Yes, three women came to see the thriller (we were all over 50 I would say).  Interesting, eh?
3 out of 5 with caution

Snitch - Movie Review

I'm a bit late getting my movie review of Snitch typed up.  Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson plays the lead of a father who goes into the 'drug' business in order to stop his son going to prison for 10 years. The story is based on an actual story. A young man does his friend a favor and then his friend turns on him and he is found with drugs. The mandatory jail term is 10 years. (more than first time rape and other serious crimes).  Dwayne as the Dad, remarried with another child, running a successful trucking business, gets one of his employees to put him in contact with a drug dealer, stating he can 'ship' drugs (in his trucks). By stating he needs money in this down turned economy, they go on trial run and then the fun really begins.

Dwayne has set up a 'deal' with the District Attorney, played by Susan Saradan, if he can get the main people behind the drug deals his son could go free.  Once Dwayne is in, the truck, the gangs and money, lots of money, come to play the deal gets changed a bit. Benjamin Pratt plays the big drug lord who sets up Dwayne to go across the line into Mexico with millions of dollars. Dwayne, not being stupid, knows if he goes over there he will be killed, so in one of the best big truck driving scenes I've seen (I don't think I took a breath for several seconds at one point) he wins the day.  Not without some nervous moments though and then at the end the son is released and they are all going into protective custody. (Of course you don't see what happens with that story, although I'm sure there is one - protective custody can't be much fun after running a successful business, but then again putting that against your child being in prison for 10 years - no contest).

I enjoyed this movie, fast paced, had a motive, and again the good guys won in the end. The stunts were great, and looked natural, like they could happen. Yes, Snitch was worth seeing.  3 out of 5.

Identity Thief Movie Review

If you like going to a movie and laughing whether you want to or not, then this is the movie to go see. The title Identity Thief tells it all. Especially today, when identity thieving is commonplace. Here though you just can't help laughing and falling in love with Jason Bateman and especially Melissa McCarthy, who sees nothing wrong in taking people's identities and spending their money.
The chemistry between Jason and Melissa went along way to making this a funny movie. For some reason their energies clicked. Him playing the uptight, concerned man, yet moves more and more into being a stronger personality, while she goes from being the brash red haired into being more caring. The situations these two get into as Jason's character brings Melissa's character back to his home town to set him free of charges and keep his job is just one big foul up after another. Yet somehow you follow it all the way with laughter and for me some embarrassment.  Luckily mostly laughter.
Want a good laugh, yet learn about human behavior and redemption, then go see this movie.
4 out of 5 for laughs.

This is 40

I had not gone to see This is 40 for a few reasons, one being Judd Apatow's Bridesmaids was not one of my favorite movies (I know I'm one of the only ones who did not like it) so when Trish and I who had just seen The Guilt Trip was in the movie house and This is 40 was showing, we decided why not so we saw that too. I'm so glad I did. I laughed more in it than I did in the Guilt Trip. I loved the by play between the husband and wife. I remember being 40 and already been in a marriage over 20 years.  (Yes, I got married young).
Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann (Judd Apatow's real life wife) did well as they entered the mid life crisis period, where one can get bogged down with similarity. Judd and Leslie's two children Maude and Iris were also in it and did an admirable job of being a teenager and preteen. Jason Segal as the fitness guru, Albert Brooks as Paul's money taking Dad who had young triplets) and Megan Fox as the young, georgeous woman.  All these actors made the movie adorable. It is funny, and so relatable.
Yes, I enjoyed This is 40.  I wonder what This is 50 will be like.
For a good laugh, if you have not seen it yet, go do so. I'm sure you will enjoy it and be able to relate to some, if not all, of the situations which arise.
3 1/2 out of 5.

The Guilt Trip

I kept waiting for the movie The Guilt Trip to come to our local theatre. It didn't. So I set forth one evening with my friend Trish and we drove north to see it. It was worth the trip. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say you have to see this movie, but I found myself having enough laughs with Seth Rogen (his laugh alone makes me laugh) and Barbra Streisand, who I always think of being immaculate, and here she was as a regular, obsessive mother. That made me laugh too. I just loved the scene where she was eating this ginormous steak dinner. No one would have gotten through that I'm sure,, but they made it fun and believable....I also loved the mother/son talk as they travelled across the U.S.
It was not a movie which taxed your brain, or had some big hidden agenda. It was a simple movie which told a story of mother and son and how they started out on opposite sides of most things and ended up being understanding of each other.  I enjoyed it. For simple entertainment.  3 out of 5.