Captain America: Civil War

Spanks – 5

Directors – Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Writers – Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Starring – Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl & William Hurt

Release Date – 6 May 2016

MPAA Rating – PG-13

Run time – 147 Minutes

Captain America: Civil War could have easily been called Avengers 3 with all the heroes in the movie. It had all but Thor and The Hulk, it introduced Black Panther and a new Spiderman, and it even gave screen time to new Avengers Vision and Scarlet Witch. The movie is tied closely to the events of Age of Ultron. Because of the events and collateral damage in Sokovia the government created the Sokovia Accord, which would let the United Nations oversee and control the Avengers. This divides the heroes. There is also a new villain who was a regular soldier from Sokovia until the battle with Ultron.

This is one of the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has just enough action, it keeps you thinking what is going to happen next, and was written well. It is funny and the characters work great with each other. Spider-Man was great and this version could be as good or better then Tobey Maguire.

The fight scene at the airport where Iron Man’s team confronts Captain America’s team was done really well. With so many people to focus on, the directors did good with going back to each character so you always know what they are all doing. There was 12 heroes involved which is a lot of people to keep track of.

If you have an IMAX around you, see it there. The airport battle was filmed with an IMAX camera and the sequence is huge.

A Beautiful Planet

Spanks – 5

Director – Toni Myers

Writer – Toni Myers

Narrator – Jennifer Lawrence

Release Date – 29 April 2016

MPAA Rating – G

Run time – 47 Minutes

This is the first time I am doing a review on an IMAX documentary. I saw the display hanging up for A Beautiful Planet and thought it would be an awesome film to watch in the theater. The Former Future Mrs. Spanky and I decided to go. The film is about filming the Earth from the International Space Station and the crew on board.

The visuals of this movie are amazing. It made me want to be an astronaut once again. Seeing our planet from the ISS on that ginormous screen and in 3D was one of the coolest things I have screen that was filmed. It showed the Earth from different angles then your used to seeing, with different natural events going on (the thunderstorms were really cool!) and different times of the day. It is well worth the hour to go see it. It has got to be the closest to reality that us non-astronauts will ever get to seeing what Earth looks like from Space. The tag line is ” Experience Earth Like Never Before”… and you do!

The only issue I had with the movie was it got a little preachy on global warming. We know it is happening and there is a lot everyone has to do to fix it, but they didn’t have to go to such a downer in a fantastic movie. Those scenes do show how damaging global warming is to the planet and I agree with what it said about it, I just wasn’t expecting anything like that.

The trailer does not do the film justice because YouTube and your high definition TV can not recreate the scope of an IMAX screen.

Zootopia

Spanks – 5

Directors – Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush (co-director)

Writers – Jared Bush & Phil Johnston

Voices – Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk & Shakira

Release Date – 4 March 2016

MPAA Rating – PG

Run time – 108 Minutes

Zootopia is Walt Disney Animation Studios 55th Animated feature. It is a buddy cop movie set in the city of Zootooia, where all animals live together in peace. Judy hoops is a young bunny who becomes the first bunny police officer in the city. She is not wanted and the chief puts her on meter maid duty instead of putting her on one of the missing mammal cases. It’s not long before she is put on the case to prove she belongs, but needs the help of a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde. You could think of it sort of like 48 Hours, but for kids, rated PG, no murderer, bad language, or Eddie Murphy.

This movie is everything you would expect from a buddy cop movie except that it is animated. Not that you can tell because the “camera angles” are how a real movie would be. It follows the buddy cop formula, but it isn’t all predictable. It was written very well for little kids to enjoy as well as for the grow ups. The way all the animals were create is very funny because they act human, but all have traits that come out that are instincts of the species and that makes a lot of funny scenes.

The voices were perfectly cast, Jason Bateman is great as Nick Wilde and if foxes could talk they would probably sound like him. It is a very funny movie, Disney’s funniest since Wreck It Ralph. Zootopia is a great family outing for your family.

Deadpool

Spanks – 5

Director – Tim Miller

Writers – Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick

Starring – Ryan Reynolds, Karan Soni, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller & Morena Baccarin

Release Date – 12 February 2016

MPAA Rating – R

Run time – 108 Minutes

Deadpool is not your typical superhero movie. If your expecting Iron Man or Batman you might be disappointed. The movie is an origin story about how Wade Wilson becomes Deadpool. Wilson is a mercenary who gains mutant powers and gets disfigured in an experiment. He doesn’t see himself as a hero even though some of the X-Men do.

To warn you, the movie has lots of bad language, violence, sex and nudity… That goes back to my first statement. If you are cool with that then you will truly enjoy it. It is very funny, I laughed the whole time. They even poked fun at Marvel movies, the people in the movie and Green Lantern. The casting was perfect for every character. The story was fun too. It is a much better introduction of Deadpool then in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It is one of the best origin story superhero movies that Hollywood has made.

It’s probably not a film to take your lady to on Valentine’s weekend if you are planning a romantic night out unless she is really cool. However, there is a love story involved in the film.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Spanks – 5

Director – J.J. Abrams

Writers – Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt

Starring – Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Peter Mayhew & Anthony Daniels

Release Date – 18 December 2015

MPAA Rating – PG-13

Run time – 135 Minutes

The Force Awakens is the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. It is the first movie in the franchise since Lucasfilms was bought by Disney. George Lucas had nothing to do with it which probably why it is so good. If you are wondering why, you must not have watch the prequel trilogy.

The film takes place about 30 years after the second Death Star was destroyed and the Emperor was defeated. The republic is being rebuilt, but there is a new group that wants the new republic to fail. Two unlikely Heroes are forced into events that will shape the future of a galaxy far far away.

The movie has a lot of similarities to the original Star Wars but it also has a bunch of new stuff. People are upset about the similarities but I don’t think it’s a big deal because it feels like a Star Wars movie much more then the last trilogy.

The whole movie is awesome. The new characters are great. The ones we love are great. The bad guy isn’t a cookie cutter bad guy and had lots of room to grow. The story is great. I didn’t want to leave the theater, I wanted to watch it again. And I want to know more! The sequel comes out in two years… I hope they are quick years.

Vacation

Spanks – 3

Directors – John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein

Writers – Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley

Starring – Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann, Beverly D’Angelo & Chevy Chase

Release Date – 29 July 2015

MPAA Rating – R

Run time – 99 Minutes

I went into the theater to see Vacation with little expectations and all the funny parts in the trailer. I was incorrect. There were a lot of funny parts that were a surprise and it was over all very funny. I would say it was one of the funniest and silliest movies in recent memory. The story isn’t anything original, it is just funny and entertaining.

The film takes place about 30 years after the original and it follows Clark Griswold’s son Rusty’s family vacation to Walley World. Just like his first road trip to Walley World with his parents and sister, this one doesn’t go as planned and things get a little crazy.

Vacation is a movie that will not win any awards. It doesn’t do anything to break the formula. It is just funny. Watch the movie to just hang out, relax and laugh.

Ant Man

Spanks – 5

Director – Peyton Reed

Writers – Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & Paul Rudd

Starring – Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Mackie, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson & Michael Peña

Release Date – 17 July 2015

MPAA Rating – PG-13

Run time – 117 Minutes

I was a little concerned with Ant Man because of the behind the scenes stuff that went on. Not long before production was set to begin the writer and director left because of creative differences. In the end the film came out great. They didn’t change the script to much, and it still had the feel of an Edger Wright movie. My only complaint is that it started a little slow, but after the first 20 minutes or so the pace speed up and turned into a great film.

Ant Man tells the story of Scott Lang. He is a former engineer who was arrested for burglary. Upon release from prison he has a hard time getting a job and is recruited by scientist Hank Pym to “break into a place and steal some stuff.” Dr. Pym is the creator of the Ant Man suit and teaches Scott how to use it so he can save the world.

The movie is very funny. I think it is the funniest of the Marvel movies to date. They also used macro photography for the scenes when Scott is in shrunken form which gave the film a different look then just using CGI. Paul Rudd was a perfect choice for the title roll, even though you wouldn’t look at him as a superhero, which is probably why it works. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next for Ant Man and where that will happen in future Marvel movies.

Jurassic World

Spanks – 5

Director – Colin Trevorrow

Writers – Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly

Starring – Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy & BD Wong

Release Date – 12 June 2015

MPAA Rating – PG-13

Run time – 135 Minutes

Jurassic World is the best of the Jurassic Park sequels. The movie captures the essence of the original from start to finish. Like the original it has the right amount of dinosaurs (and new ones!), some great characters and a good story.

The movie takes place 22 years after John Hammond took scientist to his new theme park to endorse it. Ten years before InGen opened the theme park and to create more buzz and to get more visitors to the park the geneticist created a new hybrid dinosaur they call Indominus Rex. Of course, this turns out to not be a good idea.

The movie was so much fun. There were a few parts I was about to jump out of my seat. The cast was great. The kids in the movie reminded me of Tim and Lex from the first film, which helped give it the feel of the original. The dinosaurs looked great and were given a personality. The climax was awesome too!

At this point of the summer, Jurassic World top my list of best movie of the summer and I think it is going to be hard to beat.

San Andreas

Spanks – 5

Director – Brad Peyton

Writer – Carlton Cuse

Starring – Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Paul Giamatti, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, Will Yun Lee & Kylie Minogue

Release Date – 29 May 2015

MPAA Rating – PG-13

Run time – 114 Minutes

San Andreas is an excellent disaster film and one of the most fun in the genre in years. This film is exactly what you would expect from a disaster movie, so don’t expect anything award winning in a non-technical category. It has lots of destruction, cheesy dialog, and a silly plot. It is exactly what you would expect from a disaster flick.

The film follows the family of an LAPD rescue helicopter pilot (Ray Gaines) and a seismologist (Dr. Hayes). Ray is in the middle of a divorce and his wife (Emma) and daughter (Blake) now live with a rich real estate developer (Daniel Riddick). An earthquake at the Hoover Dam causes Ray to get called into work and can’t take Blake to college. She then decides to go with Daniel but with a pit stop in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes is at the Hoover Dam to test new equipment to predict earthquakes. With the data they collect they learn that the equipment works. It tells them another quake is coming very soon that will be on the San Andreas fault and it will be big. Unfortunately for Blake, it hits while she is in San Francisco.

If you go see San Andreas, it is going to be a lot of fun. The effects are great, which is most important in this kind of movie. I don’t think it is scientifically accurate, but who cares. It is a movie that was made for you to enjoy two hours of your day, so go enjoy it.

Tomorrowland

Spanks – 5

Director – Brad Bird

Writers – Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird

Starring – George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson & Raffey Cassidy

Release Date – 25 May 2015

MPAA Rating – PG

Run time – 130 Minutes

Tomorrowland is about a young teenagers journey to uncover the secrets of Tommorowland. The film is more of a mystery film then anything else. It follows Casey Newton who is trying to sabotage the dismantling of a NASA launch pad. When her father picks her up, a pin with a “T” is with her stuff. When she touches it, she can see the futuristic world which she learns is Tomorrowland before it stops working. She then wants to know more and searches for the answers.

I thought the movie was amazing. I liked how Tomorrowland is a mystery and that the viewer doesn’t know anything until Casey finds out. Listening to people around me in the theater after the movie, a lot of people didn’t like that. I think if you are an optimistic and open person you will like this. It has a good message that Walt Disney would like, which is to never give up.

I don’t want to give anything away and ruin the mystery. I am not going to write anything else. Just watch it for yourself.