We're going to back to my childhood...I mean Agrabah!

Hey, so, I haven't been active since 2017, but you know, I need that break.  I got to a point where I was really burned out.  I couldn't go to a movie without being hypercritical.  Movies weren't enjoyable anymore.  I tried making vlogs but honestly, I don't enjoy them as much.  I wanted to step away so I could get back to a place where I could see a movie and enjoy them. 
Fortunately, I am back to that place.  I am able to sit through a movie and actually have fun again.  Part of that is because I took time away from my blog, part of that is because I have been fortunate enough to make new friends who enjoy film as much as I do.
With that said, allow me to have a proper introduction.
Hello all you lovely people out there in Internetworldland!  My name is TheCinemaChick and as you can tell by my moniker, I'm a girl who loves movies.  I've been doing this little blog since 2012 and have no plans to stop again any time soon,  Have I seen a lot of movies this year, absolutely.  Will I see a lot more?  Yes I will.  I'm already making plans to see the new Godzilla when it comes out next week and at some point, I will see John Wick 3. 
So, you're probably wondering what movie managed to revive me.  What film was so good that it made me want to write again?  Truth be told, it's a movie we've all seen before.  I grew up in the 90s, like many of you did.  So, like many people, I've watched all of the animated Disney films.  Wouldn't you know, they remade a bunch of those classics.  I have seen all of the live action remakes up to date.  I liked Beauty and the Beast to an extent.  The first Alice in Wonderland was good, didn't care for the sequel.  Well, The Lion King is coming out later this year but Aladdin is back in theaters.  Let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
Like a lot of people, I was apprehensive about seeing this one.  I had the same prejudices.  Robin Williams wasn't the Genie and I really wasn't sure Will Smith could measure up. 
I was extremely wrong,
Will Smith absolutely shines as Genie in the live action flick.  He brings some of that old school Fresh Prince attitude to the character.  So yes, he is not Robin Williams, but instead brings a wonderful and exciting new take to this familiar character.  He has a charm and sincerity about him that I really liked.  While most of his scenes are done with CGI, I still enjoyed it because I could see elements of the animated movie in there,  If the whole "But he's not Robin Williams" thing is what's stopping you from seeing this, do yourself a favor and get over it.  You won't regret it.
The casting in general is also perfect.  Normally, production companies tend to whitewash a movie.  Let's never forget the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell.  In this case, they didn't.  They chose highly skilled actors who managed to truly embody their animated counterparts.  Mena Massoud was brilliant as Aladdin.  Naomi Scott shined as Jasmine.  Not only that, but they really turned Jasmine into a badass.  Instead of just being compliant, she has a voice and takes a stand for what she believes in.  Hell, they even wrote new songs just for her. 
The story is the same as it was back in the day.  Jafar wants the lamp so he can have absolute power.  Aladdin happens to be the diamond in the rough.  You know, I feel it's okay to talk about the plot since the first version of this film came out so long ago.  If you haven't seen it, where have you been all this time?  Like, it's been shown on television thousands of times.  Anyone who's ever had to babysit has had to watch this.  It's a classic Disney animation now.  Everyone should have seen it be now.
One thing I really liked is how this iteration of the story managed to combine Bollywod and hip hop.  While the movie stays true to the Middle Eastern feel it's always had, there are some new, more modern elements added in.  I don't want to give away too many of those details because they really were amazing to see.  There are a few dance sequences in the film that honestly, were the best parts.  The duet between Genie and Aladdin was worth the wait.  I mean, I planned to see this movie so I could ooh and ahh over the costuming, but overall, I loved it.  Yes, the costumes are breathtaking.  I really want the chance to see them up close so I can admire the intricate details more. 
If this is what we can expect from the Disney live action remakes, then sign me up.  From the beginning, I was having fun.  I sat with Fry and we were singing all of the songs because for us, this is nostalgic.  Neither of us were fully on board going into the movie but after seeing it, we agree that it doesn't deserve all the negative press it's been getting.  If you enjoy bright, colorful scenes, well fleshed out characters and a touch of nostalgia, Aladdin is definitely worth checking out.  I'm glad I did because maybe if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't be inspired to return to my passion.  And yes, I consider film blogging to be one of the biggest passions in my life. 
I know this review is going to seem a little short and maybe a little choppy but I'm getting back into the swing of things here.  I'm ready to return to this blog, maybe look at getting my own domain again and who knows, maybe there will be a film so good, I can't even put it into words.  I mean, it happened with Avengers: Endgame.  I cried 4 times during that movie, no lie.  But for now, I think I'm going to sign off and let you all enjoy the magic of the newly released Aladdin.
      As always, I'm TheCinemaChick, I'm back in my natural element and for all you know, I have a magic lamp in my backpack.  What three wishes should I make?

The Killing Joke

It’s almost 1:30 in the morning and what am I doing?  I’m writing my second review of the night!  I’m the one you know as TheCinemaChick and I’m here to talk about movies!  I’ve written my review of “Suicide Squad” so I figured, why not go on to another DC movie that has actually received more praise?  I will have to put up a content warning because this one is much more controversial as well.  It was in theaters for only one night, but it was also available to be watched digitally.  It’s based on a one shot in the DC universe.  If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m talking about one of the most disturbing and violent graphic novels that has ever been written.

So without further ado, let’s get into “The Killing Joke”.

***WARNING!  Spoilers ahead!***

**Trigger warning!  This blog will mention violence, murder and rape.**

Now, this is one of those cases where I have read the source material before seeing the movie.  I’m happy to say that they stay faithful to the graphic novel.  While the first half hour is dedicated to something that has nothing to do with the original story, the last part blew my mind. 

Parents, even though this is an animated movie, this one ain’t for the kiddies.  Don’t let them watch this until they are much older.  This seventy-seven-minute cartoon deals with murder, sex, torture and something that I will get to in a bit.  I’m an adult and this left me feeling really uncomfortable.  And I watched “12 Years a Slave”, which had some extremely disturbing content.

Like I mentioned, the first part of this was written for the movie’s sake.  I guess to flesh out the running time a bit since the graphic novel isn’t that long.  I want to say it’s probably only about forty pages, but don’t quote me on that.  We get a nice little story about Barbara Gordon, the daughter of commissioner Jim Gordon.  You might also know her as Batgirl, Batman’s partner in crime fighting.  She fails to stop a robbery then gets too involved.  A mafia man named Paris Franz (one of the worst possible names for a villain) becomes obsessed with her.  Franz later tricks her into finding a dead body, who happens to the Franz’s uncle.  In case it isn’t obvious, Paris killed his own uncle.  Batman becomes concerned and tells Batgirl he doesn’t want her on the case anymore. 

I have to admit, this part was almost perfect.  Batman admits that he is worried about her mental health.  She too is becoming obsessed with the case and it has caused her to make some dangerous and stupid decisions.  If Batgirl keeps going down the path she is on, she will turn herself into a murderer, something he doesn’t want for her.  This upsets her and they get into a very heated argument on a roof top.  Then they have sex.  And for the next roughly five minutes, this becomes the focus of the movie.

Normally, five minutes isn’t that long, but remember, this movie is barely over an hour long.  Barbara and Batman stop talking and she regrets the sex.  She actually apologizes for what happened.  Even then, she gets right back into crime fighting.  Barbara pretty much ignores everything Batman told her and goes after Franz alone.  This time, he pushes her too far and she beats him to a bloody pulp.  Only when she realizes what she’s done does she stop.  Batgirl retires when she accepts that she’s going down the wrong path and walks away from being a vigilante.

Now, this is where the graphic novel comes into play.

Batman is called to Arkham because something seems off.  There’s been a murder and people seem to think that The Joker is behind it.  The problem?  Joker has been locked away for a long time.  During a little heart to heart, Batman learns that the person imprisoned is not the real man.  Joker has escaped and left a decoy in his place.

The real Joker shows up at Commissioner Gordon’s apartment and shoots Barbara in the stomach.  Because of the severity of the attack, she is left paralyzed.  Gordon is then kidnapped while Joker strips his daughter naked and photographs her.

I’m going to paus here for just a moment.  Remember that one thing I was going to save for later?  Well, here it is.  I was looking at some reviews and theories about “The Killing Joke”.  Yes, it is sickening for a man to shoot a woman then take photos of her while she’s still bleeding and nude.  I did read one possible idea that made me think.  There are some people who believe that it’s not as innocent (and I use that term extremely loosely here) as it looks.  The movie shows that Barbara is conscious while being undressed.  There is a theory that Joker also raped her.  I don’t know if this is true, but judging by what happens later, I think it might have happened.  You’ll see what I mean.

Gordon is taken to an old amusement park and also stripped naked.  He is forced to go on a carnival ride where he is shown the photographs of his injured, naked daughter.  This is why I think Joker did indeed rape Barbara.  Gordon already knew that his daughter was shot.  He witnessed it.  And being her father, he’s probably seen her naked before, though she was probably a child at the time.  You know, he probably changed some diapers and bathed her.  What could be more shocking that that?  Seeing your child sexually assaulted at her most vulnerable moment.  That’s what drove him over the edge.  After the ride, he’s left in such a state of shock, he can’t even function.  But, this is what Joker wanted: to drive Commissioner Gordon into insanity.

Then we go into a flashback.  We get to see Joker’s origin story.  He was an ordinary man trying to support his pregnant wife.  Instead of being an engineer, he wanted to try and be a stand-up comedian.  He fails miserably, unable to pay the rent.  In a last ditch effort to get some money, he agrees to help some men break into the chemical plant where he used to work in exchange for money.  While discussing this with the two henchman, he is informed that Jeannie, his wife, and unborn child have died in a freak household accident.  Greif stricken, he is forced to continue with the heist.

At the plant, he is forced to wear a red mask and red cape so people think that he is Red Cape, a notorious villain in Gotham.  Things don’t go as planned and the men are shot.  Batman shows up to deal with the criminals.  In the heat of the moment, the man in the red mask trips and falls into a vat of chemicals.  He washes up outside, only to be completely disfigured.  He is now the Joker we all know.  The disfigurement and the loss of his wife send him into madness.

Back in the present day, Batman finds Gordon, shocked but still sane.  Gordon then tells Batman that he has to bring Joker down, but to do it “by the books”.  We go into the final confrontation between Gotham’s masked vigilante and the Clown Prince of Crime.  It culminates in Batman offering to help Joker be rehabilitated but the latter refuses, believing it to be too late.  Joker tells him a joke and they both laugh.  If you pay attention, you’ll notice that after about a minute or so, you only hear Batman chuckling.  It is not stated if he has killed Joker but rather, left open to interpretation.

The voice acting in this is superb.  Mark Hamill is one the best Jokers to have ever appeared, or in this case voiced, on screen.  He has this almost hoarse, breathy voice that sounds like he is teetering on the edge of madness.  He even has the laugh down perfectly.  I’ve seen a lot of the animated Batman shows and heard the different voice actors, but to me, Hamill is tops.  Kevin Conroy is equally talented and amazing.  I can find nothing bad to say about the people who lent their voices to this project.

Content wise, I can find some negatives.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this is not for the faint of heart.  I read the graphic novel before watching this and it is one hundred percent faithful to the source material.  It was well written, both in the book and on the screen.  However, there is a lot of torture and violence.  It is unsettling to see it and I was left highly uncomfortable after viewing the film.  While it is tastefully done and you don’t see the worst parts of it, it is strongly hinted at so you know it happened.  And while it isn’t clear what exactly happened to Barbara after her father was taken, I’ve presented one theory. 

I have to admit, I liked “The Killing Joke” more than I liked “Suicide Squad”.  The flashbacks added to the story and helped to make the Joker a sympathetic character.  It also shows what caused him to go insane.  In this case, it makes sense to me.  Yes, it is hard to watch at times and they didn’t exactly do a great job with Barbara Gordon because she is stuck in the inferior role.  Batgirl is treated more like a rookie who doesn’t know what she’s doing when compared to Batman.  He even scolds her like a child. 

But I would watch it again.  It makes you think, it has a solid plot and there is room for interpretation.  It’s also the most faithful adaptation I have ever seen.  This is coming from the woman who took a class dedicated to adaptations in college.  If you’re strong of heart, give this one a watch.  If not, best stick to a summary of it so you don’t have to see the graphic scenes.

I’m TheCinemaChick and I just have one question. “Why aren’t you laughing?”

Suicide Squad

                Hello everyone!  I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m actually motivated for once!  That’s right, I’m in a great mood and I want to write, so let’s do this.  If you’re wondering what I’m doing right now, I’m listening to a song called “Let Me Fall”, recorded by Josh Groban.  I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of this man.  I went to his concert a few years back and sat in the second row.  His voice is like magic, that I can assure you.  Plus, he’s really hilarious.  He’s coming back into town this year, or early next year, I can’t remember when.  I wish I could meet him, I really do.  I used to sing a lot, you know since I was a total choir nerd, but these days, the most I do is singing along with radio.  I’m not that good anymore because I am really out of practice but hey, that could change, you never know.

                Ah, you’re not here to read about my never ending love of Josh Groban’s music are you?  No, you’re probably thinking, “What movies have you seen recently?  What’s good?  What’s not?  TELL ME!”  I admit, that’s probably an exaggeration, but someone out there might actually be dying to know what I’ve seen.

                If you’re that person, you and I are now best friends.

                The truth is, I haven’t seen many movies lately.  I unfortunately fractured my ankle, so I’ve been staying off it.  I can go out and I’m able to walk, but it’s painful and sometimes just uncomfortable.  So in the past few months, I’ve only seen four films.  Two of them I loved, one I was left a little disappointed in and then there’s “Suicide Squad”.  Hold your thoughts until the end, boys and girls.  We’re going to talk about the latest DC movie.

                I saw “Suicide Squad” with a group of friends that I’ve known for about half my life now.  Like everyone else out there, the trailers had me pretty pumped.  I was excited to see a movie about villains being put out there.  I love Harley Quinn and the Joker.  Those two are some of my favorite bad guys in out of all comic books.  However, they are horribly dysfunctional, let’s admit that straight off the bat.  That is not love, that is psychological abuse which caused Stockholm Syndrome.  If you know anything about the history of these two, you will see just how horrible things are.  Joker repeatedly abuses Harley Quinn, emotionally, mentally and physically. 

                That aside, I also had to keep the last DC movie in mind.  I was also psyched to see “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and I ended up not liking that one.  Don’t get me wrong, there are elements of that film that I absolutely adored.  Ben Affleck as Batman?  He was actually good!  The introduction of the meta humans?  Brilliant!  Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman?  Yes, please!  My problem with that movie is that it was so long.  Most of the movie was spent building up to the final battle, which ended up being a bit of a letdown.  The humor wasn’t that great and fell flat in most places.  Also, what was up with the random dream sequences?  DC fans, explain the thing to me!

                Note to everyone involved in future Batman movies: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…stop retelling the story of his parent’s death!  It has come up in every single Batman film and I don’t think it needs retelling.  Even people who aren’t familiar with this franchise know that he’s an orphan due to tragic circumstances.

                “Suicide Squad” is just a bunch of villains rounded up to defeat another bad guy who isn’t really all that threatening.  I couldn’t really find another plot beyond that.  And that’s being generous.  Most of this movie is spent giving backstory on Harley Quinn and Deadshot.  That’s what it focuses on all throughout.  I can’t deny that Margot Robbie and Will Smith have really good chemistry on screen.  If the other characters had that much screen time, I bet they’d be pretty awesome too.  Seriously, everyone else becomes a background character.  In the trailers, they make Slipknot out to be some really important person in reality (MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT) he barely gets three minutes of screen time.  Why even have him if he’s just going to be wasted?

                That is one thing that really, really bothers me.  Why make a big deal about these people if you’re not going to use them properly?  I’m not as familiar with DC comics as I am with Marvel, so I wanted to know all about these characters.  Captain Boomerang looks like a madman and I wanted to know all about him.  Katana has a sword that traps people’s souls in it.  We get a brief glance into her history but even then, she’s relegated to a role that barely has her speaking.  Excuse me, she was more badass that most of the people in this movie.  Making her so insignificant is an insult to her.

                Ok, I’m going to go on a little rant here.  This movie has a whopping four women that share the screen.  We have Harley Quinn, Katana, Amanda Waller and Enchantress.  As I already stated, Harley is shoved into the forefront.  Katana is stuck in the back, speaking only Japanese and letting team leader, Rick Flag, speak for her and Enchantress…I’ll get to her in a moment.  Let me start off with Amanda Waller.  She is played by Viola Davis, an actress I absolutely adore.  In the film, Waller is straight laced, no nonsense, doesn’t beat around the bush.  She gets to the point without making any excuses.  I honestly thought she was one of the best characters in the whole movie.  Davis brings this quiet intensity to the role that makes you want to hate Waller for using people the way she does, but at the same time, you have to admire that kind of tenacity.

                Harley Quinn is portrayed as some kind of tragic romance story.  I do like the nod to her origins as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum.  She did fall in love with the Joker and it turned into a tumultuous relationship.  And in the games, comics and cartoon series, she is insane.  However, she is not overtly sexualized.  In some instances, she does have a somewhat sexy appearance, like in some of the video games, but come on.  Why didn’t she get her Arkham Asylum outfit?  And yes, they did briefly translate her original red and black costume into live action.  I have to admit, it looked hideous.  But, did we need to stick her in shorts so tiny they should be considered underwear?  And did we have to see her getting dressed?  She was pretty much only there to be a sex symbol.  For the most part, Harley Quinn came off as stupid, love sick and useless.

                And this is coming from someone who loves Harley Quinn.  I hated this incarnation of her.  I didn’t particularly care for Margot Robbie either.  Half the time, she spoke as a normal person and then sometimes, a little of that Harley voice would come out.  If you’ve seen the animated shows, you know what I’m talking about.  I can’t stand it when actors can’t keep an accent.  Either commit to the role or don’t.  Then she spends the whole movie trying to be reunited with the Joker.  She doesn’t care about anyone but him and at one point, abandons everyone to be with him.

                Speaking of the Joker, why was he advertised so much?  He’s barely in the movie!  The movie is two hours long and he has maybe fifteen minutes on screen?  I love Jared Leto, I really do.  His music is awesome and if you haven’t seen “Dallas Buyers Club”, I highly recommend it.  However, if you’re not into political movies about drugs and HIV and cross dressers, you should skip it.  I wasn’t sure if I was even going to like him as The Joker because let’s be honest, he had some huge shoes to fill.  People are still talking about the late Heather Ledger’s portrayal. 

                Heath Ledger was gone too soon.  He was an amazing actor.

                I liked Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker in this movie.  To me, in reminded of the older versions, a la Cesar Romero and a little Jack Nicholson.  This is not the dark, brooding Joker that Ledger brought us.  This is the Joker that loves to have fun and really play with the people he intends to later kill.  To me, he did a great job.  Leto has gone completely unappreciated because he will always be compared to Heath Ledger.  Both men did this character justice, just in different ways. 

                You know what we see more of than The Joker?  Harley Quinn’s ass.

                Now, let me talk about Enchantress.  I know a few things about this character and I know that her story was messed up.  She did not translate well to the big screen.  This was my first time seeing Cara Delevingne in any movie.  In my opinion, she was a horrible choice for main villain.  First off, she’s barely wearing anything, so way to overly sexualize another character.  Second, I don’t really know what her intent was.  Ok, she wanted to change the world but how?  I mean, she had the swirling cloud of doom for the majority of the film, but other than that, she didn’t do much.  Third, what was up with that weird dancing?  Seriously, it’s the climax of the film, she’s standing by her magic cloud and it looks like she’s just dancing to the music there.  And she barely even puts up a fight.  The climax was such a letdown.

                The Joker and Enchantress were more like romantic interests than threats.

                The final scene sets things up for a possible sequel.  They are already planning on making a Harley Quinn standalone film, which…I don’t know how I feel about that.  If “Suicide Squad” was any indicator, it’s just going to be another two hours of Margot Robbie being unable to pick an accent and showing off her butt in sparkly booty shorts.  In the comics, Harley does leave The Joker and hooks up with Poison Ivy.  They work well together.  I would love to see the interactions between those two women.  The thing is, Harley isn’t just a complete psychopath.  She’s incredibly intelligent!  I mean, she had a doctorate in psychology before all this mess got started!  Show off her smart side!

                Overall, I didn’t care for it.  Just like “Batman vs Superman”, it takes too long to get to the point and I was left wanting something more.  The plot is paper thin and rarely ever comes into play because they focus too much on Deadshot and Harley Quinn.  There are a lot of flashbacks, which do detract from the action a lot.  The Joker is completely wasted due to being under used.  Enchantress comes across bland and boring.

                Again…why did we need to see Harley Quinn’s butt so much?

                I know this is all setting up for the future Justice League movie for the DCEU (DC Extended Universe).  There is a cameo by Ezra Miller, which also made no sense.  It didn’t add anything to the film or tell me more about his character, Barry Allen.  Why was it there?  To say “Look we promise better things are coming!  Just hang in there and trust us!” 

                And this is coming from someone who also loves Ezra Miller!

                I have seen the trailer for the “Justice League” but even then, I’m not terribly interested.  I like the dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen.  I like the interaction between Arthur Curry and Bruce Wayne as well.  It has the potential to be good.  However…I’m so sorry DC, but your track record isn’t looking good.

                Look at “Green Lantern”.

                I really wanted to love “Suicide Squad” but with the messy editing, muddled plot and poorly written characters…I couldn’t.  It has good moments but overall, I wasn’t excited about it.  I also saw it in 3D, which was a waste of money.

                You know how children have short attention spans so shows use bright colors and loud noises to keep their interest?  That’s what this felt like.  The movie knew it wasn’t good but look!  Bright colors!  Music!  Action!  Harley Quinn’s sparkly butt!

                Overall, I’m mixed.  I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.  I just wish it had tried harder.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m a Marvel.

Zootopia

                Hello everyone out there!  You know me best as TheCinemaChick and I talk about movies a lot.  And I mean A LOT!  I know, I know, I haven’t been active much as of late but you know, things happen and I need to lay low for a bit.  Since that sounds shady, let me explain.  I’ve just been busy and when I wasn’t busy, I was dealing with my bipolar disorder, which has been al out of whack lately.  And, some really great things have happened but I’m not ready to announce that to the general public yet.  No hints either.  It’s something myself and only about…3 other people know and for the time being, that’s the way I’d like to keep it.

So, I have seen some films this year.  I saw “The Fifth Wave” for my birthday, which was absolutely atrocious.  I laughed inappropriately the whole time because well…I guess I’ll just have to write about it to explain it.  Seriously, one of the worst of 2016.

I did see Deadpool and I’m on the fence about whether I should review it or not.  I mean, it was such a popular movie that I don’t feel I need to touch on it.  If you want me to talk about it, let me know!  You know where the comment section is!

So, let’s move on to the movie of this blog.  I’m talking about the newly released Disney animated film called “Zootopia”.  I’m not sure how I feel about this film as of yet.  The thing is, I loved the voice acting.  They had a really good cast, including Ginnifer Goodwin as the main character, Judy Hopp.  As per usual, the animation was astounding, but I’ve come to expect high quality animation from them so it’s really hard for them to screw up the visuals.

Let me step back here for a moment.  I did in fact see “The Good Dinosaur”, which I DO NOT recommend.  It’s aimed at children but it should not be.  There are some topics in there that children just aren’t ready to deal with.  I mean, you see the main character lose a parent in the beginning and there is a scene later where he has to explain death to a little human boy.  I found that part extremely sad and I don’t think a little kid would want to hear about it.  Also, yes, there is a drug trip.  The dinosaur and his human pet eat some berries that have either gone bad or fermented and they hallucinate.  I was uncomfortable watching it as an adult.  Again, not for children!

See, I brought that up because I see this trend continuing.  While “Zootopia” on the surface is a cute movie about a bunny joining the police force and becoming friends with a fox, I don’t think it’s for the little ones.  I admit, it’s full of bright colors and snappy dialogue but honestly, today’s children are smarter than that.  I think they are going to catch little bits of what’s meant to be a moral lesson.  Plus, Disney is really relying on this whole “girl power, women can do anything” trend.  The last few major movies that have come out, especially the animated ones have all dealt with independent young girls who can overcome anything.

I’m all for female empowerment, but we get it Disney.  We learned this from Mulan, Frozen, Brave, Inside Out…the list goes on and on.

And the thing is, Judy is kind of bland and one dimensional.  She only has one mode, eternal optimist.  She doesn’t really grow or change over the course of the story.  All throughout, she’s just the first bunny cop, something they repeatedly nail into your head.  We get it!  She made history!  We don’t need to be reminded of it every fifteen minutes!  And like I said, she’s just always cheerful and upbeat and optimistic, which in itself isn’t bad.  But she doesn’t learn anything.  The lesson I got from the movie is that I should learn how to “hustle” and bend the laws a little bit.  And trust me, she bends the law to her advantage several times, then gets on the fox’s case for the slightest infraction of it!

To me, the most interesting character was the secondary lead, Nick Fox, voiced by Jason Bateman.  He actually had growth and change as a character and he was much better than Judy.  Yeah, ok, she starts off all shady but by the end of the film, I was rooting for him.  His backstory was far more interesting than hers so he became more sympathetic.  I could relate to Nick more than I could a determined bunny.  Sorry guys, I’m just saying, the anti-hero (if that’s what we’re calling him) is far more interesting than the hero.

While the overall tone of the film is light for the most part, they cover some incredibly heavy topics.  To start, Judy’s parents aren’t encouraging and supportive.  She wants to be a cop, they tell her no, stay home and be a carrot farmer.  Then there’s a joke about how many brothers and sisters she has, so yeah they had to include a joke about rabbit reproduction.  They actually show some violence, which is new to me.  Most of the time it’s implied or shown off screen.  In this case, no if someone gets hurt, you see it.  And oh my goodness, they really hammer home a message about racism.  Judy is called “cute” at one point and she says it’s offensive because only bunnies can call other bunnies cute.

Dude, it’s the Oscars all over again!  I watched the Academy Awards to see if Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the gold statue and I left feeling so horrible about myself!  Seriously, almost everyone had some sort of social injustice to preach about.  I had to hear about sexual assault and bullying and climate change…ugh!  Celebrities…you can preach how we should change all these things all you want, I don’t see you making any real efforts to stop them.  Just addressing the issue and raising awareness isn’t going to do anything if that’s all you do!

*sighs*

I’m okay.

Overall, “Zootopia” was pretty good.  I liked most of the characters and the plot was good.  There was a twist I didn’t see coming, but in retrospect, I should have.  The ending was bland and predictable, which is true of a lot of films these days.  I just went into it really wanting to like it but afterwards…I just couldn’t.  I wasn’t as impressed as I had hoped.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see a movie that explores this world deeper and focuses on other animals, but I don’t want to see anymore of Judy Hopps.

Would I recommend this movie?  Yeah, if you can swing a matinee for it.  Take the kids as well, they’ll love the witty script and action scenes.  There might be a few things you have to explain to him after the film because I honestly think a lot of more adult themes were slipped in.

Also. I know that Shakira was cast in the movie as Gazelle.  Don’t get your hopes up.  She’s not in the movie until the final ten minutes.  She’s mentioned a lot and you get to hear her speak I think three times in the entire run time.  Why promote her casting if you’re not going to use her?  She was just shoved into the background.

One tiny spoiler.  There is a huge Breaking Bad easter egg that had me laughing.  You’ll know what it is when you get there.  I was laughing pretty hard at that.  I can’t spoil why it was so funny but trust me, it’s a good one!

Also, Alan Tudyk voices a minor character named Duke Weaslton…sound familiar?  Since he played the Duke of Wesselton (always mispronounced as Weaselton) in “Frozen”?  I see what you did there, Disney.  Two thumbs up to that!

Again, overall, I don’t care for “Zootopia”.  It lays on the social issues too much and relies on a bland, uninteresting character to tell the story.  I’m also a little uncomfortable that they have a naturalist club in the film.  Kids, if you don’t know what that is…ask your parents.  I ain’t touching this one.  It’s in the movie…where Tommy Chong is.  Don’t know Tommy Chong?  Again, ask your parents.

I’m TheCinemaChick and if I were in Zootopia, I’d like to think I’d be a ferret.

Southpaw

                Hello everyone, you know me as the one, the only, the mysterious reviewer behind the keyboard, known globally as TheCinemaChick.  Am I known around the world?  Like, do people in Russia know who I am?  I’m curious now.  I know I’ve made a small name for myself in this area but like, are people in other countries interested in my blog?  I know I can check my stats to see where the blog is viewed and all but I want to know about the people who are reading it.

                So, if you’re living in a land that’s not America, let me know!  I’d love to hear where you’re from!

                I know, I have about a half dozen movies to review and that I once again and as always, really behind on things.  Last week, I saw Marvel’s “Ant Man” which was much better than it looks.  Seriously, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.  Let’s be honest, Ant Man isn’t exactly the first person you think of when you think of Marvel.  No, you think about Iron Man or Thor or Hulk.  Or, if you’re like me, you think about Loki, but I will not go into my reasons as to why I like Loki the best again.  I feel I have gone into that more times than I need to.

                Also, remember that promise I made in the last blog to have gummy bears in my purse?  And how I threatened to use them if I saw someone on their phone?  Well…I lied.

                I used Reese’s Pieces instead.  But I still got someone!  This guy, who was probably two rows ahead of me took his phone out.  And to make matters worse, it was right after there was a sign on the screen saying not to take pictures or record anything because this was a special screening.  Are you really that stupid?  The screen JUST SAID to put it away, why you are checking it now?  You’ve been sitting there for at least ten minutes, you had plenty of time!

                Oh!  And another one of my lovely little pet peeves came into play.  People, when the movie is playing, shut your mouths!  I understand it’s a crowded theater, but some people are trying to hear what’s going on.  I’m pretty sure I missed some dialogue that was vital to the plot because the guys next to me wouldn’t shut up.  Dude, I don’t care that you have nachos nor do I care how good they are!  I was perfectly happy with my tea and Reese’s Pieces.  I mean, you are grown adults, learn the rules of the theater or stay home!

                I should not have to say this in almost every single review I write lately.

                The last thing I’m going to say before I get into the actual review is that you should not be taking your presumably ten or under child to this movie.  I don’t care what your excuse is, this movie was rated R and would not have been good for a girl that age.  It had a lot of swearing and violence and there are things no child should have to know about at that age.  Hell, even the girl in the film didn’t need to see that and I know this was all fiction!

                Enough about my anger and people at the theaters.  Let’s get into the real reason you’re taking time out of your day to read this.  Or night.  I don’t care, as long as you read until the end.  I don’t know, for all I know some of you are actually nocturnal.  If you are nocturnal, are you an owl or a wolf or…some other creature that’s awake at night?  Ah, an insomniac.  I have insomnia sometimes but that’s not the topic of discussion here.  Nope, we keep getting off topic.

                Guys, you’re in for a treat tonight.  I got to attend a special early screening of the move starring Jake Gyllenhaal.  I haven’t seen much advertising done for this film which is a surprise to me.  I actually didn’t have an interest in seeing it based on the whopping one trailer I’d seen but then I got this opportunity and I jumped on it.  So me and Butterfly had free tickets to go see the movie “Southpaw” which doesn’t come out until this Friday.  As with every movie that comes out now, there are some showing Thursday night.  Why do they do this again?  When I was a kid, which was an undetermined number of years ago, we had to wait until Friday to see a movie that was coming out.  There were not midnight showings or this weird 7 PM Thursday thing.

                And no, I won’t tell you my age.  I’m old enough to purchase alcohol.  Let’s leave it at that.

                To my surprise, “Southpaw” was much better than I had thought it would be.  I was expecting a sports movie with not a lot of substance but I was wrong.  There is an actual plot, there are really amazing characters and they grow and change as the film progresses.  To me, there is one character that stands out from the others and there is one glaring problem with the film but I will get to that in a moment so bear with me.

                Our movie is about a professional boxer named Billy Hope.  I’m not kidding.  His name is seriously Billy Hope.  It’s one of the worst names I’ve ever heard.  I’m fairly certain that there is some not so subtle symbolism thrown in there with his name.  One of those things like “When you have nothing else, you always have hope” sort of things.  I imagine I’d see this little saying on a motivational poster.  Well, Billy and his wife, Maureen, are happily in love and they have a daughter named Leila.  Maureen wants her husband to speak at a charity thing, something bad happens and she dies tragically. 

                And no, I am not spoiling this.  All the information I just gave you was in the trailer.  I will even leave the trailer at the end to prove to you that I am not lying.

                So of course, he can’t cope with his loss, more bad things happen and he finds himself falling from grace.  Billy must now work his way back to the top with the help of an older and wiser mentor.  While overall it’s a good film, the premise is completely predictable.  It’s like every movie involving sports I’ve ever seen.  The star falls from grace and must work his way back up to the top in order to redeem themselves.  Boring.  Overdone.  Typical.  Yawn.

                And yes, I was rooting for Billy the whole time.  I wanted him to get it all back, including his daughter.  But as I watched, I realized there is a secondary theme going on throughout this film.  While it is mainly focused on boxing, there is a subplot of grief.  Billy and Leila must go through all the stages in their own way in order to cope with their loss.  And for those who don’t know, the stage of grief are: Anger, Denial, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance.  I don’t think those are in the right order but you get my point.  Billy goes through with all of them in his way while Leila deals with hers. 

                I have to warn you, the scenes with Leila are heartbreaking.  She starts off so innocent but quickly has to grow up when she loses her mother.  This kid sees things that no one, no matter what age you are, should have to see.  The young actress who played her is named Oona Laurence and she was phenomenal.  If I had a say in who should be nominated for an Oscar, this kid deserves a nod.  I’m fairly certain she’s new to the acting world since I have never seen her name before but I really hope she continues on in the acting game.  There were parts where I felt so bad for her.  This is the one character I wanted to mention first because in my eyes, she was the best.  I mean, yes the others were good but none of them managed to evoke the level of emotions she did.

                I didn’t go into “Southpaw” thinking I’d enjoy it this much.  I thought, “Well, the tickets were free so why not?”  Then I sat through it and I was impressed.  I think it’s striving for some Oscar recognition, which I can definitely see the possibilities.  Though, I would guess it could get a nod for Best Supporting Actress for Oona Laurence, possibly Best Original Score (or is that a Grammy) because it was done by the late James Horner.  I can also see Jake Gyllenhaal scoring a Best Actor nod, but not winning for his role. 

                This one will more than likely fall into my “Best of 2015” list because even though it’s not my type of film, it was incredibly well done.  I felt emotional during it and I was never bored.  The cast definitely put their hearts into and it shows. 

                “Southpaw” isn’t for everyone.  I will admit that.  But if you want something that starts off gritty, then just keeps your emotions in check until the end, I recommend it.  I would say pay full price for it.  Make it a date night movie.  Just do yourself a favor and check it out.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I like to howl at the moon.

                All opinions are mine.  I have no ties to any theater and I am not affiliated with this movie.  I just enjoyed it.

Also, I wasn't kidding about the murder being in the trailer.  

Better Late Than Never: Mad Max

                What’s going on everyone, I’m that girl known as TheCinemaChick!  I have a ton of laundry to do because I’m in the process of cleaning out my closet!  I have a lot of clothes I forgot I even had so this should be tons of fun.  And by tons of fun, I’m fairly certain I have a ton of clothes in there.  They’re everywhere!  I’m on a bit of a cleaning kick in general, in case you’re curious.  I have my reasons, so let’s not get into that since no one cares about me sorting clothes!

                Can we please, please, PLEASE talk about Mad Max and why it’s the most badass movie out there right now?  I mean come on…Charlize Theron is the most awesome female around right now.  And for all of you who think the film was a cop out because it wasn’t centered around Max…I don’t care!  Can you not appreciate it as a great action/adventure movie?  Visually, it was stunning.  The plot wasn’t the best but it worked with everything going on.  And hello, let’s also look at the costuming and how prefect it was to the setting?  Not to mention how the music just worked with every single scene.

                But first, let’s take a gander at everyone’s newest and most favorite character from this film, Guitar Guy!  You’ve all seen him.  He’s strapped to some speakers, playing a guitar that is also a flamethrower!

                You see, in the nerd world AKA my home planet, we would refer to him as a bard.  Bards play music in an attempt to rally his friends together and get them pumped for battle.  Tell me that isn’t what Guitar Guy does!  And I have no shame in admitting that I am a level 5 Cleric in Dungeons and Dragons.  If you think that’s lame…I don’t care!  You weren’t there when we went up against a half dozen trolls and guess what?  I, the sweet little cleric, killed 4 of them with my now favorite spell, Inflict Wounds.  Oh yeah, I’m awesome!

                Ah, but enough about my nerd habits, let’s talk about the movie!  Not going to lie, I absolutely loved it.  I didn’t think I would since I didn’t really care for the cheesy older ones with Mel Gibson, but there was a lot of thought put into this one.

                Let’s get one thing straight though.  This movie isn’t about Max.  This one is all about Furiosa.  And you know what, I’m perfectly fine with this.  Seriously, it’s not often that we get a chance to see an action movie with a female lead.  For the most part, when I see a movie like this, women are either the damsels in distress of they are a sidekick.  I admit, we did have this issue in the movie at first, but it turns out, most of the women in “Mad Max” are badass.  Other than out main heroine, we have four minor girls who do some really awesome things.

                Since the movie has been out a while, I feel I can go into the plot a bit.  It centers around Furiosa who steals the four young brides of Immortan Joe, who is super creepy.  I don’t know what he looks like or how he came to power but his costume made me uncomfortable.  She wants to get them to a safer place but he won’t allow it.  Enter Max, a living blood bag for a man named Nux.  These people are insane.  They follow Immortan Joe blindly, accepting him basically as a god.  So when the girls are taken, the boys go after them.

                Anyone remember watching “Wacky Races”?  That’s what this movie reminds me of.  Only for adults.

                The visuals in this movie are fantastic, but that also causes its downfall.  I saw the movie in 3D and the effects were amazing.  However, they won’t really translate into normal television so some of it will be lost.  On the big screen, when you see that steering wheel coming towards you, it’s breathtaking.  This is what 3D films are meant to be.  I loved that it did that instead of just making everything seem like it was in high definition.

                You know, why are so many movies being converted into 3D these days?  Is that just the trend?  Honestly, for the most part, the special effects don’t change when it’s in a different format.  I don’t see anything different between 2D and 3D.  If I’m paying extra money for special effects, I want to see them, Damnit!  I know it might just be me complaining about this but that’s just how I see it.

                OH!  Speaking of seeing a movie in the theater, can we once again talk about theater etiquette?  People, if you are planning to see a movie, for the love of Red Vines, put your phone away!  I am so sick and tired of trying to enjoy what’s going on when someone whips out a phone and starts texting.  This person was older than me as well!  You should know better by now!  There are some teenagers who are smarter than you!  I should not have to have this cell phone rant this many times.  I am going to start carrying gummy bears in my purse and start pelting people with them if they don’t knock it off.

                You think I’m kidding?

                Watch me.

                I know a lot of people are arguing that this can’t be seen as a Mad Max film because it’s not about Max.  Some people are complaining that it’s a movie for feminists.  Who says that’s a bad thing?  We need more positive, strong female role models out there!  I’m not saying you should take your ten year old daughter to this but come on…most of the movies out there have the women doing almost nothing.  We need more of this.

                I honestly have almost nothing bad to say about “Mad Max: Fury Road”.  It definitely worth seeing.  If you’re not going for the plot (which there isn’t much of one), go for the acting.  See it for the gorgeous visuals and scenery.  See it because there are some badass chicks who are smart and kick some major ass.

                What are you waiting for?

                Go out and see it!

                …Well, after you read this.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m “Out of Control”

Get it?  "Out of Control"?  It's a song...here's the original video to enjoy as well...

Videos are from YouTube, no copyright infringement intended.  If you like the band, they are called "Man With a Mission".  This song features Zebrahead but go check out more of their music.  You won't be disappointed.

Pitch Perfect 2

                Hello everyone in Internet Land, I’m the girl who throws popcorn at people on their phones during a movie, better known as TheCinemaChick!  I’ve been so irritated by theater goers lately.  I saw Mad Max and one person kept taking out their phone to text someone.  News flash for you buddy, I can see you every time you do it!  It’s a massive distraction and why aren’t you watching the freaking movie?  You paid good money to see it in 3D, why waste it?  Seriously, pocket the phone and watch!  I should not have to be the one who must start throwing popcorn at you to make a point!  You’re older than me!  Have you never been to a movie before?

                I know I’m ranting but how many times have I had to talk about this?  Even children (for the most part) know better!

                What have I been up to the past month, you probably aren’t wondering?  Well, I’m glad I brought it up.  I have been doing some teaching but the school year is now over, so I won’t be doing that again until August.  Then, on top of that, I had several American Heritage Girl events to attend and help with.  For those of you who don’t know what AHG is, it’s like Girl Scouts but it’s centered on the church.  The easy way to put it is that it’s basically Christian Girl Scouts.  I don’t remember if I’ve brought that up before or not, but now you know.  I just finished up a week of vacation Bible school, which I have done for I think five years now.  I started off with the two year olds, then went up to do arts and crafts and never looked back. 

                However…small children and crafts are a tricky thing.  They get bored easily and it’s almost impossible to keep their attention for the forty five minutes we have them.  We also have multiple rotations so we have may have a minute or two to clean up from one class and set up for the next.  Fortunately, the other ladies I work with and I have a system.  We got this down.

                But I’m not here to talk about things that aren’t cinema related…even though I just did…Well, I’m here to talk about the movies I’ve seen recently.  I’ve only got three so far, but I’ve been busy and money’s a bit tight right now, so I have to scale back for a while.  Trust me, there are a dozen films I’d go see right now if I could, I just can’t.

                Then there’s the movies I saw and wished I hadn’t spent money on.  Like Pitch Perfect 2.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first one.  I still watch it from time to time.  Anna Kendrick cracks me up, Rebel Wilson is a great comedic actress and the musical numbers are amazing.  It made me want to be a part of an a Capella singing group.  I admit, my choir days are over, but this made me want to start over and do more things with it.  The group’s chemistry was really good.  I wish the second one had been half as good.

                I admit, the sequel does have some high points but for the most part, I just couldn’t enjoy it.  Many of the jokes are offensive.  There is a new girl named Florencia who I believe is supposed to be from Guatemala.  Instead of making her a positive character, they made her into a walking stereotype.  All of the jokes about her were racist.  She talks about being traded for chickens or how she’ll be deported after college and die trying to sneak back in to America.  SERIOUSLY.  As a woman who is Hispanic, I am incredibly offended by this.  I don’t appreciate jokes like that and I think they crossed a line with this one.  Why did you think it was a good idea to include multiple jokes about this?  It’s not funny, it’s just disgusting.

                And, if you’ve seen the previews, you know what happens to the Bellas.  They perform for the president and Fat Amy’s costume tears, revealing that she does not have underwear on.  Here’s the second thing I had a major issue with.  Why did it have to be the plus size girl?  I know a lot of people think it’s funny to make fun of the fat girls, but we don’t like it.  Not to mention, if there is a plus size woman in a movie, she’s either comedic relief or the ugly friend.  She doesn’t get the good roles or the handsome lead actor.  Larger women are reduced so that the skinny woman can take center stage.  Fat Amy is another stereotype that I can’t stand.  She has a few lines that I liked but for the most part, I hated her role this time.  I mean, they couldn’t even give her clothes that fit properly!  Why does every outfit she wear have to be so tight and short?  The other girls get clothes that fit great, but not her.  It’s like…everything you think about fat girls is Fat Amy.  I wish Rebel Wilson had been given better clothes and less disgusting lines.

                The plot itself is a mess.  I understand the main plot is that the Barden Bellas have fallen from grace and would like to redeem themselves at the world championship.  That story rarely ever comes out.  Every now and then, the movie is like “oh yeah, we’re a singing group!” and gets back on topic.  They have so many side stories going on that it detracted from the main one.  There’s still the whole Beca and Jesse thing going on, we get more on the Fat Amy and Bumper love story then the new girl (they call her Legacy) and Ben have a romance as well.  They wanted to do so much but they shouldn’t have.  I wish some of the filler material had been cut out because it just didn’t fit. 

                To make matters worse, they tried to recycle ideas from the last movie to try and remind us that the first one was great.  So now, instead of a riff off in the pool, we have a weird contest in some guy’s basement.  The highlight of this scene is that the Green Bay Packers are in it.  Okay, they’re terrible but it’s still funny.  But it’s no different from the last one.  And what really got me is that the Treblemakers are gone.  The only returning members are Jesse and Ben.  The rest of the group gets one musical number then you never see them again.  Even the main rivals have been reduced so much that they are nothing but romantic interests.  I can’t even really say this movie tries to promote female empowerment because it was just two hours of racism and vagina jokes.

                I laughed a grand total of three times.  I’m not joking.  The final medley of songs was great and I really enjoyed it, especially when they brought out the past members of the Bellas to sing with them.  It was a touching moment, one I think this movie needed more of. 

                My question now is, they establish that everyone but one girl graduates.  There will be a Pitch Perfect Three coming out in the future but what’s going to happen with it?  Are we going to look at the girls now that they’ve all left college?  Are we going to focus on Legacy and her life as a Bella and a college girl?  Will they explain why singing groups get houses on campus?  There are a lot of things that never get answered.  Continuity people!  Use it!

                In recent months, Fry has pointed out that I tend to be a little too critical when I discuss films, which I admit, can be true.  However, when it comes to Pitch Perfect, I can’t help it.  The movie had the potential to be just as good, if not better than its predecessor.  Instead, they went back to the same plot, added some fluff and offensive jokes and called it a film.  I also understand that movies are not catered to my specific tastes.  I just also have the hopes that it will not rely on racist jokes or vulgarity to be good.  And that’s what the problem is with this one.  It relied on a tired formula without really adding anything fresh to it.  And if you have to resort to race jokes, then you should have edited the script better.

                Maybe I expected too much from Pitch Perfect Two.  I admit, I did have high hopes for this one but it just never came together for me.  In the end, I felt bad that I’d paid to see this.  It wasn’t too terribly memorable and I just didn’t enjoy myself.  I know it did quite well and I’m just one person, but I have no desire to see another film in this franchise.  They should quit while they’re ahead or it’s just going to end up as another stale, formulaic two hour bore.  That’s just my opinion and if you disagree, that’s fine by me.  I’m just telling you what I think.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’ve got two more reviews to go to be caught up.