Dumbo

To say I'm Disney obsessed would be an understatement. A few weeks ago I attended a special screening of Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton at the Disney Studios in Burbank. I had never seen the 60 minute original in its entirety, but I thought, I love Tim Burton and I love elephants, what the heck, I might as well. The movie was adorable. Tim Burton creates these amazingly "odd" characters, who don't entirely fit in, but "fit" all at the same time.

After the screening I was able sit and listen to the cast and crew at a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hilton.    

First off, Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo!!! That's it, it's not a complete sentence, and I don't really care. He's worked with the master (should I call Tim Burton that? It sounds like I'm starting some strange cult, but I really don't care. The cult of Tim Burton) 17 times.  Danny Elfman was cool. I love his scores. It's not really a Tim Burton film without a Danny Elfman score. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite Tim Burton film's of all time. I always love when Disney transforms the Haunted Mansion into The Nightmare Before Christmas.... (Take that Disney World!!)

Tim Burton was amazing to listen to. So were Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito. I could sit and listen to those three all day long. I really didn't want this press conference to end. It was one of the highlights of my career.  Tim Burton was a little all over the place, but everything he said made sense. Tim Burton is truly a creative genius.

One of the most wonderful things that came out of the film is what Danny DeVito says at the end of the movie, that animals shouldn't be locked in cages. I agree wholeheartedly. Dumbo, with his big blue eyes and big floppy ears, can really melt your heart.

Anyway, this movie was a beautiful film about family and protecting those you love. Everyone should take their kids to see this movie.  I may even go see it again.

I even got a Funko Pop Dumbo to add to my Pop collection!!!  These were given out with our Dumbo "Swag Bags"!

Top 10 Movies: January-June 2018 Edition

I'm keeping this short! For the past few years, it has become tradition of mine to list my "Top 10" of January-June and then July-December.  Without further ado here goes my first Top-Ten-Films list for 2018.

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story: PG-13 Action/Sci-Fi: I was going back-and-forth with deciding to add this movie on my list. I really liked it a lot and think that it got a bum rap being released so soon after The Last Jedi  The Last Jedi Review a movie I really didn't like at all. Is Disney ruining the franchise? Maybe a lot, so yes. 

9. Blockers: R Comedy: This movie was highly inappropriate and super funny.  This is like a senseless beach read.  A movie that makes it so you don't have to think, you just have to laugh and those laughs I got, were from John Cena. 

8. Game Night: R Action/Crime/Comedy: I love Jason Batemen. This was a very funny movie. Creepy Gary was, well creepy. 

7. Annihilation: R Sci-Fi/Horror: Padme and Poe in the same movie, it's like a Star Wars reunion. The horror isn't as bad as you would think. I'm not a fan of gore (gratuitous gore) but this was manageable. This was a creepy movie with an ending that is left up in the air.    

6. Adrift: PG-13 Action: Oh this movie broke my heart. I thought this was going to be a boring journey about being lost at sea. There was a "surprise ending" with clues leading you from the start.  

5. A Quiet Place: PG-13 Drama/Horror/Sci-Fi: This movie was so good. I honestly don't know how they were able to stay so quiet. I wouldn't make it, I know that for certain. 

4. The Incredibles 2: PG Family: I saw the original for the first time about a week before I saw this one. This is a case where the sequel (for me) was better than the original. It was a situation where my husband and I were out and decided to see a movie, but we had seen all of the other movies in the theater. Because I didn't like the original at all, I was hesitant in seeing this one. It was released 14 years after the first one. That's a long time to wait for a sequel. Unlike the first one, this held my interest. 

3. Avengers: Infinity War: PG-13 Action: I already posted a review about this one. Thor is my favorite and I usually don't prefer blonds. Avengers: Infinity War Review

2. Black Panther: PG-13 Action: I already posted a review about this movie.  Black Panther Review I'm hearing that it maybe even has the potential to be an "Oscar Award Winning" film? 

1. Three Identical Strangers: PG-13 Documentary: AMAZING. This is the story of triplets who were separated at birth, and adopted out to three different families. They became a media sensation in the early 80's and even had a small role in Desperately Seeking Susan. I recommend this movie to everyone. Believe it or not this documentary came with some shocking twists and turns. 

Here is a list of all films that I saw during this period. The ones in bold are those that I liked, but they just didn't make my Top-Ten-List. These are in no particular order and do not include those movies listed above.  There were so many more movie that I wanted to see, but didn't because of limited release. 

I Feel Pretty PG-13
Deadpool 2 R
Won't You Be my Neighbor PG-13
Book Club PG-13
Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom PG-13
Winchester PG-13
Fifty Shades Freed R
Pacific Rim Uprising PG-13
Pandas G (IMAX California Science Center)
Overboard PG-13
Life of the Party PG-13
Tag R
Ocean's 8: PG-13

Ant-Man and the Wasp, Paul Rudd and an Evening at Disney Studios

Recently I was asked to attend a special screening and press day for the upcoming Marvel sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Peña, Hannah John-Kamen and Randall Park. As with the original Ant-Man, Rudd was a part of the writing team. The movie was good, not great, but fun nonetheless. 

So much is given away in the commercials for this movie, there isn't much left for us in the actual film. Radio segments are saying that critics are amazed with the surprise ending. There really wasn't much of a "surprise" ending to speak of. Unfortunately I wasn't on the edge of my seat. In the Marvel timeline, this comes before the events in Avengers: Infinity War and is a sequel to Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War. It would have helped me to re-watch Ant-Man since I've forgotten the events of that film. It has to be hard to be the film that follows Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. These three set the bar really high. 

There were some laughs in the film. Michael Pena has some of the best scenes. His montage is the best. At the press day in Pasadena, Evangeline Lilly stated that Luis's "montage" was her favorite thing to film. Randall Park plays the FBI agent, Jimmy Woo, who is in charge of making sure that Scott Lang finishes out his house arrest after helping Captain America.    

Hank Pym and his daughter Hope van Dyne are desperately trying to find Janet van Dyne in the quantum zone, where she has been trapped for the last 30 years.  Laurence Fishburne leaves the DC to join the MCU. Will he return as Perry White in the next Man of Steel movie? Will there be another Man of Steel?

The movie, at it's core about family and the love of a family. That's evident in Scott's relationship with his daughter Cassie and Hank's relationship with Hope. There is one line I wish they would have changed. It's when Scott and Cassie are talking and he mentions that Hope reminds him a lot of Cassie. I know the message they are trying to convey. I just wish they could have conveyed it a different way. 

My husband and I were able to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp at the Disney Studios in Burbank. I've been there before and I just love it! We were given drinks and finger foods before the screening and popcorn during. We watched the 3D version of the film and I wasn't a big fan. I don't particularly care for 3D films to begin with, I think they're a waste of money. There was nothing spectacular about watching it in 3D.  

Being on the studio grounds is a very magical experience. My dream was to always work at Disney Studios.  

A few days later I went to the press event at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. I love the Langham. It's beautiful.  My husband took me there once when we were dating. They have a beautiful courtyard garden. While walking through this garden to get to the other side of the hotel, I bumped into Paul Rudd. This was an amazing experience!! I've loved him since before Clueless. Anyway, I digress. I walked back into the hotel from the courtyard and ran into a group of people. within this group was Paul Rudd. We made eye contact, he smiled and I said......nothing. It took a minute for my brain to register the fact that this was in-fact-PAUL-freaking-RUDD!! Before I had time to whip out my phone for a selfie, he was gone and I was already on security's radar. 

As with many of the press junkets I attend, some of the costumes are on hand. I really loved the Wasp costume. Evangeline Lilly is so much fun in this movie. Her fighting scenes are awesome! Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly have great chemistry. How can you not have chemistry with Paul Rudd. He's such a dream!!!  They have this action figure that is so lifelike, its scary. I've never seen anything like it before. I has "facial hair". 

My students know that I have an obsession with FunkoPop dolls. I have a "wall-of-pop" in my classroom. They give them to me as gifts. The Wasp, Hope and Scott are adorable!!

The few days that I spent in the MCU were terrific. Paul Rudd is still adorable. The movie was good, but not great.  I'd give the movie 3 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. Most of the action scenes were already given to us in the commercials. I wasn't surprised by the ending. I actually have some hope for the future, and by future I mean 2019's Avengers 4. Let's face it, we know that in the MCU, no one is really ever truly gone. 

My Ranking of the Marvel Films

Here is my ranking of Marvel films that have been released over the last 15 years.  Remember this is just my personal opinion. I'm curious to see how others would rank these films. I didn't include anything from Fox or Sony. Bravo Disney for acquiring the rights to the X-Men and I guess The Fantastic Four.    

20. Hulk, 2003: I don't know if this can count? I only saw it on cable, once, and I don't think this is considered a part of the MCU, whereas Edward Norton's version is.

19. Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011:  This was a snooze fest. I've watched it only twice, the first time, not really watching but more along the lines of napping. We did not see this in theaters, it was a rental at home. 

18. The Incredible Hulk, 2008: Better than the 2003 version, but I get annoyed at reboots. I can remember when and where I saw this film. My husband and I had just gotten married. We waited until the 4th of July holiday to watch it. 

17. Thor: The Dark World, 2013: This was bad, definitely worse than the original. It felt very rushed. 

16. Iron Man 3, 2013: I wish Iron Man's final solo outing could have been better. 

15. Thor, 2011: Thor's first outing was really bad, sorry Kenneth Branagh, nice try though. There were some funny parts to it, but I just didn't care for the character, The God of Thunder with long hair and a hammer. He was nice to look at though.

14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 2017: I thought it was ok, not a favorite, but not bad enough to be at the bottom. Mantis was a great addition. The scenes with Drax and Mantis are the best. 

13. Iron Man 2, 2010: Just ok.

12. Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015: I felt it was just another rushed film and I was a little lost. Those damn infinity stones!!

11. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014: This was a much better movie!

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2017: I hope Marvel gets to keep the rights for this film. Sony did a horrible job with the reboot and should have left the films alone. He should be called Spider-Boy, not Spider-Man.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014: Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista are really funny, the end. 

8. Iron Man, 2008: The movie that started it all.  

7. The Avengers, 2012: I really enjoyed this movie, but there are so many more that I love. It was a fun.

6. Ant-Man, 2015: I love Paul Rudd. I really thought the movie was going to be stupid, but I was wrong. It was good. 

5. The Avengers: Infinity War, 2018: I can't wait to see how this ends and bravo for bringing Nick Fury back! P.S. I saw him at LAX on my way to Chicago. I forbade my husband from yelling something out to him. We had to keep our cool. 

4. Doctor Strange, 2016: Come on guys, I'm waiting patiently for a sequel. I LOVED the special effects!! 

3. Black Panther, 2018: I think the hype ruined it for me. Sorry, as much as I LOVE Chadwick Boseman, and I think Black Panther is awesome, I didn't love the movie. 

2. Captain America: Civil War, 2016: I loved this movie!! It was like The Avengers: Infinity War Jr. This was the best of the three and one of my favorite Marvel films! Captain America Civil War

1. Thor: Ragnarok, 2017: This is still my favorite Marvel movie!! I wrote a review a few months back, so I won't say anything more here. Thor Ragnarok

So here is my ranking of the MCU. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!





  

Black Panther Review

****For some reason, the coloring is off on this blog. I tried to fix it the best I could. Sorry in advance. 

How can I come across in this review and not sound like a Debbie Downer? I had super high expectations for Black Panther and while my expectations weren't quite met, I still enjoyed the movie.

First off, the last Marvel outing, Thor Ragnarok, blew my mind. Every other Marvel film will now be set to that standard. It took Thor, three outings before they finally succeed in making a cool film. Even Kenneth Branagh couldn't get it right. 

Black Panther is such a multi-faceted character, he's a king and a superhero. He must protect the people of Wakanda, and yet also be a part of regular society. I loved his (Black Panther's) first outing in Captain America: Civil War. I love Chadwick Boseman! He's very nice too look at, especially on the cover of Rolling Stones Magazine. On that note, here's what I thought about the characters/actors.  

I've loved Chadwick Boseman since 42 and he was great in Marshall too. He is amazing as T'Challa. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia is great too, but I couldn't help but hear the voice of Maz Canata (I wonder why?). My favorite character by far was Letitia Wright as T'Challa's sister, Shuri. She was funny and strong willed and kicked some butt on her own. I couldn't help but feel annoyed at Michael B. Jordan's, Erik Killmonger. I get that he's upset about being left behind, but what about his mother? She isn't mentioned except for once, when they say that his father, Sterling K. Brown (Randall from This Is Us, the BEST show on the planet) fell in love with an American. We don't know much about his life growing up. T'Challa had no idea that this man existed. Why must T'Challa pay for the sins of his father, who wasn't a bad guy to begin with. I don't clearly understand why T'Challa's dad didn't take Erik with him in the end anyway. This is the problem I had with the movie. The fact that Michael B. Jordan's character felt to entitled to a throne that didn't belong to him.  In the end there was no redemption in his character either, and that annoyed me. 

The action was just ok. There weren't too many on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments. I thought those  very few moments, were what we were given in the promos/commercials for the movie. There were a few fight scenes, but nothing to wow me the way Captain America: Civil War did. My husband fell asleep in this movie and he didn't fall asleep when we watched Fifty Shades Freed. What does that tell me. This couldn't hold his interest.  He did say he wanted to see Black Panther again, probably to watch all that he missed when his eyes were closed and his snoring got too loud. 

The visual effects were great, except the spaceship in the sky. I didn't like that. I thought it was silly. Why would no one mention this fancy spaceship in the 80's or question why it was flying overhead? I love how Wakanda is so exotic. 

I'm not all too familiar with the Black Panther mythos. In fact, I'm not too familiar with much of the Marvel mythology, just what I've read and learned in the more recent years. I think that because I heard so many amazing things about this movie before I went to see it, my expectations were just too high. As I mentioned Thor earlier, I had low expectations for that movie. Thor and Thor: The Dark World weren't that great, then they released Ragnarok, which was a super fun ride. The opposite could be said about Iron Man. I thought the first in the trilogy far surpassed the two sequels. Anyway I digress (as per my usual). 

I liked the acting, that wasn't the problem. The storyline wasn't as great as I thought it could be. I  feel a bit burned out by the amount of Marvel/DC action films being released, and yet I feel the need to watch them all. 

I would give Black Panther 3.5 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. 

On a side note someone I know asked me if this film was about the rise of the Black Panther movement of the sixties. I had no words. 

Star Wars Movies Ranked

I just finished reading The Princess Diarist, written by the late Carrie Fisher. In honor of the book, I am going to rank all the Star Wars films from my least favorite to favorite. I know that some of my choices as favorites will be controversial and I'm just fine with that. This is solely my opinion and I'm fine that people disagree with my choices.

Not included in this list are the following: The Ewok movies from the 80's, The Clone Wars cartoons or any other cartoon series that may have been created.

9.  Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. (1999) This movie was the most boring of the bunch. Even with Ewan McGregor as a young Obi Wan, I can't get on board with this movie and it is my least favorite. A boy grows up on a desert planet and hates sand, said boy leaves planet to become a Jedi, the most powerful Jedi in all the galaxy. Sadly this boy whines and complains all the time.

8. Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi. (2017) This crushed any hope I had for the series. I think I may be in the minority on this one, or maybe the majority if you're reading Flixster. I wrote an entire review on this film in another post so I won't go into detail about my complaints over this movie in this post. The Last Jedi Review

7. Star Wars IV: A New Hope. (1977) Another boring outing. So much of The Phantom Menace mirrors A New Hope. It's the same story, just different players. A boy grows up on a desert planet and hates sand, said boy leaves planet to become a Jedi, the most powerful Jedi in all the galaxy. Sadly this boy whines and complains all the time. Wait you'll see a pattern.

6.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (2016) It's fitting that it should be the entry right before A New Hope. The story is getting interesting with this one. It's nice to see old characters again, (Jimmy Smitts as Bail Organa), and new characters thrown into the mix too.

5. Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. (2015) I liked this one so much better than The Last Jedi. At least with this one there was hope, a new hope that the franchise would get better with age, just like a good wine. What I didn't like was the following: A girl grows up on a desert planet and hates sand, said girl leaves planet to become a Jedi, the most powerful Jedi in all the galaxy. There is also a boy who sadly whines and complains all the time, because he isn't as powerful as his granddaddy, the most powerful Sith in the entire galaxy.  Oh wait, we've had two versions of that story already. Please pick a new theme, thanks.

4. Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. (2002) There's fighting, there's romance, there's some comedy Hayden is hot, Ewan is hot. There's not much more to ask for.  So this is where I begin to get controversial. Most people will not agree that this movie should be in anyone's top five. I know I'll hear that they acting was bad and seems forced, but looking at the originals, the acting is bad in those too! The actors are only as good as the director and the script.

3. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back. (1980) "No, I am your father" best reveal ever. The kiss between Luke and Leia is icky. "That boy was our last hope. No, there is another," cut to Leia. Obviously it was known that Leia was going to be Luke's sister. The foreshadowing is written all over the proverbial wall.

2.  Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. (2005) Finally George gets to use Revenge in a title. The battle scene between Anakin and Obi Wan was probably my favorite in any Star Wars film. I don't care what anyone says, this was a great movie.

1. Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. (1983) This is the best Star Wars movie in the series. The story comes full circle. Anakin fulfills the prophecy and destroys the Sith. Good vs. Evil and good prevails. Anakin risks his life to save his son. Let's not forget those adorable Ewok who help the rebels save the day. Luke and Leia realize that they are brother and sister (how is that kiss feeling now?). The series ends positively, Leia and Han are in love and everyone in the galaxy is happy, what more could you want? 

In just a few weeks I will be creating a list of my favorite films July-Dec 2017.

Thor: Ragnarok Review

OMG OMG OMG!!! I have no words for the beauty that I witnessed last night. And by beauty, yes I mean Chris Hemsworth The Lord of Thunder, I mean God of Thunder. Thor: Ragnarok is my favorite Marvel film to date. Watching this movie, I felt like I was in an 80's video game. I have nothing negative to say about it. It kept my attention from start to finish, the music was great, the visuals were stunning, and the acting was on point.

I laughed out loud so many times throughout the film. Hemsworth is hilarious. He can sure have some fun with the roles that he plays. I love that about him. He doesn't take himself too seriously.  Of course I loved the cameos in the film. Dr. Strange shows up in the beginning.  Anthony Hopkins also makes a brief appearance as Odin. We find out that Jane and Thor broke up, but I think that is already briefly mentioned in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The scenes between Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth are so funny. Bruce Banner is the "Hulk" in the majority of the film. Mark Ruffalo is my favorite Banner/Hulk.

The plot of Thor: Ragnarok was really good. A dark force awakens to take over Asgard. Come to find out, this "dark force" is Thor and Loki's sister, Hela, the goddess of death, played by Cate Blanchett. Thor, Loki, the Hulk and a Valkyrie must work together to save the day without the help of Thor's hammer, which is destroyed by Hela during their first encounter on earth.  Because she is Odin's oldest child, she can wield the hammer. This surprises both Thor and Loki.

After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Hulk winds up on a "junk" planet, run by Jeff Goldblum (he is very good in this movie too). Hulk ends up becoming a fighter in their version of UFC.  We find out that Banner has been living as the Hulk for the last two years. Thor also happens to land on this planet after his first encounter with his sister, Hela. Thor, now hammer-less, and Hulk have to fight (you see this in the previews and commercials, so I'm not giving anything away). The exchange between Hulk and Thor is hilarious.

My sister-in-law loves Thor, she thinks he very handsome. Chris Hemsworth looks very good in this movie, especially with his short hair. With the success of this film, I wonder if Chris Hemsworth will sign on to do a few more? What does this mean for the franchise. Is Hela dead? Can you kill the Goddess of Death? Does Death die?

Thor was never my least favorite marvel character. That honor is bestowed to Captain America. Let's face it Cap is pretty boring and vanilla. Thor is vanilla too, but he controls lightening! Thunder too right, considering he's the God of Thunder, not God of Lightening. 

I repeat, this is my favorite Marvel movie to date. I didn't want it to end. Maybe I should post a blog with a list of all my favorite Marvel comic book films. That would be interesting.

Thor: Ragnarok is rated PG-13 for brief Hulk nudity (ha ha ha) and it gets 5 out of 5 Gerber Daisies on my Gerber Daisy scale. This is an absolute must see, not a "I'll wait until it comes out in the cheap theaters!!" I may even like it better than Wonder Woman.