Catching Up On Reviews (Now That the World Series is Over) - Maze Runner, Box Trolls, Alexander and the Very Bad Day, Fury, Book of Life, St. Vincent

Yes, I got behind, but Royals Mania took everything I had for awhile there...now, back to reality.  During that time, I still managed to see 6 movies, I just didn't have time to write about them for you.  Thankfully, I am happy to report that none of them were bad.  None of them made my Oscar short list either, however.

Maze Runner

Based on a recent YA book in the vein of Hunger Games and Divergent, but not as good.  I actually read the entire series, mostly because the books are each one long adrenaline rush combined with an apocalyptic mystery and I just had to keep reading to solve it, but there is absolutely NO character development in the book or as it turns out, the movie.  Relatable characters made HG and D worth reading/watching, so I'm afraid Maze Runner is really just for the video game set.  Given that assessment, the strangest variation from the book to the movie is that there is only one monster and it isn't even that scary.  The book had many more opportunities to explore gore and maiming, which I would have thought appealing to gamers, but that change did make it more palatable for the PG-13 crowd.

2.75 out of 5 stars

Boxtrolls 

This is a dark (in shade and theme) animated film whose story defies description.  It's atypical in every way, which made it more enjoyable than most children's fare.  The plot involves trolls who kidnap and eat children...or do they?  Sometimes the worst villains turn out to be the adults in these films, teaching dubious lessons to kids when put together as a group of parables.  However, the music is good, the story is ultimately sweet and it had enough humor for kids and adults alike and it's easier on little ones than anything Tim Burton does.

2.75 out of 5 stars

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

With an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and Dick Van Dyke and a charming little newcomer in the lead role, this beloved modern children's classic comes to life on film.  It is overall a bit too sweet with its string of First World Problems including childcare interfering with job interviews, one child's very expensive birthday party conflicting with another child's very expensive birthday party, failing your driver's (spectacularly) and getting a cold on opening night of your school play, but it has equally as many laugh out loud moments along the way for the entire family.  I'm just going to throw my favorite quote from the movie, that comes from the mouth of the white, middle class working mom in the suburbs, in a family packed mini van, "I've seen every penis in this car!".  We even get to hear DVD himself tell children to "take a dump in the pool".

3 out of 5 stars

Fury

 

I'm not a fan of Brad Pitt's straight man roles and I don't run out and see every war movie that comes out, but I happily accompanied my husband to see this movie, if just to contrast all the family fare I've seen of late.  Let me just say that my husband found it not as good as he expected and I found it better than I expected, so I think we made a fare middle of the road assessment of it in the end.  A rag tag group of tank soldiers who just happen to have the best record in their battalion at the end of World War II are sent on a series of missions, ultimately leading to their final, heroic mission.  Along the way, they acquire a fresh replacement gunner who had only rode a desk until that day.  The requisite number of macho bonding experiences ensue and we soon find ourselves believing their friendships and even understanding their blood-thirsty, misogynist ways (the theme very much evoked The Big Red One for me).  The battles themselves often look like a first person gunner video game, which has to be satisfying to the younger men who would be attracted to the film. Brad Pitt has moments of inspired acting, mostly when he seems on the edge of losing his mind (which is my favorite version of BP - see Inglorious Bastards, Fight Club or 12 Monkeys).  The young gunner played by Logan Lerman, previously relegated to YA movies like Percy Jackson and Perks of Being a Wallflower, really blossoms in this role, so much so that I commented to my husband that he could be one of this generation's next great dramatic actors (much like fellow castmate Shia LaBoeuf used to be).  A final note about the music - it was distracting because it sounded like the Damian from the Omen was approaching, not the Nazis.

3 out of 5 stars

Book of Life

 

The Book of Life is a family feast for the eyes, ears and heart.  The classic lifelong love triangle is given a Day of Dead twist in a spectacular modern take on both music and animation.  It is beautiful to behold, even if the plot or jokes are a bit predictable at times. Zoe Saldana voices the lead female character, one of the strongest females in children's film today.  My only note is that the initial storytelling conceit is unnecessary and the weakest part of the film.

2.75 out of 5 stars

St. Vincent

 

This movie isn't sure if it wants to be a neat little family film tied up with a bow, an exploration of the darker side of life and Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy's dramatic acting skills or a Wes Anderson ripoff.   For that reason, it is a bit uneven, but in the end succeeds in doing each of those things well enough to be a worthwhile project.  Bill Murray plays the grumpy old man to new neighbor Melissa McCarthy and her sheltered son.  You can see this one coming.  Of course the boy and the old man warm to each other, but St. Vincent takes a few unusual twists along the way as we, the audience, piece together what made Bill Murray so grumpy in the first place.  Naomi Watts' turn as a pregnant Russian stripper/hooker is completely over the top and out of place, although I'm sure she was glad for the opportunity to explore her own range as an actress.  Overall, the film is a bit too sentimental and tidy and learning to find the good in the bad (people, situations) is the unsatisfying and obvious lesson of the film, which is also what makes it mediocre instead of what it strived to be. 

3 out of 5 stars