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May 24, 2019

Aladdin (1992) --- “Would You Like To Here The Tale About The Diamond In Rough?”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
    When poor street rat Aladdin (Scott Weinger) frees a genie (Robin Williams) from a magical lamp, he finds his wishes to impress Agrabah’s own Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) are granted and the two fall madly in love. However, he soon discovers that a power-hungry Grand Vizier, Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), has evil other plans for both the lamp and Princess Jasmine. Can Aladdin find the strength within to stop Jafar as well as save those he loves and the Kingdom before it’s too late? Or will Jafar get away with his evil plans? Directed and co-written by the ones who brought us The Little Mermaid (1989), Hercules (1997),  Moana (2016), and more - Ron Clements and John Musker - Aladdin (1992) is a classic and colorful tale that takes audiences to a “whole new world.”
   Part of Disney’s Renaissance era - which began with The Little Mermaid (1989) and ended with Mulan (1998) - and emerging alongside many other well-done Disney films from the 90’s, Aladdin (1992) stands out as one of my favorite Disney film’s and one of Disney’s highest grossing films of 1992. The story is filled with magic and adventure that has charmed audiences from the last 27 years and will continue to do so in the years to come. Interestingly this is the only Disney Princess film that is not actually about the princess, but rather the film is both named after the “prince” and follows said “prince” for most of the film. This not only allows for a stronger story than if it had followed Princess Jasmine but it also allows for Disney to show that it can do a Princess film without having to focus only on the princess.
  Aside from the story, there are several other aspects that make Aladdin memorable. The first being the music by Alan Menken and Dennis McCarthy. The film opens with the unforgettable “Arabian Nights” followed by “One Jump Ahead” which introduces us to the film’s leading character, next is “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali” which provide two back-to-back big numbers, and then there's the Oscar-winning piece “A Whole New World.” The music is memorable from start to finish and lies at the heart of the entire film with top-notch vocal talents from Brad Kane, Lea Salonga, Regina Belle, and Peabo Bryson.
   The second most memorable aspect of Aladdin is the humor, when you have Robin Williams in any film it is bound to be filled to the brim with humor and that is exactly what we get here. Albeit there are a lot of adult innuendos but unless your an adult or you have been subject to more mature things then you won’t even notice that they are there.
   The final most memorable aspect of Aladdin is the voice acting. Obviously Robin Williams (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) stole the show with his impressions and humor that is sure to put a smile on your face. Scott Weinger (Full House, Fuller House), Linda Larkin (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Jonathan Freeman (The Producers), and Gilbert Gottfried (Beverly Hills Cop II) gave tremendous vocal performances that brought life to their respective characters.
   Overall, Aladdin (1992) is a must watch for Disney fans, young and old. The story is filled with magic and adventure, the music is unforgettable, and the voice acting is tremendous. It is the highest grossing Disney film of 1992 and it is also one of Disney’s more unique films as it chooses to follow the prince rather than the princess. All in all, this is a classic must-watch and I cannot wait to see what the live action version is going to be like. Will it live up to the original? Will it stand on its own? Or will it fail to measure up?



Final Vote --- 8.5 of 10 stars



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Movies Similar

Brave (2012)
Frozen (2013)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Mulan (1998)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Tangled (2010)

May 22, 2019

John Wick 3 (2019) --- “If You Want Peace, Prepare For War”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
    Legendary assassin, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has been excommunicated by the high table after killing one of their own on sacred grounds. With a $14 M. bounty on his head and an army of assassins are on his tail, John Wick must fight for his life if he has any hope of turning his luck around. Can he survive long enough to speak with a member of the high table and remove the bounty? Or will the Boogeyman finally meet his end?
    Directed by Chad Stahelski (John Wick 1 & 2) and written by Derek Kolstad (John Wick 1 & 2), Shay Hatten, Chad Collins, and Marc Abrams, John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019) is the third and if you thought Chapter 1 and 2 were entertaining then you have another thing coming with Chapter 3.  Parabellum is Latin for “prepare for war” and considering what has transpired over the last 2, now 3 films, preparing for war is exactly what John Wick does here. However, the war he prepares for in this film is unlike anything we have seen before.
    Compared to most action films, John Wick stands out as one of the best action series in its genre. The series never fails to showcase action sequences based on a solid foundation of groundwork and actual tactical training that is realistically brutal. The story expands more on the world of assassins and the high table that rules over it, which gives John a reason to meet new characters and allows for the prospect of future installments into the series. This dive into a largely unknown world comes as no surprise, considering that there is a T.V show called the Continental Hotel on the horizon. The pace of this film is cut-throat to say the least, from the frantic opening 15 minutes to the brutality of the final showdown there is not a moment to lose or a second that drags by. In addition to the action and cut-throat pace, there is also a substantial amount of humor laced throughout the film and it worked for the film overall.
    No other actor could have embodied John Wick better than Keanu Reeves (Replicas, 47 Ronin) and he comes back with a vengeance. He has essentially prepared for war in this film by undergoing extensive and brutal training that has paid off phenomenally here. Ian McShane (Hellboy 2019), Lance Reddick (Bosch), and Laurence Fishburne (Ant-Man & the Wasp) all return with good performances, especially McShane and Reddick who deliver some good humor despite the seriousness of certain moments. By expanding the story the film introduces new characters like  Sophie (Halle Berry - Kingsmen: The Golden Circle), the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon - Orange is the New Black), the Elder (Said Taghmaoui - Wonder Woman), the Director (Anjelica Huston - Addams Family, Ever After, Transparent), and an assassin known as Zero (Mark Dacascos - Hawaii Five-O, Wu Assassins).
    Overall, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019) is an intense and thrilling action film that is one of the best in the genre. The story expands upon the world of assassins and raises the action to a whole new level of brutality and violence. The cast performances were incredible, especially from Keanu Reeves - who clearly prepares for war for this film -, Ian McShane, and Lance Reddick. All in all, if you thought Chapter 1 and 2 were entertaining then you have another thing coming with Chapter 3, prepare for war. I highly recommend that you check this film out in theaters and see it in IMAX if you can as you won’t be disappointed.

Final Vote --- 9 of 10 stars


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Movies Similar

3 Days to Kill (2014)
The Accountant (2016)
Colombiana (2011)
Collied (2016)
The Equalizer (2014)
John Wick (2014)
Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
John Wick (2014)
John Wick 2 (2017)
Miss Bala (2019)
Pepermint (2018)
Taken (2009)
Taken 2 (2012)
Taken 3 (2015)
Transporter (2002)
Transporter 2 (2005)
Transporter 3 (2008)
Transporter Refueled (2015)

May 20, 2019

Running for Grace (2018) --- "A Tale of Love, Friendship, and Adventure."

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
   Set against the backdrop of the coffee fields in 1920s Hawaii, the lines between the Japanese immigrant laborers and the members of the predominantly-white power structure are rigidly maintained. Jo (Cole Takiue & Ryan Potter), an orphan of mixed-race lineage, finds himself ostracized by both groups. Then comes Doc (Matt Dillon), a white doctor from the mainland who is hired as a physician by the autocratic and racist Danielson (Nick Boraine), for his plantation workers. Doc unofficially adopts Jo, because the racial integrity laws prevent him from officially adopting the boy, and employs him as a runner to deliver medicine to his patients, especially the more remote ones. Through the years Jo grows into a young man, he starts taking on more responsibilities as well as learning how to be a doctor from Doc. Now he feels sufficiently competent to fill in for Doc’s absence when Danielson’s lovely daughter, Grace (Olivia Ritchie), conveniently sprains her ankle. All it takes is for one house call to spark a star-crossed romance. Fortunately, Danielson is too preoccupied with stressing over his failing finances to notice the new romance. Unfortunately, as a way to stave off bankruptcy, Danielson plots to have Grace marry the aggressively smarmy and evil Dr. Reyes (Jim Caviezel), who is twice her age. Can these star-crossed lovers ever get together? Or will the racist and autocratic population keep them apart?

May 17, 2019

Dumplin (2018) --- “Find Out Who You Are & Do It On Purpose.”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
   Willowdean "Dumplin/Will" Dickson (Danielle Macdonald) spends the majority of her childhood being raised by her aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) because of her mother and former pageant queen, Rosie Dickson’s (Jennifer Aniston) various pageant commitments force her to distance herself from Will. Over the years, Aunt Lucy imparts self-confidence, a love for Dolly Parton, and introduces Will to her best friend Ellen Dryver (Odeya Rush). But six months before the girls start their senior year Lucy dies and now Rosie finds difficulty connecting with Will, who is resentful and embarrassed by her mother's world. Pageant season is the biggest event in her small Texas town and Will views them as ridiculous events that overemphasized beauty standards and refuses to support them, she decides to sign up in protest. However, her protest escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and her town. Directed by Anne Fletcher (Hot Pursuit), written by Kristin Hahn (Anthem, Stargirl), and based on the novel by Julie Murphy, Netflix’s Dumplin (2018) is a beautiful coming of age story filled with laughs and tears.

May 15, 2019

The Hustle (2019) --- “They’re Giving ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ A Run For Their Money.”

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Hello, Movie Buffs!
     Penny Rust (Rebel Wilson) is a small-time con artist whose main area of expertise is catfishing men and then using a fake sob-story to get money out of them. On the other hand, Josephine Chesterfield (Anne Hathaway) is a glamorous, seductive, and high-class British con artist who has an affinity for defrauding rich gullible men out of their money. While venturing on a backpacking trip through France, Penny stumbles into Josephine’s meticulous and well-ordered world and decides she wants to learn how to up her game. Despite their very different methods of conning, the two join forces to con even more people out of their money. However, they soon learn that their competitiveness and jealousy keeps them from being able to trust each other so they decided to settle the score once and for all. Whoever manages to con an unsuspecting target (Alex Sharp) out of $500,000 the winner gets to stay in the fictitious French Riviera town of Beaumont-sur-Mer to swindle tourists and gamblers out of their millions. Will one of them be able to snag the final prize? Or will they both be found out too soon?