My Top Movies: July - December 2016

I'm back and I'm glad. It's been a while I know. The job that pays the bills must take precedence over the job I'd love to have, but am doing currently as a hobby.  At the end of June, I posted my top 10 movies of the first half of the year. Now, exactly 6 months later, I'm posting "Part II". I just want to say, before I begin, how sad I am at the recent deaths of so many celebrities. I didn't know any of them personally, but this post is dedicated to all those we lost in 2016. 2016, you suck!!

Here is a link to my top 10 movies January to June. Top 10 Movies Part I January-June 

This half of the year was so much better than the first. I will add a few Honorable Mentions at the end. 

10.  The Legend of Tarzan: I really did enjoy this movie. Alexander Skarsgard is very well built and I'm not typically drawn to blondes. I kind of like Margot Robbie's acting, as she will also be in a movie higher up on my list, can you guess what that might be? I thought the cinematography was breathtaking. Who doesn't love Tarzan and Jane's love? I did like this movie a lot, but it also holds a special place in my heart, because my dad was a fan of the Tarzan films (there have been so many!!) PG-13

9.  Secret Life of Pets: I already posted a review of this movie on this blog, so here is the link Secret Life of Pets I thought this movie was stinking cute. Yes I'm a pet owner and animal lover. PG

8.  Allied: After further thought this movie made its way on my list. Originally The Secret Life of Pets was in this slot. I thought this film was beautiful. It wasn't as violent as I thought it was going to be. I'm not a huge fan of Brad Pitt (I used to be in the 90's) and some may say this is really a remake of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I really liked it. I'm completely obsessed with World War II. Maybe I was a nurse during that time in a past life? I'm now a fan of Marion Cotillard. R

7.  Suicide Squad: I really liked it! I think it would have been better with more Jordan Catalano, I mean Jared Leto, because he is awesome sauce! I think I might even buy the DVD to get the extra features. I love Jai Courtney and Will Smith. Margot Robbie was crazy as Harley Quinn. I didn't like the witch, but without her, there would be no story.  PG-13

6.  Bridget Jones's Baby: I really did love this movie!  It was great to see Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth back together again! Patrick Dempsey just gets better with age, like a fine wine! This movie was better than Edge of Reason! I enjoyed the fact that I got to see it with my mom! R

5.   Manchester by the Sea: I know about the controversy with Casey Affleck, and I hope that isn't true. That aside, I thought the movie was stunning, Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck were amazing. I want to live in Manchester by the Sea. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the east coast, although the west coast is the best coast. R

4.  Moana: It's Disney and the Rock. I love them both. Little Moana was so adorable. I really loved this movie. I spent many summers in Hawaii, so I love the Polynesian culture. It was a great empowering story for young girls. PG

3.  Trolls:  Super cute! I love Poppy and Branch. I was invited to Comic Con to interview Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick for this film back in July. I couldn't wait to see the film in its entirety. This is another film to empower young girls, especially now when we have a president-elect who disrespects and sexually harasses women.  PG

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: This came out on my birthday. Thanks Disney for your gift. I loved Felicity Jones and Diego Luna. Carrie Fisher, RIP you will forever be our Princess. I did miss the mythology of the Star Wars saga with the Skywalker family, but this movie didn't disappoint. It was full of action, but yes it did drag in a few spots. PG-13 

There was one movie the second half of the year that beat out Rogue One, drum roll please..........

1.  Doctor Strange: This is probably my favorite movie of the year. It was visually stunning. Interesting enough Mad Mikkelsen was in both Rogue One and Doctor Strange.  Rachel McAdams I love, Benedict Cumberbatch, I wasn't a fan of you until this movie. You can't go wrong with Marvel and Disney.  PG-13

There were a few honorable mentions, because I had so many on my list for the second half of the year. I also enjoyed: The Magnificent Seven, Sausage Party, Pete's Dragon, Passengers and Snowden, but this is only a top 10. I was reaching the first half of the year. With 2016 coming to a close, I look forward to what the studios have in store for us in 2017.

Happy New Year and Merry Watching!!! 

Spoilers......The Secret Life of Pets

If you haven't seen The Secret Life of Pets and you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now. Don't say I didn't warn you.

My husband and I go to work everyday, and everyday, I wonder what exactly do my dogs do while we're gone? What trouble do they get themselves into? The Secret Life of Pets sets out to answer those exact questions. (Well sort of, remember it's an animated movie.) The Secret Life of Pets, released on July 8th, is an animated film from the makers of Despicable Me and Minions. 

Is this what they do when I'm gone?

I must say that this is one of the cutest movies I've seen this summer. I was anxious to see this movie after watching the trailer months ago.  This movie was so much fun and had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. 

This is my Max. Sammy was the OG. 

The storyline was super sweet. Katie gets puppy Max, a "small dog". Years later she adopts the large and goofy Duke from the pound, much to Max's chagrin. Max looks for ways to get rid of Duke, who has come in and upset Max's happy existence. No longer is Max allowed to share Katie's bed. To the floor he goes, next to Duke. I know, this doesn't sound too sweet just yet, but it gets better.

This is my Duke. Mia was our rescue. 

While out for a walk, Duke seeks his revenge against Max. Both he and Max find themselves in some precarious circumstances. They must, work together as friends, to escape feral cats, a street gang of displaced pets and the dog catchers close on their "tails", chasing them through the mean streets of Manhattan. Hilarity ensues, especially with Kevin Hart as the voice of Snowball, the white bunny and leader of the New York street gang.  

With the help of Max's pet friends, Gidget, Chloe, Mel and a few others, both Duke and Max find their way back home to Katie and by the end of the movie, they become best buds. Max knows that without him and Katie, Duke would be all alone, without a family to love.

While the main story focuses on Max and Duke, some of the supporting characters definitely stole the show. Gidget, voiced by Jenny Slate, is a tiny white Pomeranian who looks more like a Fefe than a Gidget, is by far, my favorite "Pet". She has a mad crush on Max and is the first to notice Max and Duke missing. She will stop at nothing to try to get them back. She even enlists the help of Tiberius, the hawk chained up on the roof, who at first tries to eat her. She's the pampered pet with an edge. Her "Kung-Fu panda dog" attack on the animal street gang was the best. The small things that distract the pets' were hilarious, think "Dug" in Up and "squirrel!" because, yes, there were quite a few scenes like that....."ball". But that's how dogs are, right? You have their attention for a minute and then bam, they find something else to entertain them. 

I'm going to be honest, I wasn't familiar with many of the actors who voiced these characters. I did know Ellie Kemper (Katie), because I absolutely love the Netflix show, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dana Carvey (Pops), Eric Stonestreet (Duke), Albert Brooks (Tiberius), Lake Bell (Chloe) and of course Kevin Hart (Snowball). I had no clue who Louis C.K (Max) and Jenny Slate (Gidget) were, but like I said earlier, Gidget was by far my favorite character and I'm excited to see what Jenny Slate will do next. I heard a rumor she's dating "Captain America", good for her! Albert Brooks also voiced Marlin in Finding Dory, released earlier this summer. Another one of my favorite movies of the year so far. 

I almost found that this animated film was more for adults than for kids. I asked my husband, "was this a kid's film?" He said he didn't think so. Some of the jokes were more adult oriented. The jokes weren't bad and would probably go over the heads of young babes, but there were some innuendos that adults would definitely catch on to. 

One of my fur babies snuck out of the house once. She followed my husband out of the gate, he didn't know. I was working on the computer, when all of a sudden I heard a familiar cry. I looked out the window and who do I see? My Mia. Thankfully her adventure wasn't as intense as the Max and Duke's. She didn't she have to run away from any street gang or fight feral cats 

I love this little girl too. She's not ours though. 

I knew this movie was right up my alley. I'm a pet owner and my two dogs stay home alone while I'm at work. It breaks my heart when I have to leave them home alone. I love my job and I work so that we can have a better life, but I know my Mia has separation anxiety. Sometimes shoes and clothes get destroyed. It would be interesting to set up a camera to see what really goes on in my house when I'm gone.  At the end of the day, I guess that old saying, "While the cat's away, the mice will play" still holds true.
  

I enjoyed this movie, it was funny and sweet. If you love animals and are curious to see what they do when they're home alone, go to see it. This is a film that both adults and children can enjoy. The Secret Life of Pets gets 4 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies.