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Flash Movie Review: Project Hail Mary
THOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL CHALLENGES FOR me, the month-long trip overseas went beyond all expectations and hopes. My latest thrill is visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, which we were able to see several on this trip. There was so much history we delved into, that I am having a hard time keeping all the facts straight for each place. One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting the city where my Dad was stationed during the war. Hearing about the importance of the city’s place in history and walking the streets, I had this surreal feeling of connection. The issues I encountered the weeks I was away from home, gratefully, diminished due to amazing things we saw and did. One of my challenges was regarding foods. Since I do not eat red meat or pork, our home base country did not have a lot to offer me for meals since they are known for their beef. Chicken takes a far backseat on their diet. There were times I would wind up having two shrimp cocktails and a small side salad for dinner. The fact that I lost three pounds on the trip should tell you something. If that was not rough enough, I wound up catching a bug that caused digestive issues; so, there were a couple of days where I did not eat or drink anything throughout the day. I did not want to be caught in an embarrassing situation while on an excursion. ONCE WE WERE BACK HOME AND re-adjusted to our “normal” schedule, I wanted to see a movie that I could escape into, without much thought. This is why I chose this film; I wanted to watch something that had a visual, sci-fi vibe to it. I had no idea this picture would remind me of an encounter we had while on our ship. There was a married couple who were on a few of our excursions. We normally do not start up a conversation with strangers since we do not know if their beliefs are similar to ours; or, if they are not, they will not act on them, making it uncomfortable for us. The wife always had this sour look on her face; in my opinion, she looked mean. She never smiled or acknowledged us when we would see them repeatedly on other excursions. Granted, I do not think she acknowledged anyone as far as I could tell. One night as we were walking out of a restaurant, they were about to walk in. Before I could stop myself, I said the food was good and we ate a lot due to all the walking we did on that day’s excursion. To my surprise, they both laughed and shared their experiences on the trip. We come to find out they live in a town where I have a substantial amount of relatives; one of them was a friend of hers while in college. From that point on, we would see one another almost every day and stop to share our events of the day and became quite friendly. I had an extra reason to feel good after leaving this sci-fi, adventure, comedy, drama. AT FIRST DISORIENTED AFTER WAKING UP from suspended animation, a science teacher begins to remember why he found himself on a spacecraft, headed towards the sun. With Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Barbie) as Ryland Grace, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest) as Eva Stratt, James Ortiz (The Woodsman, Girls Against Boys) as Rocky, Lionel Boyce (The Bear-TV, Loiter Squad-TV) as Carl, and Ken Leung (Old, Lost-TV) as Yao, this movie surprised me. Based on the premise, I was not expecting the humor that was sprinkled into the script. I thought Ryan and Sandra did a wonderful job of acting and I was quickly drawn into the story. The visuals did not disappoint me, only adding to my enjoyment. In addition, I was touched on how the story took a turn by providing some touching moments. And kudos to the director for keeping things on track, consistently moving the story forward, while blending the emotional aspects. The extra treat for me, after seeing this film, was recalling how that couple we saw on the ship, that we were at first leery of, turned out being a pleasure to talk with and share our mutual experiences.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Song Sung Blue
“IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE is a way,” is a saying a truly believe. I have always felt this from as far back as I can remember. As a little boy, I used to play with jigsaw puzzles. No matter how hard or long it took me, I was determined to complete them. The same held true in my desire to learn and play the piano. It took approximately two years of dogged perseverance before my family agreed to start out first with renting me a piano. In that two years, whenever we were at a relative’s house that had a piano, I would sit down and figure out how to create something that sounded like a melody. If a cousin was taking piano lessons and had any study books, I would pour over them, trying to memorize different details and facts. I even went as far as drawing a full size keyboard using sheets of construction paper taped at the edges. Teaching myself the notes on my paper piano, I learned how to read sheet music and began pretending I was playing a song, while in my brain I was replaying the music I had heard either on a record or from someone playing the piece on the piano. I actually thought I was real good at it; but of course, I never heard a wrong note in my head. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH MY determination to make physical fitness a part of my life. Though I had flunked gym classes in school, I was determined to become a fitness instructor. It took a little time for me to build up the confidence and to get comfortable wearing T-shirts and shorts in public, but I succeeded. Being in a setting where the majority of people were all there to exercise in some form, I really got to see firsthand that there were many people like me who had a strong belief/desire to accomplish something with their body. In my decades of teaching I have been amazed to see so many examples of people’s determination. There was the member who had MS and was confined to a wheelchair, taking yoga classes. They came to every class, worked on as many poses as they could from a seated position, and after one year felt strong enough to get out of their wheelchair and stand up. It was only for a few seconds but they did it. At the fitness center where I presently work out, I have seen several individuals confined to a wheelchair; yet, they wheel right up to a weight machine, lock the wheels of their chair, and pull themselves up and out onto a machine to work the parts of their body that still respond. It is unbelievably inspiring and re-enforces my belief about having the will to do something. While watching this music drama, I found myself rooting for the main characters and their determination. THEIR LOVE OF MUSIC BROUGHT THEM together, but would it be strong enough as they began a journey filled with new highs and devastating lows. With Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine, Bad Education) as Mike, Kate Hudson (Glass Onion, A Little White Lie) as Claire, Ella Anderson (The Glass Castle, Suncoast) as Rachel, Hudson Hensley (The Wildman of Shaggy Creek) as Dana, and Michael Imperioli (The Lovely Bones, The Sopranos-TV) as Mark Shurilla; this biographical Oscar nominated film, was based on the Milwaukee couple who did covers of Neil Diamond songs. Not being a solid listener of Neil’s songs, I was surprised how well they fit into the story. Hugh and Kate really sold the story with the strong chemistry between them, and I thought their acting was terrific; Kate was nominated for an Oscar. Though the script was predictable, I still enjoyed watching this picture, even tapping my foot to some of the songs.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Hamnet
SUCH A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE, DEATH, YET everyone internalizes and processes it in their own way. I may have mentioned this before, but when a close relative of mine died, I would play a favorite song of theirs on the piano every day for a month. The months that followed, I would still play it quite often; sometimes when i just happened to be thinking about them, or on a holiday that meant something to them. Some years ago a former partner of mine passed away in such a way that health and government officials had to be involved. Both the deceased’s relatives and friends had to wait a long six to eight weeks before the results and cause of his death were announced, with the body being released to the parents afterwards. Though we had broken up in a bad way several years prior, I decided I wanted to give a eulogy, so I began to work on one for a week, up until the funeral. At the memorial service, a few of their friends were surprised to see me, since our breakup was rather dramatic. A couple of their relatives came up to tell me how glad they were to see me. When the time came for me to get up and eulogize them, I was taken aback how I and many of the guests were tearing up. Gratefully, I got through the whole thing, sat down, and felt an unusual comfort come over me. I NEVER CONSIDERED ANY OF MY actions extreme or out of the ordinary, unlike some of the things I witnessed from others. There was a daughter I knew who after her mother’s funeral arrived at her mother’s grave every day with a thermos of hot coffee, two cups and two lawn chairs. She would set up the chairs, one on each side of the plot, fill the two cups with coffee, place one cup on the empty lawn chair, keeping the other cup for herself, and sit there the entire morning having a one-sided conversation with her mom. The only time she would cut her visit short was during the winter months when the weather was bitterly cold; otherwise, she was there whether there were flurries, sun, or rain. It came to the point where relatives would gently broach the subject about maybe she could find a way to heal herself, talking to a professional in the medical field. She had no interest. This was the way she wanted to spend time with her mother. As I said, everyone handles death in their own way. What I witnessed in this period piece drama, took me by total surprise. THOUGH SHE IS A HEALER, A mother experiences unbearable grief within her own family, during the plague in England. She will have to find the strength to heal herself and provide for her family while trying to keep them safe. With Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose, Beast) as Agnes, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II, All of Us Strangers) as Will, Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist, Harriet) as Bartholomew, Emily Watson (The Happy Prince, Midas Man) as Mary, and Justine Mitchell (Smother-TV, Maryland-TV movie) as Joan; I was taken completely taken by surprise with this film. Not knowing or hearing anything about it, I went in thinking the story was going to be a comedy or farce, assuming that Hamnet was maybe a long lost brother or relative of Hamlet; I could not have been further from the truth. The story, based on the novel, was simply beautiful, and the acting was brilliant. In the very beginning, I did wonder where the story was going, but as things unfolded and the chemistry between Jessie and Paul crystalized, I was swept away. I thought the filming and directing were outstanding, lush scenery with a steady unfurling of the story. By the end of the movie, I felt it was a privilege to have been a witness to this family, with their joy and sorrow. This is definitely an Oscar contender in my opinion.
3 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Marty Supreme
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, HOW far removed is determination from obsession? They may not be siblings, but I feel they are certainly cousins. I do not believe you can have one without the other. As a kid, I played ping pong several times; usually, on vacation where the hotel would have a ping pong table in their game room, or at someone’s house. It was not until freshman year of college where I began to take the game seriously. For one thing, the friend I made who lived across the hall from me was an avid player. He even had his own ping pong paddle. Every week, at least once or twice, we would walk over to the student center to play the game. In the beginning, I was awful. The main reason was because he pretty much played as if he were in a tournament. He would put different spins on the ball that drove me crazy because the ball seemed to never bounce the same way twice. Also, he enjoyed spiking the ball, where I would then have to chase it down before anyone stepped on it. Sure I got frustrated and angry at times, but I was determined to figure out how I could get better to at least have longer rallies between points. Every time we played I studied how he held the paddle, how he moved his arm during the serve, and how he shifted from side to side. It was not until two months into my sophomore year, that I finally beat him for the first time. He then quit playing the game, saying he had too much studying to do for the semester. I AM SURE SOME PEOPLE WOULD have given up playing with him a long time ago, but I have always had tendencies to be obsessive. As a little boy, I would work on a jigsaw puzzle all day, because I wanted it to be done before i went to bed. There was a little tile game I had where there was only one open space and you would have to shift all the tiles around until you could get a particular tile to the very top. Even today, after having recently discovered that one should remove the skins from garbanzo beans, I can stand by the sink for hours making sure i removed the skin from each bean that came out of the can. Like many things, this obsessiveness ebbs and flows through me; some days I can stop focusing on something in a reasonable time, but other days I become laser focused to the point I tune out everything else around me. This is probably why I thoroughly enjoyed this sports drama. PEOPLE MAY DISRESPECT HIM, THE GAME he played was not getting much respect, but it did not stop this young man’s determination to keep pushing forward until he could finally play in the world championship tournament. As far as he was concerned he was the best in the world. With Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown, Dune franchise) as Marty Mauser, Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man franchise, Mortdecai) as Kay Stone, Odessa A’zion (Hellraiser, Sitting in Bars with Cake) as Rachel Mizler, Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman (Uncut Gems, Satan’s Little Helper) as Murray Norkin, and Fran Drescher (The Nanny-TV, After Class) as Rebecca Mauser; I thought the cast’s acting was outstanding. The pace through most of the film was fast paced, it took a little time for me to fall into its rhythm, but once I was in synch the time flew by. As a period piece, I thought the sets, costumes, and dialog were spot on. I think if the duration of this picture was a little shorter, it would have been perfect. By the last quarter of the film, I was getting a bit antsy. Still, with such powerful acting and a wild story line, I believe it would be hard for someone not to get invested in Marty’s life; even if you have never played the game of ping pong.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: One Battle After Another
NEVER DID I HEAR THE SENTENCE, “You can’t eat that because of all the sugar in it,” during my childhood years. However, there was a loose limit on the amount I could eat. My favorite breakfast cereals were the ones that were covered in sugar; flakes, puffed, or rice based, it did not matter to me. My favorite cookies were chocolate chip, and though I knew a few friends and relatives who could finish an entire box of them in one sitting, I understood that was not a “good” thing to do. So, I usually would stop a third of the way down unless someone made a comment about my weight. I remember whenever there was a discussion among adults about any food that was not good for you, an elderly relative or friends’s grandparent would comment on how they ate that kind of food when they were young, and they are just fine. None of my friends had any type of restrictions placed on them for what kinds of food they could not eat. In fact, it was not until sixth or seventh grade when a transfer student took out of their lunch bag a piece of fruit for their dessert. All of us sitting around her just stared at her eating it, while we were chewing our cookies or cupcakes. IT WAS NOT UNTIL FRIENDS AND relatives of my generation started having children, that food items were being scrutinized more to determine if the item was good for their child. As the years progressed, I noticed certain games and activities I used to play as a kid were now considered unsafe. Playing outside after the sun set, was frowned upon. I am not judging any of this, simply observing the changes that have evolved when it comes to protecting one’s child. Another example is Halloween. When I was a kid, I would come home after trick or treating and pour the candy I got into a pile on the dining room table, to pick out the stuff I did not like to give to family members. The remaining candy I kept in a bag and would eat it. Children today can no longer do such a thing without their parents checking to make sure none of the items had been tampered with before allowing their child to eat it. Another thing I have seen are parents keeping track of their children via their cell phones. There have been a few parents I have met who have been extreme with their protection, but none have come close to the parent in this action crime thriller. AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE, A group of ex-revolutionaries have to go on the run when their old enemy resurfaces. With Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, Killers of the Flower Moon) as Bob, Sean Penn (Licorice Pizza, Mystic River) as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, No Sudden Move) as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos, Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One, The Book of Clarence) as Perfidia, and Regina Hall (Girls Trip, Scary Movie franchise) as Deandra; this comedic drama had an outstanding cast of actors who made the story come alive. Each one was at the top of their game which made watching this film a total treat. The story was part satire, part political, part family and the other things I mentioned before; I found it relevant and entertaining. Over 2 1/2 hours, I did find it a bit long, but this was a minor issue for me. It has been some time since I felt comfortable to say I can see this film getting a couple of Oscar nominations.
3 1/2 stars
PS: I will be on holiday for the next several weeks, returning just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe and be well.
Flash Movie Review: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
WHEN MY FRIEND SHOWED ME THE package of crackers he was buying to try at home, he had no idea what memories billowed inside of my brain. I took one look at the package and felt myself hurdling back past decades of living to when I was in elementary school, at the time when I was in 4th or 5th grade. Living one block away from the school, I would walk home for lunch, having been entrusted with my very own set of house keys for some time. Being aware that I was overweight compared to most students in my class, I came up with a plan to lose weight. For lunch, I would have a cup of chicken bouillon. You may not be familiar on how this was made. We had a jar in the pantry that had foiled wrapped cubes in it. If you did not know better, you might think they were sugar cubes; they were about the same size and they pretty much were handled the same way as sugar cubes. I would unwrap one cube and drop the brownish colored cube into a cup. Running the hot water faucet until it was as hot as possible, I would decrease the flow and fill up the cup. By stirring the contents with a spoon, the cube would dissolve, turning the water into a chicken flavored broth. With it, I would have a couple of these same crackers with a piece of cheese folded on top. For the whole semester, this was my standard lunch. I was surprised how vivid this memory remained in my mind all these years. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER EXPERIENCING THAT flashback, I was sitting on the train, going down into the city. Across from me sat a young professionally dressed woman. What caught my eye about her was the purse that was lying on her lap. It appeared to be made of leather, but the front flap that was the same size dimensions of the purse had plastic, or some similar material, dots lined up in perfect horizontal rows down the whole flap. Seeing those dots immediately reminded me of one of my favorite candies I would always eat—candy dots; at least that is what my friends and I would call it. The dots were somehow attached to strips of white paper that was then folded or rolled up. One would purchase them by the strip. I loved this candy; sometimes peeling each candy with my fingers one at a time to eat, or I would bring the strip of paper up to my mouth and use my lips to pluck the candy off. Sometimes I would eat them by color; the purple ones first then the yellow and so on, other times in rows. Depending on which way I chose to eat them determined how long they would last; it was like a little game for me to play. Such two vivid memories stayed and carried me into the viewing of this action science fiction adventure. WARNED ABOUT A CATASTROPHIC DANGER APPROACHING Earth, the Fantastic Four decide to take the fight to “them.” They did not know the fight was going to be personal. With Pedro Pascal (Eddington, The Uninvited) as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman, The Crown-TV) as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Hold Your Breath, The Bear-TV) as Ben Grimm, Joseph Quinn (Gladiator II, A Quiet Place: Day One) as Johnny Storm, and Julia Garner (The Assistant, The Royal Hotel) as Shalla-Bal; this superhero reboot was a fresh take from the original film. What sold me on it was the retro vibe and cast; I felt as if I was a kid again watching The Jetsons cartoon series. The sets were something out of the original Tomorrowland theme park. As for the script, it was decent with some humor, a couple of thrills, some drama, and a touch of excitement. Nothing too extreme on either end of good or bad. In other words, it was a good film, not a great one. I did have a fun time watching it, even if a portion of that fun was for nostalgic reasons. Also, I think it would be a better viewing experience if one could see this picture on the big screen. I am hopeful that with the two extra post credit scenes, this movie was the starting point for making deeper, fuller, and more complete installments.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Superman
A PILE OF HAND-ME-DOWN comic books was my first introduction to Superman. I read and reread them many times over until I started buying comic books at the local five and dime store in our neighborhood. Superman’s strength was what attracted me to him, along with his X-ray vision. Not being much of an athletic kid, I wished I had muscles like Superman. The reason I wanted his X-ray vision was so I could spot someone hiding to ambush me when I was walking home from school. From allowances and getting money for returning soda bottle for the deposit, I bought every issue that came out. Besides Superman, I had enough money to buy Batman comics which was my other obsession. The array of gadgets Batman had always fascinated me. I think my thrill for fast cars was due to the Batmobile. Though, it was a toss-up for which car I liked better: James Bond’s car or Batman’s, both were equipped with amazing inventive tricks like machines guns hidden behind headlights, smokescreens and rocket launchers. Whether it was Superman or Batman, I loved all the special abilities they utilized in fighting “bad guys.” One of my biggest regrets was selling my comic books from my summer lemonade stands; little did I know how much they would be worth today. DESPITE ALL THE READING I DID of Superman, I did not focus on his ability to fly until I saw the live action television show. Seeing an actual person flying, sparked my imagination and desires. As a little kid, I thought the actor was actually flying. Now, whenever I happen to see a clip of the old television show, it looks more like Superman is just lying on a flat surface and either strings or a fan is making his cape move, to look like the wind is blowing it. I had dreams about flying; most of the time I was flying to escape getting picked on or beaten up. Summer days, I would sit out on our back porch and study the height of the trees nearby, wondering what would be a safe height for me to practice flying. Of course, my imagination was fully engaged with ideas about building some type of apparatus to help me fly. I thought about the possibility of attaching fabric to wing shaped wooden frames that I could build, then strapping them on my arms with belts. Or, maybe having someone sew fabric directly to my jeans and shirt so that the wind could get in it and float me up like a kite. Gratefully, I never acted on any of these thoughts that I just realized got nudged in my brain after seeing this action, superhero adventure. CONFLICTED BETWEEN HIS HERITAGE AND HUMAN upbringing was not the only thing that was causing Superman/Clark Kent, played by David Corenswet (Twisters, The Greatest Hits) stress and grief. Encountering a being as strong as himself was something new. With Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-TV) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, The Order) as Lex Luthor, Alan Tidy (The Trouble with Jessica, Resident Alien-TV) as Gary, and Bradley Cooper (Maestro, Nightmare Alley) as Jor-El; this reboot’s script was written for today’s current climate, with dashes of humor thrown in. The CGI dog was strictly there for comic relief. I was conflicted by this mix and wished there had been a stronger sense of doom in the plot. Though the actors did a good job, I felt their characters were a bit cartoonish and not fully fleshed out. At some point it seemed the scenes were jumping from one action fight to another. Maybe the intention was to make Superman more human, which I do not have an issue with, but I like my superhero characters to have a stronger foundation. Overall, I enjoyed watching this picture and felt everyone involved did a good job. Maybe I was hoping for a great job instead.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon
I WAS NOT EVEN ENROLLED IN the school, and yet I knew about his reputation. After my sophomore year, I took my driver’s education course during the summer. It was not offered at my school so I had to take it at his school, knowing full well he was one of the teachers who taught the class. I desperately hoped I would not get him, but luck was not in my favor. There were conflicting stories about him; some people said he taught history, others said it was physical education, during the regular school year. I came to find out he mainly was a history teacher, but filled in for a couple of semesters as the PE teacher when one of the PE teachers was on medical leave. Some of the comments I had heard about him were, he yells at the students, loved handing out detentions, flunked many of his students, called the kids names, and demanded complete respect and attention. I dreaded the idea of sitting with him in a car. The only thing I felt working to my advantage was the fact I already knew how to drive, having been taught around our house first before going to empty parking lots, then graduating to drive up and down the side streets of our neighborhood. THE FIRST PART OF THE COURSE was all done in the classroom with each of us using a driving simulator. It was nerve-racking because when any one of us made a mistake he would sternly tell us we just killed a pedestrian or caused an accident that resulted in whiplash or death. It was an intense environment; however, out of the class I was one of three students that did not get yelled at, thank heavens! After we completed the simulator training, it was time to get behind the wheel of real cars and drive them around the test track that was behind the school. My first day it was me with two other students and this dreaded instructor. From my high scores in the simulator, he assigned me to be his brakeman which meant I was sitting in the front seat with him, with a second brake pedal on the front passenger side. He told me I was in charge of taking the students on the course, evaluating them and reporting back to him. He remained outside, walking around to each car, shouting directions or corrections at each driver. At one point, I found myself in the car alone with him; I was driving. We had this conversation where he explained why he was so tough on the students because anytime we got behind the wheel, we were putting our life in jeopardy, and he wanted to make sure every one of his students had the skills to remain alive. Through the rest of the course, I discovered he had a sense of humor, though he only shared it with me. I grew to respect him even more and appreciated how much he cared about all of us. This was nothing like the reputation that he was given. There was no reason to fear him as far as I was concerned. It was a great lesson for me that I saw repeated in this adventure, action, fantasy. FOR YEARS VIKINGS AND DRAGONS WERE bitter enemies, but that did not stop one young inventive boy from searching for the elusive feared dragon, Night Fury. The discovery could easily alter his life. With Mason Thames (The Black Phone, Incoming) as Hiccup, Nico Parker (Dumbo, Suncoast) as Astrid, Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves franchise, Law Abiding Citizen) as Stoick, Nick Frost (The World’s End, Get Away) as Gobber, and Gabriel Howell (The Fence, Bodies-TV) as Snotlout; this comedic live action drama was a special effects feast for the eyes. Though the script was a bit weak, I found the action scenes and the message more than made up for the script. There was excitement, tenderness and an even blend of comedy and drama which all together made for a satisfying movie viewing experience. Gerard was made for this role since he was the voice used in the original animated film, and along with Mason, they were a wonderful combo. An interesting note, there were only adults present at the theater where I saw this picture. With a touch of nostalgia, a big dose of special effects, and a well groomed cast of actors, I totally enjoyed this movie.
3 1/2 stars
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
moviejoltz 