Category Archives: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Flash Movie Review: Lilo & Stitch
HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN IN LOVE at first sight? I cannot exactly say I have; but, I can say I have felt an immediate attraction upon meeting someone for the first time. There has been several friends and family members who have experienced falling in love immediately; for some it worked out, for others it did not. I remember questioning them after they told me, while I tried figuring out the how and why in taking such a leap from first meeting to falling in love. The answer remained elusive for me. All of us must have experienced at one time feeling immediate dislike for someone upon meeting them; I certainly have over the years. However, when it comes to experiencing, in my case, immediate attraction, it has very little to do with the physical features of a person. I have mentioned before I never cared about a person’s height, weight, hair or face; it has always been the personality, their mind, their humor and most importantly their hygiene. A complete turnoff for me was bad/dirty teeth and/or fingernails. If they suffered with acne, a physical issue such as a limp or picking something as random as a cleft palette; it did not matter to me. My only concern if I am being perfectly honest was if they did not take the state of their health seriously. AS THEY SAY, “BEAUTY IS IN the eye of the beholder,” and I perfectly understand it. One summer a long time ago, I felt I needed to jumpstart my dating status. So, I posted an online ad to see what would happen. To my shock, I received over 50 responses; I must admit I did write a unique ad that was meant to catch the eye. For each date I went on, I would only agree to meet for a cup of coffee for approximately one hour. There were some first dates that were near painful trying to maintain a conversation; others, did go over an hour by double or more because of the stimulating conversation. It was always dictated by the combination of our personalities. When this happened in a positive way, there was always a good chance by the end of the first date, I felt a strong attraction to them. Granted, there were times where it was not reciprocated and I was okay with it, but did feel a little letdown. I had to keep telling myself it was not meant to be, so just keep on trying. However, those times where the two of us were in synch (humor, personality, mind) it was magical. I would feel this strong connection, though I might not be able to easily explain it. This is the reason why I understood what the young girl was feeling in this fantasy, family, action, adventure movie. A LITTLE GIRL WAS IMMEDIATELY ATTRACTED to the runaway alien she discovered. Her problem would be convincing her older sister to let her keep it. With newcomer Maia Kealoha as Lily, Sydney Agudong (At Her Feet, West Michigan) as Nani, Chris Sanders (The Croods franchise, Lilo & Stitch: The Series-TV) voicing Stitch, Zach Galifianakis (Winner, Due Date) voicing Jumba, and Courtney B. Vance (Ben is Back, Dangerous Minds) as Cobra Bubbles; this dramatic comedy had a pull on my heart. Having never seen the original animated film or series, I thought Maia was excellent in her role. The special effects were fun as was the script, though there were a few sad parts in it. During the viewing of this picture there was a time where I thought the antics were getting too repetitive, but there were definitely a few of the scenes that had an underlying message which the adult viewer would understand. All in all, I thought this picture was well done, and is suitable for the entire family.
3 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Thunderbolts
ONE OF THE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCES during my elementary and high school years was when we would have to pick teams in physical ed classes. Usually the teacher would pick two of his favorites in the class to be team captains, and let them choose the students they wanted for their teams. This meant I would have to stand in line with the rest of the students and watch each one get picked before me; if I was not the last one picked, I was always close to last. I knew and everyone else knew right then and there the captain really did not want me on their team because I would not be an asset to the team. Heck, I knew I would not be because I did not like playing team sports. The best I could hope for was not to make a mistake that would cost the team not to win. Depending on the game, I would always stay in the back and just run from side to side with the other students around me, hoping the ball never came close to me. The most amazing thing that ever came out of those experiences was finding myself the last member standing for my team and having to try and make the winning play. The game, I can distinctly remember to this day, was bombardment. Each side would throw the ball to the other side and try to hit a member from the opposing team. If hit, they were then out of the game; the last person standing was the winner for the team. It was during this game that I discovered I could throw the ball fast and really hard. It was a revelation to me. FROM THAT MOMENT ON, THIS WAS the only game I ever wanted to play. And trust me, the other students noticed my “talent” quickly. Added to my new ability, I had a high accuracy rate; I could quickly knock off boy after boy on the opposing team. Sadly, once we graduated to high school, where I thought I could start with a clean slate and not have all the other boys think I was a loser except in this one game, none of the PE classes offered bombardment as a sport. So, I found myself back to being part of a small group of boys who were always picked last in any of the sporting events. If you were never in such a situation, it would be hard to tell you how truly awful the feeling was to stand while everyone around you was getting picked before you. It does a real number on one’s confidence and for many of us, the feelings leaked out into our other school activities. Imagine having to get up in front of the class to give an oral report and see your fellow students not paying attention to anything you were saying, or teaming up on a science project and your lab partner telling you he wants to do the experiment alone because he is in your PE class and knows about your poor performances. Due to these life experiences I have endured, my heart always quickly goes out to the underdog, no matter the venue or activity. This is way I found myself early on, rooting on the castoffs in this action, adventure, science fiction drama. FINDING THEMSELVES CALLED TO THE SAME place, only to discover it was a trap, a group of unconventional beings must form a tight knit group if they want to save themselves and save the world. With Florence Pugh (We Live in Time, Dune: Part Two) as Yelena Belva, Sebastian Stan (A Different Man, Dumb Money) as Bucky Barnes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Tuesday, You Hurt my Feelings) as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Lewis Pullman (Water Rises, Bad Times at the El Royale) as Robert Reynolds, and David Harbour (A Working Man, Violent Night) as Alexei Shostakov; this superhero political drama was a refreshing twist to the superhero genre. The cast was perfectly suited to the script, especially Florence with her character. She has such a strong screen presence that demands one’s attention. Another surprise for me was seeing Julia do such a wonderful job with her character who was so unlike any of her other characters. I appreciated the lack, or at least the soft marketing influences to the script. There were humorous moments throughout the story as well as touching moments that were unexpected but helped balance out the script. Even though the story may not be a total original, I enjoyed watching this film and felt sympathy for this group of characters. I would not mind seeing them come together in a sequel. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Minecraft Movie
FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS who do not have my ability, some say gift, I can help them see what I am seeing. From my earliest memories, i always had this ability to see something more than what the object was made for. A whisk broom (do they even make those anymore?) in my hands became a missile or rocket ship, where the bristles were the flames coming out from the engines. A strainer covering a turned on pocket flashlight was a device that sent stars onto the ceiling of my bedroom. With a spatula in my hand, I would pretend I was chopping through enemy castles’ gates which were really closet doors. I did the same thing with clouds. Sitting out in the backyard, looking up to the sky, I could show my friends all the things the sky contained, from an automobile to a vampire bat to a man’s face. When school started for me, i would do the same thing in the classroom, seeing the chalkboard eraser as the enemy’s secret weapon that would wipe out fields of letters. There were a few times the teacher would call me out for not paying attention, because I was either staring out the window or at the art supplies stacked on a shelf, anywhere but where i was supposed to be looking, namely the teacher showing us something on the blackboard. EVEN TO THIS DAY, I CAN find something hidden or unique in something else. I especially like paintings or photographs of floral landscapes because usually I can find a face or animal hidden in the way the shadows mingle with the sunlight on blooms and leaves. If memory serves me correctly, some time ago I mentioned how a raccoon ate a hole in my roof. One day I walked up into the attic which I used for storage and saw a beam of sunlight shining down like a spotlight. Instead of thinking about who can I call to repair it, I stared at the hole and imagined it being a skylight, seeing how more light coming in would brighten the darkened space that only had one little window at the very back of the attic. As you can see, my imagination has always been overactive and quite vivid. I remember how much I used to enjoy rainy Saturdays when I was a kid because it meant I could play in the living room all day with all the things our household contained. As I sat and watched this action, adventure fantasy; I thought the creators of the video game this film was based on were some very creative individuals. PULLED UNEXPECTEDLY INTO A WORLD WHERE one needs to have an imagination to survive, a small group of individuals will need to work together if they ever want to see their homes again. With Jason Momoa (Aquaman franchise, Fast X) as Garrett, Jack Black (Dear Santa, The Big Year) as Steve, Sebastian Hansen (Just Mercy, Mozart in the Jungle-TV) as Henry, Emma Myers (Family Switch, Wednesday-TV) as Natalie, and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Dawn; this comedy’s filled with imaginative scenes. I have never seen or played the video game, so I was a little unclear about what was taking place at first. However, things soon began to fall in place and I tried to get into the story. Not being a big fan of slapstick, there were scenes that were filled with it, which makes sense when Jack Black is cast in a fantasy picture. My attention kept going in and out of the story, but at least I was enjoying the visuals and special effects. To a gamer or young child, this film will probably be a bit hit for them. As for me, I think I was just too old to play along with it. There were two extra scenes during the closing credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Snow White
THE FIRST TIME I HEARD SOMEONE whistling was in a movie. The sound came from a princess. With family members, we went to the neighborhood movie theater to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I did not know any of the history about the movie. It was the first full length animated feature film when it debuted in 1937, winning at film festivals, was nominated for an Oscar and Walt Disney received an honorary Oscar for it. We were going to a Saturday matinee which always excited me because, not only was I getting to see a movie, but would be eating popcorn and a chocolate candy bar during it. As you might imagine for a small child, I was fascinated to see such a production. The animation, story, and singing had me completely enthralled, where I could barely sit still in my seat. When it came to the part where the song “Whistle While You Work” started to be sung, I stopped in mid-chew. Snow White’s high singing voice was so pretty and then when she whistled, I was utterly fascinated by it. After the movie when we all returned home, I got close up to a mirror, puckered my lips like Snow White did in the film and blew my breath out as hard as I could; the sound was nothing close to what I heard her do. It did not stop me from trying still. A relative saw what I was doing and walked over to teach me how to whistle. I would practice it for the next several days until I could change the pitch and volume with no assistance. YEARS LATER WHEN I GOT A summer job, I worked in a shipping department. The boss was this old, crotchety man who had little or no care about his appearance. I could deal with the stained shirt and dirty pants, but his breath used to make my stomach turn. I was part of a group of six boys who packed orders up for shipping, besides doing other odds and ends based on the owner’s whims. Between the owner and my boss, a day never went by where one of them was not yelling. Luckily, I rarely was on the receiving end of their outbursts, but it still made me uncomfortable. To have them barking and calling us names was getting to me, even when I was not the recipient of their wrath. Out of the blue, one day, the song “Whistle While You Work” popped into my mind. I do not know how or why but I began silently singing it to myself to help drown out the noise around me and it worked. I did not feel as anxious or stressed while I was going through the lyrics. I had the song on repeat many times afterwards. Sadly, I had to replay this song in my brain while watching this updated, live action version of the cartoon classic. HAVING BEEN SAVED BY HER EVIL stepmother’s guard who was tasked with the job of killing her, the young princess found refuge in the cottage of seven dwarfs. While there she hopes one day to return to the castle of her birth. With Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Snow White, Emilia Faucher (Rosario, A Ring for Christmas-TV) as young Snow White, Gal Godot (Heart of Stone, Red Notice) as Evil Queen, Andrew Burnap (The Chaperone, The Front Room) as Jonathan, and Patrick Page (In the Heights, Spirited-TV) voicing Magic Mirror; this adventure romance fantasy was a series of bad decisions. I can appreciate taking liberties with the original film by updating the characters, but there needed to be a well written script. Rachel tried her hardest, but it was not enough to make this an entertaining experience. Gal was completely miscast in the role of the Evil Queen. I guess young children would still enjoy watching this mess, but anyone older would soon get bored by it. Honestly, there was no reason to even do this live version if it did not stay true to the original concept.
1 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: In the Lost Lands
WHEN SOMEONE THINKS THEY ARE ALWAYS right, it is a good bet that person would absolutely enjoy having total power. I used to work at a fitness center where I had a boss who always thought she was right. Most of the time, I would not let it bother me; but when she decided that the schedule of classes would start changing every six weeks, I respectfully expressed my opinion. I could tell she was perturbed, but I did not care. To me, we instructors were there to serve the members’ needs, not my boss’s ego. I expressed how some of our members only have a particular time they can come to the center to workout. Members already expressed when they find an instructor they like, they want to stay with them. The proof of that was the fact I had the largest number of members attending my classes. My boss said it was important for the members to experience assorted styles of workouts and instructors. I countered each instructor makes sure to change up the exercise routines that are done in their classes, so the member’s body never gets used to a class and loses the shock value on their muscles. We went back and forth, point and counterpoint, until my boss said she did not care what a few members think, she is changing the number of times we will be changing formats and classes. And just like I predicted the members loudly complained and as a result attendance in general dropped until my boss bitterly gave in and returned the schedule back to the old format. THE STORY I JUST SHARED WAS recently expressed to a friend of mine who was telling me about the changes taking place at her office. She worked for a private company where the long-term president was recently replaced. What she told me was both frightening and sad. This new president was not discreet in showing his disdain for the way the past president ran the company. He was also determined to cut costs, no matter the ramifications. I sat and listened to my friend list things this new person already did and how his actions were affecting the employees. For example, the new president never listened to advice from anyone. Upon one meeting, he would already have formed an opinion of the person; most of the time he thought the person was inferior and would begin to treat them with disdain. After my friend was done sharing all her horror stories, I told her the new person sounded like a power-hungry dictator. I questioned why someone would want to lead by instilling fear in the employees who helped make the company so successful. It was a perfect example of absolute power being corruptive and destructive. I saw the same thing taking place in this fantasy action adventure. DESPITE ON A MISSION GIVEN FROM the queen to acquire a special power for her, a hunter and her guide were being hunted by someone in the queen’s realm who wanted her dead. With Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil franchise, Monster Hunter) as Gray Alys, Dave Bautista (The Killer’s Game, My Spy franchise) as Boyce, Arly Jover (Blade, A Prominent Patient) as The Enforcer, Amara Okereke (Red Rise-TV, The Morning After-TV) as The Queen, and Fraser James (Yardie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) as The Patriarch; this movie based on a George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) short story was cheaply done. I thought the special effects and sets were paltry and unimpressive. Even if the entire movie was shot in one room and everything shown was CGI, it was poorly done and unrealistic looking. The script bounced around, never providing a cohesive plan of logic. As for the acting, it was nothing but average at best. I honestly was not sure why Milla and Dave agreed to star in it until I saw they were producers. What were they thinking? This film was a disappointment, and I wonder if there was only one person in charge who greenlighted everything needed to create this waste of time.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Nosferatu
THERE IS A FINE LINE THAT separates love and obsessiveness/possessiveness. I have experienced both. Over a summer some time ago, I was dating someone who on our first date made a point to tell me they were not into relationship drama. It worked for me because I felt the same way. If one cannot sit down and have an adult conversation, expressing one’s feelings, then I know the relationship will be doomed. On our first date, I found out they had a PhD, the youngest in their class to do so, taught at a prestigious university in the city, their favorite countries for vacation, and the author of two books. Not that I had an issue hearing about all the accomplishments, but I wanted to hear more about their background, thoughts about the world, and their dreams. I know this may be a lot to ask someone on a first date, but listing accomplishments without asking me any questions is something I consider as a red flag for me to file away as we decide on a second date. And so that you know, I have always agreed on a second date unless there was a significant issue with the person where I was not feeling comfortable around them. FAST FORWARD, AND WE HAD BEEN dating for a few months. Within that amount of time, I unexpectedly found myself talking to their mother, when a cellphone was pushed into my hand, and I was told to say hi. Our talks veered towards me, being told what we were going to be doing for the holidays and other special occasions in their life; nothing was asked about what I did for the holidays or what special events did I have coming up like birthday or graduation parties. Granted, I have always been deliberately slow on introducing my friends into our relationship, preferring to wait and make sure the two of us have built a solid and healthy foundation before including friends and family into the mix. But this pattern of me always having to be available for their functions and them not for mine was becoming a problem for me. Add another development where I would get multiple texts asking where I was if I did not pick up their phone call right away. I was no longer an equal participant in this relationship, and it was time to end it. As you might imagine, it did not go well when I sat down and tried talking to them. Whatever I said would get twisted for them to talk about themselves and what they needed from me, so that I could not leave them. I did not waver and eventually said my goodbyes. For the next two to three weeks, I was still getting texts from them; I finally had to block them. You will understand now, why my heart went out to one of the main characters in this fantasy, horror mystery. THE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL AND PHYSICAL episodes a recent bride was experiencing took on a more intense and darker nature when a new resident moved into the area. With Lily-Rose Depp (Wolf, Silent Night) as Ellen Hunter, Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2, The Order) as Thomas Hunter, Bill Skarsgard (The Crow, The Devil All the Time) as Count Orlok, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy, Kraven the Hunter) as Friedrich Harding, and William Dafoe (Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things) as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz; this gothic supernatural tale was stunning to watch. The sets, costumes, and makeup were perfect, which added more intensity into the scenes. The acting was wonderful; I never recognized Bill Skarsgard. As for the script, if you are looking to be scared out of your seat, I do not think it will necessarily happen with this movie. The story is filled more with uncomfortable ickiness and dread than your typical action vampire stories. I felt the beginning part was slow, but methodical. Once I became accustomed to the pacing, in a way it felt like it was contributing to the buildup of suspense. The best way to view this film is to forget your memories of past vampire films and walk in with an open mind. There were scenes of blood and violence.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Crow
ACTS OF LOVE CAN BE EXPRESSED in many ways, from diamonds to kidneys. Yes, I said kidneys. A friend’s father had issues with his kidneys and needed a transplant. My friend immediately offered one of his if it would be a match. Gratefully, they were, and the operation was done soon after. My friend never hesitated; he and his dad were always close and now this act made them even closer. It was a selfless, loving act, and I am happy to report that the two of them are perfectly fine and healthy today. Another act of love I witnessed was our friend’s girlfriend nurse him back from the brink of death. He contracted a virus that brought on a cornucopia of issues where his body was shutting down. For weeks he was in intensive care and his girlfriend never left his side. Since she had a medical background, she checked everything the nurses and doctors were doing for him, from tests to administering drugs. One doctor was supposed to perform a vital test on a certain day that would lead the medical staff in the right direction toward treatment. This doctor came to see my friend when the girlfriend was in the hospital cafeteria eating lunch. When she returned and asked her boyfriend if the doctor showed up and performed the procedure, my friend told her he showed up but did not do the test. She immediately hunted him down in the hospital and let me just say, “read him the riot act.” The doctor returned that afternoon and performed the test on my friend. BESIDES WITNESSING ACTS OF LOVE BETWEEN humans, I have seen acts between humans and animals. To me, they are just as valid. I was on vacation, staying at an inn where the owners made a breakfast buffet each morning for the guests. While I was seated at a table sampling the baked goods, an obvious senior dog slowly came into the dining room. The dog had a limp as it walked, which was a good thing because it bumped into the leg of a chair that a recently departed guest had not pushed all the way back into the table. Keeping a watch on the dog, I quickly realized it must be blind by the way it was brushing into things around the buffet table. When the owners appeared and made their round of greetings to each occupied table of guests, when they came up to me, I asked the age of their dog. He was thirteen years old, and they confirmed he was blind and arthritic. We started talking about pets and they shared they had to carry him on stairs and serve him soft food because he was missing some teeth. It was obvious to me how much they loved him; when they were describing the things they did for him, I did not detect any negative feelings from them. They simply loved their pet and would take care of him all the way to the end of his life. What loving dog owners. These acts of love and witnessing them are part of the reason I felt I would bond with the story in this fantasy, action horror romance. AFTER BEING BRUTALLY MURDERED ALONGSIDE HIS girlfriend in a home invasion Eric, played by Bill Skarsgard (It franchise, Nosferatru), finds himself being alive in another world. The love he had for his girlfriend prevented him from completely dying, giving him the chance to get revenge on all those who murdered the two of them. With FKA twigs (Honey Boy, Brighton Beach) as Shelly, Danny Huston (The Dead Don’t Hurt, Ride Above) as Vincent Roeg, Josette Simon (The Witches, Tell that to the Winter Sea) as Sophia, and Laura Birn (Void, A Walk Among the Tombstones) as Marion; this supernatural crime film had potential. The chemistry between Bill and FKA twigs seemed authentic and though it took a while to pick up, their love story was interesting despite being quick in nature. Sadly, the script and directing did not create a solid story. The pacing was odd, going from fast action to soft loving reminiscences to supernatural scenes. I found parts of the movie went slowly and never felt deep emotions except for Bill’s character. Also, maybe it was a false expectation on my part, but I thought there would be more back story to Bill’s character, both the inmate and superhero sides. It made me question how he suddenly became this tough fighter, for example. Ultimately, I was bored through most of the time and wished I could have at least liked it. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Paddington in Peru
I HAD HEARD STORIES ABOUT HER ever since I could retain memories; that is how long it had been. Stories about the incredible meals she would cook, the sweet personality, and the kindness she offered everyone; these stories contributed to the images I had of her in my mind. She was my grandmother, but I had never met her through most of my elementary school years. I honestly never knew what the reasons were, except that she lived out of town with a relative that took care of her. Nonetheless, she was part of our family’s conversations from time to time. I would have loved to have eaten some of her meals and especially desserts. Relatives who knew her always mentioned her cooking skills and how she loved being in the kitchen whipping up meals that, as they say, could feed an army. I was told she was never phased or put out by people unexpectedly dropping in to see her. She always had either homemade cookies or cakes in the house, ready to be served to company with a warm cup of coffee or big glass of cold milk. To me, she just sounded amazing and accepting and someone I wanted to sit down and visit with over one of her delicious sounding desserts. Though we were never together physically, she still was part of my life. IT WAS DURING MY LAST YEAR of elementary school when I was told this elusive grandmother was coming for a visit. One of her sons (a great uncle of mine) was going to accompany her. I was excited to finally be able to meet her and see what she was like compared to everything I had heard about her. She was going to stay at a relative’s house in the city, and it was decided all of us were to come there over the weekend to see her. I did not know any other details, like how long she would be staying here, all I was interested in was just seeing her. We drove over on a Sunday afternoon. As we pulled up to my uncle’s house, I could see a small group of people standing out on the front lawn. Once parked and out of the car, we walked up to greet our relatives. As they parted to the sides, I saw standing in the middle of all of them this tiny, white-haired woman. I do not think she was even five feet tall. With oval shaped glasses perched low on the bridge of her nose, I got to her first and introduced myself. She studied me for a moment before putting her arms out for a hug as she told me I looked like my father. I cannot describe the feeling except to say I felt an immediate kinship, a connection to this side of my family that previously had a missing piece, suddenly now becoming whole. Because of these feelings, I understood what Paddington, voiced by Ben Whishaw (Bad Behaviour, No Time to Die) felt when he received the news about a relative in this adventure, comedy mystery. UPON GETTING THE NEWS ABOUT A close relative had gone missing, Paddington and the family decided to go find her in the jungles of Peru. The trail they would take might involve clues about a hidden treasure. With Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey franchise, To Olivia) as Henry Brown, Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns, Lars and the Real Girl) as Mary Brown, Imelda Staunton (The Crown-TV, Downton Abbey franchise) voicing Aunt Lucy, and Antonio Banderas (The Enforcer, Babygirl) as Hunter Cabot; this latest installment in the franchise had similar elements to the previous films, except I did not find this one as entertaining. There is a certain charm and kind humor in the previous films that were lacking here. I felt the humor was more slapstick and some other scenes were unoriginal because they had a strong similarity to ones in the Indiana Jones movies. The cast did a wonderful job with the script, which did have a touching message in it. I feel this family film will be more amusing to younger kids than older ones. I believe the writers gave it a good try for thinking out of the box with this story, but it might be best if they stick closer to home next time. There were two extra scenes during the ending credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Captain America: Brave New World
I WAS SO CONFUSED WHEN THE new Darrin appeared for the first time in the television show, Bewitched. For five years, starting at the debut of the show, Dick York played Darrin Stephens; then suddenly, Dick Sargent was Darrin. My family had to try and explain to me this new person on the show was Darrin. I did not believe them. It made no sense to me; it was not like the first Darrin died on the show or got divorced from Samantha. Simply, a different actor was playing Sam’s mortal husband. With this being my first time witnessing a switch of actors in a cast, by the time I saw the Harry Potter films, I was so used to it that I did not find it startling when a new actor started playing the character, Albus Dumbledore. I guess, in movie world it is easier to replace actors for a well known character. Just think how many James Bonds we have seen played by different actors. I am aware it is easier when the changes take place in a make-believe world as opposed to our daily lives. Let me show you by defining the word, boss. According to the dictionary the definition of the word boss is a person who oversees a group, worker, or company. Think of how many times you had a boss who was different from your other bosses. THE CLICHÉ A BREATH OF FRESH air comes to mind when I think about a company I left years ago, where I had an awful boss, and wound up at a new company where I respected and admired my boss. My former boss was a nasty man; he ruled by intimidation and yelling at the employees. It was nothing for him to give a project to an employee late in the afternoon and demand it be done first thing in the morning. As a result, the employee would have to work through the night to complete it. I noticed he only did this with salaried employees, so he would not have to pay the employees overtime. I lasted a few years before I sought out other employment. At my new job, my boss was completely opposite to my former boss. She constantly offered encouragement and sought out employees’ opinions on work related matters. If an employee made a mistake, she would sit with them and ask them what they could have done differently to achieve better results. I was impressed by the way she ran the department and started modeling myself after her throughout my career. In this case she was such a welcome change for a boss. In the case of this action, science fiction, superhero adventure, I am trying to keep an open mind about the change that has taken place. ON THE VERGE OF COMPLETING A groundbreaking international trade deal, the president of the United States is being targeted by an evil force that could derail all the work that was put in creating this monumental trade deal. The ensuing chaos would draw in Captain America and his friends. With Anthony Mackie (The Woman in the Window, We Have a Ghost) as Sam Wilson, Harrison Ford (The Call of the Wild, The Age of Adaline) as President Thaddeus Rose, Danny Ramirez (No Exit, Assassination Nation) as Joaquin Torres, Shira Haas (Broken Mirrors, Shtisel-TV) as Ruth Bat-Seraph, and Carl Lumbly (Men of Honor, The Life of Chuck) as Isaiah Bradley; this latest in the franchise starts out with a new actor playing Captain America. Because of this, the writers had to find a way to ease Anthony into this new role. For the most part, I felt they did, but it also took time away from developing a better story. The script had its moments but there was less humor compared to past Marvel films. Honestly, I thought Harrison Ford was the standout from the cast which made Anthony fade into the background. The idea for the story was good but it lacked the drama and finesse of the previous Marvel superhero movies. Even the special effects were somewhat dull. Despite this, I am keeping an open mind, believing this picture was more of an introduction for this new Captain America. I hope the movie studio can rise to the occasion for the next installment. There was one extra scene at the end of the final credits.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 