Ed's Review Dot Com

Marvel Studios

Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park

Ant-Man, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a dad most of all. His efforts have been focused on trying to take care of the family duties, but a major critical mission comes up and pulls him back into the superhero business. Along with the Wasp, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), and Dr. Pym (Michael Douglas) he heads off into the adventure once again to rescue Dr. Pym’s wife who’s trapped in another dimension all the while being chased by the Feds and the bad guys who want the technology Dr. Pym has invented.

The original Ant-Man was a very humorous movie, and this sequel has a lot of the lunacy and downright laugh-out-loud moments like the first one did. Paul Rudd is actually really good in this role. As I’ve said thousands of times, I’ve never been a big fan of superhero movies, but every now and then a really good one captures my attention and takes me along with the ride. This one did. I actually enjoyed this one. The cast is superb and the humor was spot on, so this was a pleasure to watch. I really had a good time, and I can recommend this movie.

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Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,

John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill, Taraji P. Henson, Susan Lucci, Jason Lee, Idina Menzel, Anika Noni Rose, Judy Reyes, Grant Show, Ana Ortiz, Ming-Na Wen, Rebecca Wisocky, Paige O’Hara, Linda Larkin, Mariana Klaveno, Daria Ramirez, Tom Irwin, Edy Ganem, Irene Bedard, Jodi Benson, Anthony Daniels, Gal Gadot, Kristen Bell, Mandy Moore, Kelly Macdonald, Auli’i Cravalho

Ralph (John C Reilly) and Vanellope are still best friends. Ralph enjoys life, living in the arcade, and enjoying the down time when the Arcade is closed, but loving the sunrise every morning and looking forward to going back to Fix-It Felix. But Vanellope is looking for a bit more. She’s getting tired of the same six courses and she already knows all the secrets of the game and wants a new challenge. There is something new in the arcade though as the owner Mr Litwak (Ed O’Neill) plugs in a WiFi router to connect his business to the Internet. When Vanellope’s game is broken, She and Ralph head out through the wifi to the internet to find the missing part. Naturally things go really wrong as they always seem to do. This Disney film is a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph.

I really enjoyed this movie, although a lot of people were left feeling that it was lacking something. The problem is that a lot of people have a great deal of nostalgia for the old games in the past. I too feel a longing for the old Arcade and miss the games of old. Times were simple then, and video games today are extremely complex and I have a tough time getting into most of them. Sometimes I long for the old days when Donkey Kong jumped over barrels and a little yellow circle ran though a maze eating dots. But the internet just doens’t have that kind of nostalgia as we feel from the 70’s arcade days. There are a number of really cute references to old obsolete web sites that have long been replaced and sent to the the bit cemetery in the back realms of the internet, but nothing that really strikes a chord with the younger folks. It doesn’t hold the same kind of place in our hearts. Another problem is that Disney has gone overboard with the political correct stuff, and most of the less successful movies of late are so preachy that they really turn people off. Looking back at films like Wall-E for example are a “humans are bad” to the max experience. This movie would have been a lot better if it had not been overly skewed to the “You’re a bad friend and I don’t want you anymore” side. This movie is more about how Ralph pissed off Vanellope and she retaliates by turned against him. The key message of this film is insecurity and toxic friendship. It shouldn’t be. If you have not seen the original, then this isn’t a bad movie at all but as a sequel to the original, it’s bound to let you down as it’s just not a sweet and charming as the original. I think it could have been, but it went off course into a place I wish it hadn’t. I enjoyed it a lot, but it didn’t wow me like the original did.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Pathé, Potboiler Productions, Element Pictures,

Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter, Charlotte Rampling, Liv Hill, Kate Phillips, Josh Dylan, Anna Madeley, Lorne MacFadyen, Sarah Crowden, Kathryn O’Reilly, Tim Plester

Dr Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson) is a country doctor, who came from humble beginnings in the quiet English countryside. His mother was a housekeeper at Hundreds Hall, one of the stunning spectacular mansions of the past. When he was a child, his mother took him to a celebration at the house, and he was enthralled and instilled with the desire to fit into the gentry himself. In the summer of 1948, he is called to visit a patient in Hundreds Hall, and he becomes obsessed with the Ayer’s family who live there, but the house is in a shambles, and the great days of the past are long gone. He finds his patient Roderick (Will Pulter) and his sister Caroline (Ruth Wilson) who has just returned home to care for her brother and the aging mother (Charlotte Rampling) who are all that’s left in the decaying house. As Dr. Faraday gets more and more obsessed with inserting himself into what he remembers of the glory days of Hundreds Hall, he sets his sights on Caroline who is the unmarried heir of the family and the home. But everyone has a feeling that something is wrong at hundreds house, and someone or something wants to destroy everyone in the household. This mysterious Gothic style ghost story tells the events that happen in a slow, meticulous way that will give you the creeps.

The Little Stranger is advertised as a horror film, which it’s not, and it’s not really a ghost story either. The suspense is real though and I found it fascinating to spend some time watching this DVD. Many critics describe it as slow, which I understand, it is slow for sure, but the methodical deliberate way this story unfolds is very creating and artistic. Obviously some tragedy happened which leads to the destruction of the legacy of Hundreds Hall, but the director is not going to wrap it up and present it to you in the ending. It’s going to take some effort and heavy thinking before you’re going to be able to figure this one out. Many people do not like movies that make you work. Most people are going to either turn this off in the first half hour, or stick with it and find themselves thinking about it for a long while. I did enjoy this movie, and found it very out of the ordinary, which is why I did enjoy it. The key to understanding is to realize before you go in, that this is a psychological study of Dr. Faraday and his burning desire to move up in his station. Being a respected doctor is not enough, he wants to be an aristocrat at whatever the cost. This is not a ghoulish ghost story with lots of blood and guts, but rather a suspenseful journey through some very dark places with a lot of quiet terror along the way. It was very well done, if you know what you’re going into, but if you’re looking for a teen slasher, this isn’t going to make it happen for you. If you can handle a classic horror tale of the old days, this is a good period piece of post war Britain and the mysterious goings on in this house.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

MarVista Entertainment, SaigeBelle Films,

Tara Holt, Sam Page, Ta’Rhonda Jones, Emily Peterson,Phillip Edward Van Lear, Stacia Crawford, Dan Brown, Sam Guinan-Nyhart

Tom (Sam Page) is the ultimate Christmas shopper. The call him Mr. Christmas. He’s approached by a friend Paul (Sam Guinan-Nyhart) who is a workaholic and really loves Jenny (Tara Holt) but doesn’t have a clue what to give her for Christmas. Tom agrees to find the perfect gift for Paul to give Jenny, but the more he digs into finding what Jenny is all about, the more Tom finds himself falling for her. One of the rules of his business is not to be personally involved, but she seems like the perfect person for him, and she is able to drag him into her world more and more until something has to break.

This is one of the early premiers that will be repeated all season in 2017. This is a very typical Hallmark Christmas Movie with the usual triangle issues. The plot is not all that complicated, and the movie really dind’t resonate a whole lot with me. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a nice movie, and the cast is really good. They speak their lines and do the best the can to make the script work, but it’s just has nothing to reach out and grab you. There are a lot of twists and turns, but it’s all in order like A, B, C, 1, 2, 3. I didn’t dislike the movie in the least, and they did a good job with it, but it’s not top of my list. Watch them struggle and really enjoy the Chicago landscape, and turn off the critical thinking part and you won’t be disappointed.

The Hallmark Channel,

Bonnie Somerville, Brennan Elliott, Madison Brydges, Precious Chong, Richard Waugh, Graham Scott Fleming, Sadie LeBlanc, Andre Richards, Miku Graham, Derek Scott

Maddie Duncan (Bonnie Somerville) is a high powered east coast executive who is afraid to fly. She is invited to her biggest client’s wedding in Colorado, but fortunately is able to get her brother’s classic car to make the drive to Colorado in time. But unfortunately the car breaks down in the little mid-west town of Christmas Valley which is the most Christmas loving town of the century, much to Maddie’s chagrin. But as the problems pile up, she meets a really kind family who work hard to change her disdain for the Holidays.

This is another Hallmark Christmas movie for 2017. This one appeared during their Christmas in July celebration last summer. This is a very derivative, but exceeding sweet Christmas story that has it all. The town is called Christmas Valley as the founder’s last name was Christmas, but the citizens of this little town really embrace the season. This has the semi-gruff marketing executive who doesn’t belive in Christmas with the broken down car, stranded in a town full of Christmas Spirit. It has the Christmas loving Boarding House lady and the eclectic boarders. Most of all there’s the lovely family with a single Dad, Kevin (Brennan Elliott) and his extremely cute daughter who pushes her Dad into finding her a new Mom. Yes, this is the most common Christmas story of all, but it’s very well done with really fabulous acting, and so it’s a nearly perfect holiday film. They are all true to the genre, and it moves along like frosted egg nog and a slice or two of pumpkin pie in front of a crackling fire. Fortunately for us, cars never break down in a dirty smoky city with people who hate the holidays. Of course I guess this would be a horrible movie. Anyway, there’s nothing new here, but it’s still perfectly delightful, so who cares?

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog