cars 3

One more dream. One last chance. Cars 3 opens in theatres in 3D June 16. Get your tickets now: http://bit.ly/Cars3Tickets Facebook: https://facebook.com/PixarCars Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarCars Instagram: https://instagram.com/PixarCars Official Site: http://disney.com/Cars3 Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves.

The tag line for the movie's marketing says that "from this moment, everything will change." Saying something like that would imply that this movie is going to be different and offer something new. Which seems unlikely right? Well, with the added characters and where the movie ends up, it actually wasn't lying because everything did change. However this story still borrowed from a lot of plot tropes and cliches that we are already familiar with anyway. In this movie's case, that isn't as big a negative against it as it could have been. 

Despite the generally middle-of-the-road story conventions, I have to admit that I found the movie quite engaging either way. The overall theme about the veteran racer trying to remain relevant in an era where the younger racer is dominating the race, may not be a new story idea, but it was still effectively told. So much so, that I'm not sure if young children are really the target audience for this movie, as it seems more relatable for older adults who realize they aren't young anymore. You've seen that story before, but it's still one that's worth revisiting. 

Simply put, this movie has a fairly predictable premise, and may not have what I would consider a unique story. Even when it does try to subvert your expectations with certain plot turns, the plot still progresses just as you expect things to go. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Not spoiling that particular plot turn, but I have to say that I really admired the direction the story ended up going, and most definitely made this movie better.

This installment showed that this unusual animated film franchise about talking racing cars can be more than what it simply appears to be in a superficial level. It's got likable characters, a relatable story, great visuals, entertaining funny bits, some enjoyable race sequences, effective themes, and a lot of heart. A lot of heart. At this point, Cars 3 is easily my favorite of the three movies by far. 

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megan leavey

Official Site: http://www.BleeckerStreetMedia.com LIKE us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BleeckerStFilms FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BleeckerStFilms -- Take a look at the real story behind the new movie, Megan Leavey. In theaters June 9th.

When I saw the trailer, I wondered why the movie isn't named after the dog from the story. It turns out that this story really is all about the lead character of Megan Leavey. Her struggles, her triumphs, and her love for Rex the dog. This is primarily a look into her life, with the dog being a really good supporting actor. I will have to say that although this is based on a true story, the movie itself took many liberties to make things more dramatic. It can be easy to fault it for doing that, but the primary theme and point of Megan Leavey's story still carries through. 

The film is generally pretty low key without too much flashy scenes going on. There is an extended battle sequence which was done really well, but the majority of the movie is not exactly action packed. There's a lot of introspective moments in the movie, which I thought wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for Kate Mara in the role. I thought Mara was able to display the kind of moody angst, seriousness, and sadness that her character is suppose to have, and yet still be able to show pure happiness when it's needed. Without a lot of elaborate sequences, Kate Mara really needed to carry the movie as much as she could, and she did. 

With a straightforward narrative, and it using familiar biopic plot tropes, it may sound easy to dismiss this movie. Some might also argue that the movie is a little manipulative in trying to get emotional reactions from people. I would say that isn't entirely true, and believe that despite some derivative plot points, this movie earns it's emotional pay offs. I'm not ashamed to say that it actually brought me to tears, and effectively got me there; although I love dogs a lot myself so there's that. 

Despite the simplistic nature of the story, and a predictable plot progression, "Megan Leavey" actually does have an inspirational tale that's worth checking. The pairing of this female Marine and her bomb-sniffing dog is most definitely a story worth knowing. 

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it comes at night

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribe A new horror film from acclaimed filmmaker Trey Edward Shults. Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, and Christopher Abbott star in IT COMES AT NIGHT - Now Playing.

It's easy to praise this movie for it's film making. First and foremost is the cinematography, in how the darkness and shadows are perfectly black, that it captures that creepy feeling of being in a very darkened place, with the only light source being a flashlight or a lamp. Speaking of creepy, the musical score also perfectly ramps up that sense of tension for many scenes. On the subject of tension, the camera work, the pacing, and the overall tone of the film, all work so well together that it's able to put you on edge, just waiting for the shoe to drop. 

So in terms of giving this movie credit for it's technical and visual work, I give Director Trey Edward Shults two thumbs up for making this film look the way it looks. Since Shults also wrote the movie, I have to say that I also admire what he is trying to relay in this story, that ends up being about subject matters on paranoia, trust, love, and needs. In a way this really is a horror movie, but only in the psychologically creepy and disconcerting way. In other words, this is not for everybody, and apparently I'm included there as well. 

I had issues with this movie, in terms of the story and particularly the characters. Every moments or scenes that were intended to make me care about the characters of the movie, were unfortunately ruined by more moments and more scenes where I didn't care for them at all. You must have seen other movies based in an apocalyptic settings, with the primary theme being about survival of the fittest. This film doesn't really stray too far from most familiar plot tropes, cliches, or conveniences, of the genre. That in itself can be forgiven to a point, but then the characters start doing nonsense, and that's when the movie loses me. 

Despite my issues with the movie, I still can't stop but give more kudos for the film making work, It's just unfortunate that it's also hard for me to completely recommend the movie because of how frustrating it can be to watch what happens in it. Some people might even say that nothing truly interesting actually happens in the film. 

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dean

Writer/Director/Comedian Demetri Martin stars alongside Academy Award winner Kevin Kline in this comedic and heartfelt tale about a father and son coming to terms with love, loss and everything in between. Dean (Martin) is an illustrator whose unwillingness to deal with the recent death of his mother means escaping his hometown of New York for an interview with an ad agency in Los Angeles.

The best thing about this movie are the cartoons that Demetri Martin drew, and that are prominently featured in this. That sounds like a backhanded compliment doesn't it? Alright, how about the fact that I also liked the visual edits done in the movie, like the split screens, the clever use of closed captioning for one particular scene, and the inclusion of those cartoons. Okay, how about the fact the premise can be pretty insightful, which the cartoons also do a good job reflecting on. Fine, the movie is not all about those cartoons, and it has more to offer... although I really did like those cartoons. 

I suppose my biggest issue with this movie is that it's a little bit of a mess tonally. There are comedic scenes of genuine brilliance, and then there are scenes that just fall completely flat. It also has a dry sense of humor that may not necessarily be that funny for some people, and at best the funny bits are simply tongue in cheek. The comedy mostly consists of scenes of awkwardness or embarrassments, and those can be entertaining enough or full on face-palm worthy. There are also whole bits about Los Angeles and it's residents that was way too heavy on the satire to the point of obnoxiousness. Now that I think about it, I hope it was in fact satire, because if not then Demetri Martin has a very cynical perspective on California. 

Not to completely disparage the movie, but I have to say that I really did appreciate the emotional arc of the characters. Demetri Martin, Kevin Kline, and Gillian Jacobs, were all very good in this movie. I also liked the general theme about grief and thought it felt appropriately personal and moving, creating some genuinely powerful scenes. While not the best movie around by any means, "Dean" does have it's merits. Plus there are those cartoons. 

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band aid

Opening in theaters June 2nd and on VOD June 9th Directed by: Zoe Lister-Jones Starring: Adam Pally, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Fred Armisen Band Aid, the refreshingly raw, real, and hilarious feature debut from Zoe Lister-Jones, is the story of a couple, Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally), who can't stop fighting.

A married couple works through their marital problems by turning their fights into songs? How can I not love that premise for a movie? This relationship story does have some insightful things to say that might benefit couples watching this, and it does so with a clever and charming plot. It is a pretty low key movie, that relies a lot on the writing and on the actors, which I thought were really good. So this is generally a film that revolves around conversations, more so than flashy sequences. 

If I was to describe what kind of movie it is, I would put it in the dramedy category. There are dialogue scenes in this movie that were quite humorous, despite the fact that several of those funny bits are during characters arguing. Then there are scenes of them arguing that were actually heavily dramatic and emotional, that rang pretty true to real life. While there are some of those really serious moments, this movie more often does try to make us laugh with it's sense of humor, which can be hit or miss. Some plot conveniences do exist as well, but I would say that they are generally excusable. 

Kudos to Director, Writer, Actress Zoe Lister-Jones, for giving us this personal feeling movie, and for playing this female character that is well rounded with some complexities. Adam Pally is also really good in his role as the husband, and brings the appropriate counter perspective to the relationship. Fred Armisen of course hijacks scenes with his eccentric character, and adds an excellent level of entertaining weirdness as the neighbor who ends up becoming the drummer of the band. 

While there are sequences that feature the characters performing the songs, I should point out that this movie isn't completely a musical. The songs themselves sound enjoyable enough, but aren't exactly what I would consider truly great. That can be excused on the fact that the characters are suppose to be in an amateur garage band, but I was hoping for some really catchy tunes myself. At least they aren't horrible, and are listenable enough? I do appreciate the effort, and the obvious heart that was put into them, plus the relationship story is what you're suppose to be watching this movie for anyway. 

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Opening in theaters June 2nd and on VOD June 9th Directed by: Zoe Lister-Jones Starring: Adam Pally, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Fred Armisen Band Aid, the refreshingly raw, real, and hilarious feature debut from Zoe Lister-Jones, is the story of a couple, Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally), who can't stop fighting.

the mummy 2017

TheMummy In theaters June 9, 2017 www.themummy.com -- Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy.

Let me get this out of the way first. This movie is the first installment of a Universal monsters based shared cinematic universe, called the "Dark Universe." While this is primarily about the title character, there are plot elements introduced to the story that are essentially tied with other upcoming films related to this attempt of a cinematic universe. Some of those plot elements and characters might come off like fun easter egg world building, but it may also come off as unnecessarily distracting to the actual story at hand. The result is a movie that just does not live up to it's own ambitions. 

As a monster movie, I did like the visual effects of the mummy herself, as well as some body-dysmorphia elements. Unfortunately her mummy/zombie "henchmen" were just not as impressive. With the monsters, there is an expectation of some horror elements, and apparently all this movie is interested in are the jump-scare moments that in themselves weren't really that scary. Since this seems more intent on creating an action-adventure-fantasy than an actual scary-monster-horror movie, the movie just became yet another disposable and generally forgetful would be blockbuster. 

The characters that are played by Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Russell Crowe, and Jake Johnson, are clearly people we are suppose to feel invested in, or at least tries to get us to feel that way. I would say that there might be a mild interest to see where those characters would end up past this movie, but the interest simply isn't that deep. Cruise and Johnson had some decent moments of entertaining humor, and Crowe seemed to enjoy hamming it up in his role, but those sense of fun simply weren't as pervasive to the rest of the movie. 

If this was at least an enjoyable action-adventure-fantasy, I could easily forgive it for not being that successful at being a proper monster movie, or horror for that matter. Sad to say, but it's just not that enjoyable as an action-adventure-fantasy, which means this movie may not be the proper starting off point for this Dark Universe of films. 

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the lovers

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribe Watch the official trailer for THE LOVERS, from writer/director Azazel Jacobs, starring Debra Winger and Tracy Letts. THE LOVERS - Now Playing. RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2017 DIRECTOR: Azazel Jacobs CAST: Debra Winger and Tracy Letts ------ Official YouTube channel for A24, the studio behind Ex Machina, Amy, Room, The Witch, The Lobster, Moonlight, 20th Century Women & more.

Just from watching the trailer, I knew that I was going to love this premise of a story. It sounds fun, and a nice twist to the whole trope that romanticizes married people cheating on each other. The movie itself does have fun with that concept, and at the same time is able to have dramatic moments that elevates the material, which includes a poignant scene involving the song "It Must Be Love" by the band Madness. I thought this movie definitely hits the landing by the end of it all, and gave reason to see it. However, it wasn't completely great all the way through.

There's a three act structure to this story, and the first act honestly wasn't that good. It seemed likable enough at first, but I found myself restless, uninterested, and a bit bored with the first act of the movie. The second act picked up tremendously and I started to have fun with the movie, but it was the third act that really sealed the deal for me. There was a particular "realness" to where the plot went in the third act that I really appreciated, and the emotional pay off was earned. 

Kudos to this small cast of characters, especially Tracy Letts and Debra Winger. Their chemistry together and the subtle comical moments they are able to create here and there, are pretty good. Despite their adulterous acts, the characters they play are well rounded and human enough, to not completely hate on their traits that you may disagree with. The rest of the cast I thought were serviceable enough; like Jessica Sula, but there is a bit of overacting found in Melora Walters, Aiden Gillen, and Tyler Ross, that can get annoying at times. 

As a relatively small scale film about relationships, there isn't too much here that makes it completely stand out. It has it's merit to justify checking it out, but ultimately that depends on how much you can tolerate the problems it does have. 

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wonder woman

Her Fight Is Ours. WATCH the official Comic-Con trailer for #WonderWoman, starring Gal Gadot! -- Gal Gadot stars in WONDER WOMAN - in theaters June 2, 2017. Follow #WonderWoman on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wonderwomanfilm Twitter: https://twitter.com/WonderWomanFilm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonderwomanfilm -- WONDER WOMAN From Warner Bros.

Gal Gadot! If her supporting role as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman wasn't convincing enough as proof that she is simply excellent in the role, then this movie should finalize that fact. She is great in the action sequences, she is absolutely charming in the fish-out-of-water parts of the movie, and she simply carries the role with aplomb! Gal Gadot is absolutely and easily one of the main reasons to see this film. 

Not only is Gal Gadot excellent here, but Chris Pine is also great as Steve Trevor. Wonder Woman may be the title of this movie, but Steve Trevor is just as integral to the overall story. Their chemistry together is really good, plus I enjoyed how they seem be taking turns playing the fish-out-of-water role as needed by the situation. The supporting characters overall stood out pretty well; especially Said Taghmaoui as Sameer, but the villains of the story are generally underdeveloped even though they serve their purpose to the plot as well as can be. 

The story itself is a nice mixture of different plot threads, from being the origin story of a warrior princess, the small motley band of soldiers on a dangerous mission during World War I, to the more fantastical super powered comic book heroine that's come to save the day. The story isn't exactly the most original thing around as it does have it's fair share of familiar plot tropes, but it is nevertheless well structured and fun to watch, which is thanks to Director Patty Jenkins. Some of the action set pieces found in this movie were very enjoyable to see, and there were heroic moments that just left me awestruck. The final act of the movie did feel a little overcooked though, but it also contains one of the best character moments of the whole thing. Simply put, there was a lot to like about the movie, despite some flaws. 

I should say that going into this movie, I was afraid that it could potentially get very heavy handed with it's feminism theme, which could be a distracting thing in the sense that it might just be pandering to a female audience. There were definitely some scenes that took on that subject matter, either directly, or indirectly, and either in a comedic way, or in a serious fashion. The overall conclusion there is that it wasn't that overbearing, and the feminism theme meshed well with the narrative. If it needs to be mentioned, the story is written by men after all. 

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war machine

In a film for our times, writer-director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) recreates a U.S. General's roller-coaster rise and fall as part reality, part savage parody - raising the specter of just where the line between them lies today.

As a fictionalized adaptation about a real U.S. General who was tasked to finish off the real war in Afghanistan, you may play the game of wondering what parts of the movie took huge liberties of what happened, and what probably did actually happen. After seeing the whole movie, you would hope that it really was all fictional, because a lot of ridiculous things are shown and said in this film that probably shouldn't happen in real life. Since this is done as a satire, I choose to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, and pray that it wasn't actually non-fiction. 

There are several scenes and lines of dialogue that I did laugh out loud at, and there are signs of cleverness found throughout this movie. There are scenes that are just tongue-in-cheek, or simply moments of poignancy that adds some insight to what goes on behind the scenes of war. It's definitely not your typical movie about the war, because it's mostly about the politics and the social commentary, as opposed to a series of action sequences; although there is one war sequence. 

The real draw to see this movie is definitely Brad Pitt as General Glen McMahon. From the way he talks, the squint in his eye, his smile, how he runs, to just the way his hand is always in a particular shape, McMahon is quite the incredible character work for Brad Pitt. The crux of the movie revolves around the things he says and does, as well as his relationships with the U.S. Government, and the different people he meets. Speaking of people, the primary cast of characters that are constantly surrounding the General, are themselves quite an entertaining bunch of men to watch for as well. 

I admire this movie to a certain degree, but it's honestly a bit of a mess as well. The pacing, editing, and narrative can feel like a bore at times, or just seemingly aimless. Just juggling some of the voice over monologue, plus the many scenes of exposition, makes the movie either too dry, or just slow moving. The flip-flopping of this movie being brilliant, to it being just uninteresting, is unfortunate. As fascinating as this film can be, it's really not for everyone's taste. 

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pirates of the caribbean : dead men tell no tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters May 26, 2017 in 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D! Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."

If you have been a fan of the previous Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, or at least have some investment placed on the characters of the franchise, then go see "Dead Men Tell No Tales." It's pretty much a combination of everything good about the previous entrees, and tries to expunge itself of the things that previously didn't work. I suppose what worked or what didn't work in this series of movies are all purely subjective, but this fifth installment is arguably the second best; or probably even the best, of the whole franchise. 

In terms of the story, it undeniably feels a little convoluted, messy, and over stuffed at times. However, in the whole it still has a rather simplistic plot progression of different characters that eventually converges together into the final act. Story and logic aside, what stitches the whole thing are the action / adventure set pieces in this film. In fact, it feels like this whole movie is almost nothing but a series of back to back, grandiose action / adventure set pieces. Each of those big set pieces could easily have been the final act of a regular movie, but this one crams them all into a 129 minutes movie. Thankfully I thought each of those huge scenes were so incredibly imaginative and visually amazing, that I enjoyed every minute of this movie indulging itself with what a big budget could put on screen. 

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow is still a highlight character to keep an eye on, even though he hasn't changed that much from being this drunk buffoon of a character who manages to be lucky in very unlucky situations. If you're tired of that shtick, well this movie is just more of that. Geoffrey Rush is still a welcome sight as Barbossa, and I liked where they went with his character. Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar is awesome as the main antagonist, with how he looks, his intimidating presence, and even his cadence, all make for a very memorable character. 

For this entry, the prerequisite of it needing young actors is filled by Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner; serviceable but doesn't really stand out that much, and Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth; who is interesting enough as a representation of feminism in this pirate era (that's a different kind of patronizing compared to Elizabeth Swann). 

As much as there are things to complain about with this movie, be it some of the characters, or the insane plot, or how unbelievably ridiculous things can get, I still had fun watching it. The fact that this movie is a little bit on the gonzo side of story telling is probably why I did enjoy it as much as I did. 

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