Monthly Archives: February 2018
Flash Movie Review: Every Day
THE LONGER I SAT THERE hearing the comments they were making, the more I was getting angry. Due to my hectic schedule I found myself sitting in one of those food courts where a multitude of fast food restaurants sit side by side, all sharing a common seating area. There was a group of teens or young adults sitting at the next table to me and I could not help hearing their snide remarks about some of the other patrons. Evidently they were trying to figure out what the reasons were for a couple to be together. I know it seemed so weird to me besides being totally superficial and none of their business; but who was I to set them straight? Listening to some of their comments confirmed my initial thoughts about them; they really had no idea what was true love. I say this because they only talked about the physical features of each person and not in the kindest of ways. It was catty with some comments based on stereotypical beliefs; in other words it was plain annoying and disrespectful. I sat there and just like them imagined what type of significant other they would wind up with in life. I STILL FIND IT PERPLEXING how some people focus more on a person’s features instead of their heart and soul. Both in the news and movies there have been stories about couples that had their relationship fall apart when one of them had to battle a disease or debilitating accident. I honestly cannot imagine something like that happening; whether it is the loss of a limb or a fatal disease nothing should have an effect on the heart, mind or soul. Think about it; what would you think about a husband who fell out of love with his wife or worse yet left her because she lost all of her hair, due to the chemotherapy she was receiving for cancer? Granted I am not walking in that person’s shoes and I hope I am not coming across as judgmental; but love is something that nestles deep inside of a person, sending out roots that intertwine with the other person’s love, to form a solid bond that sets the foundation for their life together. It is this belief that made me curious about this dramatic, romantic fantasy. EVERY DAY FALLING MORE IN love with a mysterious soul Rhiannon, played by Angourie Rice (The Nice Guys, Spider-Man: Homecoming), would wake up each day to find what she felt was her soul mate. The challenge was finding the body the soul was inside of that day. Based on the popular novel this film’s cast also included Justice Smith (Paper Towns, The Get Down-TV) as Justin, Jeni Ross (Stage Fright, Taken-TV) as Amy, Maria Bello (The Cooler, A History of Violence) as Lindsey and Michael Cram (Flashpoint-TV, Miss Sloane) as Nick. I thought the idea behind this story was a wonderful one. In fact I would be curious to know how the script compared to the novel. The cast was fine but I found the script and the directing lacked in their ability to tell a story. As the multiple scenes of different high school students passed it seemed repetitious to me. It was not until later in the film where I felt interested in finding out what was going to happen. I am afraid everything was there to make this an interesting and engaging picture; unfortunately it stayed safe close to the surface.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Annihilation
IT WAS RATHER COMICAL AS my friend was the intermediary between me and her friend. I was talking to my friend on her cell phone while her friend was on my friend’s landline. The two of them had each just seen the same movie and had different reactions to it. With phones in hand my friend called me up and peppered me with questions and comments. I actually found it an interesting experience because I was seeing the movie again thru someone else’s eyes. Some of the questions made me rethink my interpretation of the story as I tried to piece together the scenes that originally led the three of us to different conclusions. The process was a positive one; I felt it expanded my mind to accept more possibilities for what was the meaning behind the story. We all stayed on our phones for approximately 20 minutes, going back and forth with our ideas and thoughts about the film. By the time we said our goodbyes none of us had changed our opinions; we in fact agreed that each of our points were valid. It would have been nice if we could have asked the writers what they were trying to achieve. AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED I enjoy seeing a movie that makes me think. However the bottom line for me is that I am at least being entertained; this is how my star rating system is set up. The story doesn’t have to always make sense nor do the production values have to be a work of art; all I care about is wanting the movie to take me away. I have walked out of some films where I had to mull over what I had just seen on screen. Why did the character do this particular thing or why did the writer add this plot twist can linger with me for some time. If I can reach a conclusion that appeases me then the picture was a total success; but if I walk out of the theater confused and still lost in the story, then as time goes on the lower my enjoyment level drops. You must agree it doesn’t feel good to have sat through a movie for a couple of hours and not feel some sense of satisfaction afterwards. Well I have to tell you I still do not know what I saw in this dramatic fantasy adventure. BIOLOGIST LENA, PLAYED BY Natalie Portman (Jackie, Black Swan), agrees to be part of a team to investigate an unexplained phenomenon in hopes of explaining what happened to her husband. With Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, LBJ) as Dr. Ventress, Gina Rodriguez (Deepwater Horizon, Jane the Virgin-TV) as Anya Thorensen, Oscar Issac (Star Wars franchise, The Promise) as Kane and Benedict Wong (The Martian, Doctor Strange) as Lomax; this film played out more like a mystery to me. I will say I was intrigued with it as the story kept my interest for the most part. The acting was excellent and I thought the production values were excellent. The visuals both in their unusualness and simplicity were a good counterpoint to the puzzling story. One of the issues I had with this picture was the characters; they were pretty much stereotypical and I did not see much depth to them. By the end of the movie I was confused to the point where I felt I witnessed something extraordinary, but I just could not explain what I had seen. My guess is there will be a lot of discussions in store for those who go see this film.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Game Night
I DO NOT THINK I would ever be accused of being a game snob; at least I don’t think so. Games provide two important functions in my opinion: they activate the brain and instill a sense of pleasure and fun in the individual. When one can assemble a group of willing participants into playing a game, they should consider it an achievement. I say this because I have been a part of several game nights where there were players who made sure everyone knew they were not having fun. Or worse yet I knew this man (a friend was dating him) who was one of the worst game players I have ever encountered in my entire life. He would yell, scream and belittle any of his teammates if they were not doing what HE thought they should be doing to win the game. It was so awful to sit there and have this guy dramatically, yes dramatically, talk down to someone for making a move that did not help their team’s score. I finally told my friend I would never play with them again; gratefully she stopped dating him soon after. ON THE OTHER HAND I have played with some people who were so disinterested that you had to literally tell them what to do throughout the whole game. They would not pay attention to when it was their turn, the rules or what their teammates were doing when it was their turns; it made one wonder why they agreed to play a game in the first place. Now I do not have an issue with anyone saying they are not interested in playing something; if they want to sit it out I am fine with it. But if you agree to play a game I feel one should at least show an effort and if need be become a team player. When you have several people on one team with one person who is not engaged with everyone else, it does throw the game off. I remember when I was participating on a bowling team and one of the players made no effort in playing; I mean they would just pick up a bowling ball and throw it down the alley without any concern if they hit a pin or not. The rest of the team you could tell was not happy they had this person as a teammate. It just made for an uncomfortable time and that is not something I want to be a part of; the same could be said for either of the teams in this mystery crime comedy. THE GAME NIGHT HOSTED BY Annie and Max, played by Rachel McAdams (Spotlight, The Notebook) and Jason Bateman (Bad Words, The Family Fang), was in for a surprise when Max’ super competitive brother Brooks, played by Kyle Chandler (Manchester by the Sea, Friday Night Lights-TV), showed up and decided to take the competition up a notch with a murder mystery game. Even when there was an actual kidnapping the players continued on with the game. With Sharon Horgan (Imagine Me & You, Man Up) as Sarah and Billy Magnussen (The Big Short, Into the Woods) as Ryan, this cast was exceptionally well suited for the script. I particularly thought Jason and Rachel were perfect playing off of each other. The story seemed familiar to me, but at least there were a few good laughs in the movie. I actually liked seeing Kyle in a different type of role for himself and thought he handled it well; his fight scenes were really good. There are some twists to the plot and those who have a sibling might relate to the sibling rivalry angle. The odds are tipped in favor of having an easy, fun time watching this film.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Early Man
IT ALL STARTED WITH SEA GLASS. Seeing children bent over picking at the ground like hungry chickens, they were searching the beach for bits of glass that had been polished for years by the ocean. I sat on a park bench above shifting my gaze from them to the calming water slipping quietly up onto the shore. As I listened to the kids periodically shouting out they found a piece of sea glass, I wondered where the glass originated. Could it have been a broken bottle, plate or piece of ceramic that was on a boat that had sunk a century ago, who knows? I wondered what the circumstances might have been; maybe the glass had traveled halfway around the world, tumbling over and over in the currents, until it landed right here up on our shore. Each and every piece of sea glass the children collected had all been part of something else from a different time. The thought fascinated me as I imagined a variety of scenarios based on a historical past. Maybe there was a bottle with a note in it that a child from a war torn country threw into the ocean, hoping someone would find it and come save them. AS I WAS THINKING OF the past I remembered my recent trip to the history museum. Seeing artifacts that were centuries old such as mummies and dinosaur bones created pictures in my mind of what life must have been like for these animals and individuals. Honestly I cannot stand camping so how could I have possibly survived back then? With that being said I do wish there was a way I could look into the past and see for example what circumstances led up to the first person who discovered fire. Another thing, I would like to know what caused someone to make a wheel; was it a boulder rolling down a hill or maybe someone tripped and began falling head over heels that made them think about the possibilities of having a round object as a tool. I could go on and on coming up with different scenarios and circumstances. Through my schooling it was always taught to us to look back on history as a guide to where we are now. Now we just enter something into an internet search engine and read about it; I prefer hearing someone’s story about a time gone past. Granted it would only go up to several decades past, but lucky for us this animated adventure comedy delved far back in time to show us what was really going on. THREATENED HAVING THEIR LAND taken over Dug, voiced by Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl) agrees to a wager. The wager was based on a game that was called soccer. With Tom Hiddleston (Thor franchise, I Saw the Light) as Lord Nooth, Maisie Williams (Mary Shelley, Game of Thrones-TV) as Goona and Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner, Secrets & Lies) as Chief Bobnar; the movie studio that created this film is known for their claymation technique. I love the look of their films and the quirky humor they put into their scripts. Compared to their previous films I have to tell you this one was not one of my favorites. The story was odd with having a soccer game taking place during prehistoric times. As for the script there were some jokes and puns that were not as clever as I have seen them do in the past. Where I could not stop watching their fun previous pictures, this one bored me a little. If I think about it maybe prehistoric men and women did not have the luxury to be funny.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Barbara
COMPASSION AND COMPENTENCY GO HAND in hand in making a person a well rounded employee. Where it used to be the norm for me, now when I experience someone displaying these attributes it is more of a surprise. I know, isn’t this a sad state of affairs? There was a time where I could walk up to a salesperson and ask where something was located and they would walk me to the item. Now they barely leave their place and tell me the item “is over there.” Over there?! Where is there? This is what makes up part of the workforce. If you think that is bad, I used to work at a company that had an actual human being answering the switchboard. The only problem was she tended to be high on drugs most of the time. She would wear these large, owlish glasses with tinted lenses so it was hard to see her eyes clearly; but she would drop acid at her desk, smoke a joint on her break or pop pills during her lunch. If she did not like the way a person was talking to her on the phone she would disconnect them. And would you believe she lasted a couple of years at the job?!?!? AS FAR AS I CAN tell no one should ever talk down to another person. I find it to be so rude. Here you are asking someone to explain something to you and they are talking to you like you are a little child. Or I love when you discover something for yourself and there is someone there who lets you know they already knew about it or feign shock that you did not know such a basic thing; some people just do not think about what they are saying. I had a friend tell me about a doctor who after getting the results of a biopsy told the patient she would need to have her breast removed. Cut and dry, there was no discussion or asking if there were any options; he simply told her to make arrangements for surgery and left the exam room. I found the doctor’s behavior absolutely heartless and would have immediately sought out a 2nd opinion and a new doctor. How hard would it have been to show a little compassion for the patient? I guess this is one of the reasons why I enjoyed watching this drama—a doctor who showed compassion. AS PUNISHMENT FOR WANTING TO leave Barbara, played by Nina Hoss (A Most Wanted Man, Phoenix), was reassigned to a rural hospital in the country of East Germany. Under constant watch she was not convinced her boss Andre, played by Ronald Zehrfeld (The People vs. Fritz Bauer, In the Face of Crime-TV), was just another spy to report on her. This film festival winning foreign movie also starred Rainer Bock (The White Ribbon, Wonder Woman) as Klaus Schutz and Christina Hecke (Collide, Pink) as the intern Schulze. Set in the 1980s I found this story an interesting character study; Nina’s acting was quiet yet powerful. Despite the harsh atmosphere of the settings or maybe a better description would be dreary, I found the story kept my interest by the way the characters interacted; especially with this authoritarian overview while doctors are trying to heal their patients. It was an interesting mix. As for the action all of it was of the low key type; the word I would use would be smoldering. This was pretty much a simple, straight forward, compassionate movie.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Samson
IT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE FOR MANY, whether they want to go or not. One goes because it is their son or daughter, niece or nephew, cousin or a friend’s child; there is no getting around it. I do not want to make this sound torturous even though there have been times where it has been painful. The school recital or production is hard to refuse when you are connected to someone who is a participant. It is one of those things you do to support the child; one is not going to see or hear a top notch performance necessarily. I have sat through band recitals where if the program did not list the names of the songs I would have had no idea what the kids were playing. It is just the way the dice fall I guess because I was at a high school talent show that had some wonderful performances. Let me admit however the toughest times for me are when the school is putting on a musical production. I sit in those uncomfortable assembly hall seats at the school, watching the miscues and the forgotten lines, waiting for the one line my relative gets to say in the 2nd half of the play. It is a challenge for me. WATCHING STUDENTS PUT ON A play that I have seen before is harder for me to watch than when they do something I have never seen before. Not knowing what to expect makes the evening at the school performance easier because I am curious about the story. For the productions I have seen more than likely I have seen a professional theater production straight from Broadway. Now granted I will still enjoy the music, even if the school orchestra is not as polished as hired musicians; but that only goes so far before I get antsy in my seat. Not that I would ever make a negative comment to family or friends about the school performance. This is why I refer to it as a rite of passage; it is just one of those things you do because it is polite, supportive and the right thing to do. And it is important to be there for the child to commend and praise them. Regarding everything I just said please disregard it when it comes to the retelling of the biblical story in this action drama. HAVING BEEN TOLD HIS WHOLE life that he was a savior for the Hebrews; Samson, played by Taylor James (Christmas Eve, Justice League), did not want any part of it. All he was interested in was to antagonize the Philistines and be with women. This movie’s cast had Jackson Rathbone (Twilight franchise, The Last Airbender) as Rallah, Billy Zane (Titanic, The Phantom) as King Balek, Caitlin Leahy (Queen of the South-TV, Black-ish-TV) as Delilah and Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, The Hitcher) as Manoah. Being familiar with the story of Samson and Delilah I have to tell you I was not looking forward to this film. I am aware of this movie studio and they did exactly what I expected them to do. They put no thought into the script, the production values or the cast. This picture was so poorly done that I would have preferred sitting through an elementary school production of the story. The acting was atrocious; granted the script was part of the cause. I sat in my seat and as I watched these actors I had to wonder if each one of them was carrying a heavy debt load, causing them to accept their role in this poorly made production. All I can say is I would rather have watched a friend’s daughter cry on stage during their ballet recital than sit through this picture.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Black Panther
SHE DID NOT LOOK LIKE an average woman, whatever average was supposed to look like. I only say that because I remember hearing the comments made about her appearance. We worked together years ago when aerobic meant doing hard impact body movements. The best way to describe her would be to say she was thick because she was not overweight per se. Her arms and legs were large for her body due to her intense weight training regimen. I would see her on the fitness floor from time to time and was always amazed with the amount of weight she used in her exercises. She was usually the only female among the male weightlifters and it amused me when I could tell some of the men were intimidated by her strength. In the locker room I would hear guys talk about her. They always had something negative to say about her appearance, never about her achievements. I am not going to repeat them here since they were rude and ignorant; let me just say I felt the men had to tear her down to make themselves feel better. They could not lift the same amount of weight as she so of course they had to say something to save face, the cowards. MY HOPE FOR THE CURRENT times we live in is that men and women will get closer to be thought of as equals. Not to be crude or rude, but except for the different plumbing women and men can do similar skills and work; maybe with only some slight adjustments. The notion that one gender is weaker than the other is a dated falsehood that needs to be buried once and for all. I remember the teasing I took for having a female internist and the rude comments that were made about what must have taken place during my physical exams. Can you believe it? I did not care if the doctor was a man or women; I was more concerned if they graduated at the top or bottom of their class. No matter what doctor I go to, I always try to look for a copy of their diploma hanging somewhere up on a wall. This divide that has been around for centuries between the sexes is more about power than gender. Well I am here to tell you it was impressive to see the achievements women made in the African country in this action, adventure film. UPON HIS FATHER’S DEATH T’CHALLA, played by Chadwick Boseman (Get on Up, 42), would have to participate in an ancient ritual to determine who would become the Black Panther and lead the nation. Someone else had already had been working for years on how to seize the throne. This science fiction movie also starred Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Fantastic Four) as Erik Killmonger, Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Star Wars franchise) as Nakia, Danai Gurira (The Visitor, All Eyez on Me) as Okoye and Letitia Wright (The Commuter, Top Boy-TV) as Shuri. First off I have to tell you this was not your typical superhero movie. There were no aliens or monsters hell bent on destroying Earth. I was fascinated by the story line and especially the use of women in the script. Black Panther was almost secondary for me compared to the scenes involving women. Michael B. Jordan and Danai commanded the screen with their roles. A majority of the fight scenes were filmed in an odd way; sort of a jerky slow/fast motion type of way. It was not a major distraction since these scenes were not all focal points in the story. The character development along with the juxtaposition of ancient rituals with modern technology kept me fully interested in this picture. Oh and also the great visuals and musical choices for the soundtrack. For those not into superhero movies this one may be worth your time. I enjoyed the different way it told a story and hope going forward that the novelty will wear off in having strong female characters participate in leading a story. There were 2 extra scenes in the middle and end of the credits.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The 15:17 to Paris
UGH, THERE GOES THAT ACQUAINTANCE telling us what he would do if he was in that type of situation. I was telling my friends about my recent experiences with the cable company. One of the pieces of equipment they gave me turned out to be faulty. After waiting on hold forever to talk to a customer service representative, I finally got someone on the line to explain my situation. Long story short, if they came out to swap out the equipment I would be billed a service charge. Before I could complete the story to my friends, this friend of a friend interrupted to tell everyone what he would have done if the same thing happened to him; well it did not happen to him so I did not care what he had to say. I hope that doesn’t sound rude, but I do not take kindly to people telling me what I should do or what they would do while I am in the middle of telling people what was happening to me. THERE IS SOMETHING TO SAY about that phrase, “…you do not know until you take a walk in my shoes,” or something similar to it. Unless I am asking someone for their advice, I do not see any real purpose in having someone telling me what they would do if they were in the same situation that I was in. Here is an example of what I am talking about: Sitting down with the teacher and vice principal to discuss the issues I was facing in a particular class, I tell them about a particular bully who was picking on me. Before I could finish telling them everything the gym teacher looks up at me and tells me not to let the bully do it; I should tell him to stop. That was all the advice he had for me. Gratefully the vice principal had other ideas for the short term. The thing that amazes me, not only for that gym teacher but essentially anyone else, is how someone can give advice when they are not part of the experience. It is like that person who tells you if someone tried to pick their pocket they would beat up the offender after you just got done saying someone took your wallet or purse. I guess people like to imagine themselves as superheroes or maybe just like to brag. However in the case of the three friends in this biographical thriller, they did exactly what they meant to do in this crisis. CHILDHOOD FRIENDS ALEX, ANTHONY AND SPENCER; played by Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone; while on vacation found themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack. Directed by Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby) this film also starred Judy Greer (27 Dresses, Ant-Man) as Joyce and Jenna Fischer (The Office-TV, Slither) as Heidi. I unequivocally admire the courage of these three men; their story deserves to be known. Now that I have stated that I have to tell you their acting was so poor that it was a major distraction in watching this dramatic movie. Clint wanted to cast the actual men which was fine, but if you want to tell a story you need to have someone act it out. The script was elementary like a 5th or 6th grade level elementary; that is how rough it was sitting in the theater hearing these non-actors speak. Also there was so much back story that the main event felt secondary to me. I was so stunned at how bad this film was that I joined a group of viewers afterwards who all voiced their negative reactions to this picture. One can assume the movie studio wanted to honor these heroes, but they did no such thing.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Restless
IT MAY START WITH THAT first “thwack” of a flyswatter against an insect where a child gets desensitized to the concept of death. To a baby or young child a bug may only be perceived as a toy; the idea of life and death is not something a young mind can wrap itself around. I even remember classmates who would hold a magnifying glass above an insect, directing the light of the sun down to burn the bug. To my fellow classmates it was simply a game they played. There were never any protests or condemnations by other students against this practice. It was not until we graduated to a higher grade level; I think it was around the 6th or 7th grade before a student would report a classmate for torturing an animal. This may shock you but we had a classmate who was known for setting fire to cats. I do not know how he caught them but I always wondered if he tortured and killed any other types of animals. To have such a disregard for life I assumed he must have been getting abused by someone. IT IS NOT UNTIL ONE is faced with a life threatening experience before they truly can appreciate their life. Recently I was talking with someone who had dealt with a deadly health issue. We talked and compared the issues we both had during our individual crisis. It was funny but we each told our loved ones we did not want any words of encouragement like “it will be okay.” During my medical scare I told everyone not to respond to any of the updates I would be sending them. Here is the thing though; everyone handles life and death issues differently. Some people are trained to never talk about death so when someone is facing a life threatening illness they stay away from the patient. Most people I think are trained to look at death as a sad experience. Yes it is sad that person will not be around anymore; but I feel death should be looked at as a celebration of life. Since death is a certainty in each of our lives, the idea of spending time dreading it taking place does not make much sense to me. I will say however there are only 2 things I hope will happen when it is my time to die: that my death does not make the news as part of a tragic event and I have a smile on my face as I die happy. FROM A CHANCE MEETING STRANGERS Annabel and Enoch, played by Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak, The Kids are All Right) and Henry Hopper (The Color of Time, The Fly Room), discover they have something in common: Death. This film festival nominated dramatic romance also starred Ryo Kase (Letters from Iwo Jima, Beyond Outrage) as Hiroshi Takahashi, Schuyler Fisk (Orange Country, The Best of Me) as Elizabeth and Jane Adams (Poltergeist, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) as Mabel. I thought Mia shined in this movie; her acting was soft and subtle. The story piqued my interest because it was based on a curious idea. However as the story moved forward I started to lose interest. The script was somewhat confusing to me to the point I wasn’t sure if what I was watching had some important symbolism or was a metaphor for a particular issue. I really wished the writers would have delved more into Mia’s character, developing it fuller. She was the focal point as far as I was concerned; the other characters were secondary in my opinion. Sadly this DVD really never came alive for me.
1 ¾ stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Peter Rabbit
WHAT I AM ABOUT TO tell you actually happened to me, but you will still not believe it. It was going to be our 3rd or 4th date, I cannot remember exactly, and I was being asked to come over for dinner to their place. Not being familiar with the different types of wine I offered to bring a dessert which is more my speed. I can still remember the apartment building; it was two stories tall and “L” shaped, broken up by a couple of courtyards. Finding the name on the directory I rang the bell and waited to be buzzed in past the security door. The hallway had a ceramic tiled floor made up of small black and white tiles that formed mini flower patterns. As I was walking up to the 2nd floor I could hear the creaking of the steps beneath my feet. Waiting at the opened door we greeted and I was ushered into a hallway with ivory painted, stucco walls. The hardwood floor looked recently polished. I did however notice some small thing by the baseboard, but did not have time to get a good look as we walked into the living room. THOUGH THE ROOM LOOKED LOVELY with a big bay window with a classic wooden radiator cover underneath it, there were a few peanut shells on the floor; how odd I thought. The shells were quite visible so I could not understand why they had not been picked up. Well I got my answer no more than a minute after I sat down at one end of the couch. A squirrel appeared at the entrance to the room but stopped and remained still as its gaze locked onto me. I remember whispering there was a squirrel in the house but the reaction I got from them was not what I was expecting. They leaned over to a candy dish on the coffee table in front of us and lifted the cover. Inside, the bowl was full of peanuts in their shells; like the kind you get at a baseball game. I was so taken aback as the squirrel was tossed a peanut that I did not have time to stop myself from uttering an expletive. After apologizing to my date, I listened as they explained the reasons why they fed the squirrels in the neighborhood. As if I needed proof I was shown the kitchen where they kept the back door open so the squirrels could come in. Oh and the floor had broken peanut shells all over it; it was disgusting. I barely ate and as soon as we were done eating I ended the evening. Some animals need to stay out of the house; just look what happened in this adventure comedy. WHEN THE NEW NEIGHBOR THOMAS McGregor, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Goodbye Christopher Robin, About Time), moved in next door Bea, played by Rose Byrne (The Meddler, Insidious franchise), hoped he would get along with her friend Peter Rabbit, voiced by James Corden (Into the Woods, The Lady in the Van). Thomas had other ideas. This adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s classic story had wonderful special effects; it sounds corny but the animals were so animated and real looking. The script however was not as good. At one point I felt I was watching a Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon because it was somewhat mean spirited. I felt the innocence and mischievousness of the Peter Rabbit character was taken away in this animated film. It is a shame because I really enjoyed James Corden as Peter. And if it means anything, after watching this movie I still had a bad attitude about squirrels.
2 stars
moviejoltz 