Movie Madness

We've been on a pretty decent movie kick lately!   We all but gave up on Hollywood, but a few have eeked their way onto our radar so I thought I'd share what we've been peepin' on da big screen.

Solo- Donald Glover and no friggin clue who else (and too lazy to look it up)- I took one for the team and went with the Mr.  He's a huge Star Wars fan but even he wasn't super jazzed on this one.  I thought since it was a movie about Han Solo as a younger version of himself, I would learn more about how he grew up or became who he was.  Nope.  It was more like "let's connect the dots from the original three, and we'll call it done."  I don't feel like I know any more about Han than I did going in.  I know more about Lando and Glover played him well.  I don't feel like they cast the right guy for Han and no clue who I'd cast myself but this guy wasn't it.  I actually fell asleep.  Whoops.  So I suppose if you're loyal to the franchise, have at it.  If you're not, I don't feel like you're missing anything.  The Mr is divided but only out of loyalty not because he seemed to like it if you take the Star Wars element out of it.

Oceans 8- Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and a slew of kick arse women- If you're wondering if you need to see the other Ocean's movies before seeing this one, I can tell you that you don't.   (Affiliate link)  There are only a few references to Debbie's (Sandra) brother, Danny played by George Clooney in the other movies, but it's of no consequence to the plot.  Debbie was framed for a job and had five years to think of her revenge.  The result is a pretty slick heist with a few awesome twists in there to make you yell "SWEET" when the time is right.  The cool thing is it's not a clever movie for a movie full of chicks, it's a clever movie...period.  There are a few draggy parts, but they're not bad, and they are required for character/plot building.  I've gotta say, it was awesome to see so many great actresses showing they can kick ass and use their brains just like the men do.  Recommended!

Adrift-  Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin-  This movie is based on a true story, and when you put yourself in their shoes, if you're like me, you totally freak out wondering if you could be so brave.  Movies like this where you think they take place in one spot can be utterly mind-numbing, but this thankfully doesn't present it that way.  They take the current situation on the boat and then work backward telling how the couple met, fell in love and the circumstances leading up to the situation.  I'll be honest, I'm not usually a fan of that type of storytelling, but for this amazing tale of bravery, it worked big time.  Do yourself a favor and see it (or rent it if you feel like a movie like this may need to have space available to you.  I can get panicky in water situations so I get it if you'd want to wait this one out.)  Also, do yourself a favor and if you don't know anything about the true story...DO NOT read up on it beforehand.  We get so few surprises in this world anymore with people spoiling crap all the time, just go in and be surprised at a few things.  Recommended!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom- Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum-  The latter actor is why I agreed to see this.  I'm a huge fan of original Jurassic Park and the third one (don't know why but there you have it.)  With Jurassic World, I was unimpressed even though I really like Chris Pratt.  To say I was giving it side eye before even seeing it is an understatement but Goldblum so....
I will say it started and ended with Goldblum so I was happy for those parts.  Honestly, it feels like a money grab franchise, which is how I felt about the first JW.  This one throws in some nods to the original like a dino charging a little girl in a dumbwaiter just like Lex trying to shut the door on the metal cabinet in the first one as well as the raptor nail tapping close up.  Kind of like "see, remember how much you loved the original!?"  There were a few parts that brought me to tears because I don't like to see animals (even CG ones) in distress/dying in cruel ways so if you are sensitive to this, be aware.  A pretty interesting twist thrown in there but I'd say wait for the rent...on Redbox or a free GooglePlay coupon code.

What movies have you seen lately?
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