Tag

Tag is based on a true story about a group of friends that play an annual game of tag throughout the month of May, regardless of whether travel is required or not. This movie and these friends live by George Bernard Shaw's quote, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

When I first saw the previews for this movie I thought there was no way this was based on a true story, but it is. In January 2013, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It." After that article was published, this film was set into motion, and most of it actually happened. History vs. Hollywood published an article that answered all of my doubts with factual information.You can view that article here, but only read it if you've seen the movie. You don't want any spoilers right?!

Photo taken from Twitter  @pschultheis

 

 

I really enjoyed this movie. The scenes where the actual game is happening are hilarious, and Jeremy Renner does a phenomenal job at never being tagged. I felt like some of the planning scenes and the beginning 10 minutes were a bit slow, but this movie makes up for it in the unbelievable tag scenes. As seen in the previews, where they play tag during baby deliveries, at AA meetings, or even at funerals, these are all true events. That fact alone makes this movie worthwhile. I wanted to see every instance and every scenario these men came up with simply to play tag and continue being friends for as long as they have.

The message this movie has is also very important. This game of Tag, that has been continuing for nearly 30 years now, has worked to keep this friend group together, as well as keeping them young at heart.  While these friends are not the best of friends who talk to each other every day of the week and go to the movies together or have game nights together, they still find a way to come together one month out of every year. They will take vacation time to travel to other cities or states simply to play tag, and that is something to admire. So often people move away and grow apart, but this group of friends has figured out a way to combat that.

IMDb gives Tag a 7/10 Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 63%. I'd probably go somewhere in the middle there because the planning scenes were a bit boring to me. Either way, this is a film worth seeing, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_bernard_shaw_120971

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_bernard_shaw_120971

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the fifth Jurassic Park movie to hit theaters. When the volcano on Isla Nublar becomes an active volcano, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) starts a campaign to save the dinosaurs. She enlists Owen's (Chris Pratt's) help to save Blue and as many other species as possible. When saving the dinosaurs from the volcano turns into a rescue mission to save them from Lockwood's partner, Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), everything takes a turn for the worse.

For those of you that know me, you know I love dinosaurs. I have my degree in geology and would gladly work in paleontology. So, I have a giant soft spot for Jurassic Park movies. This one was no different. I loved it from start to finish. Yes, it had its weak moments, but to me Jurassic World does no wrong. I mean it's dinosaurs and Chris Pratt in tight pants people! Count me in.

One of the best parts of this film is that it brought me through a lot of different emotions. I nearly cried at multiple parts through the movie. Volcano vs. Dinosaurs? What are you doing to me J.A. Bayona (the director)?! Why???? They were pulling on my heart strings and I nearly caved. So, if you tend to cry at movies, come prepared. Luckily for me, it ended relatively fast, so I was able to hold in the tears.

Another thing that I love about the Jurassic World films is that they always reference the originals. Elevator shaft door not closing? Woman with a hurt leg banging metal on metal to get the raptors attention? I see what you did there. Can't get that past me. Same metal noise too? Heck yes! Thank you for remaining true to the films we all love. Those references bring us all back and we love you for them.

Now, to talk about the unbelievable parts. Warning, spoilers may follow (in this paragraph only). Lava does not move that fast. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I have walked on an active volcano before. I stuck a tent stake into that lava flow on Hawaii and then watched it dry and took it home. So, an island does not get covered that quickly. Especially an island that size. If it did move that fast, the entire island of Hawaii's big island would be covered and no one would still be there. Then, the actors jumped into the water right off the island and were just fine. If lava is flowing into the waters off the island, that water will be very warm. Chris Pratt was doing just fine though, and oh my gosh does he have some professional level swimming skills. Holding your breath for the amount of time he did is amazing, and then to have the thinking skills to fire a gun under the water? Wow. That man is something special. Honestly, out of this entire film, the underwater scene was the most unbelievable and silly. We all know you aren't going to kill the main characters. Don't put stupid scenes in there where the CGI can't be as good.

IMDb has this movie rated at a 6.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes has a score of 62%. I read a few of the other reviewers opinions, and you know how much I love roasting them. The most common complaint I saw is that the plot line is predictable and that the character development was horrible. My response to these reviews? *Insert hand smacking face here.* I just need to ask, who goes to the Jurassic World movies to see character development? It's a movie about dinosaurs.....not people. Why did that actor do or say what he/she did? Because that's what it said to do/say in the script. I don't want to see their whole entire life story. I don't care. The only thing I care about is whether Blue is going to live or die. Forget the people. Oh, and a predictable plot? Come on! I already said we can't kill the main characters. What did you think was going to happen when the movie description says we are going to save dinosaurs?! Why we need to save dinosaurs that we created anyway, I don't know, but that's what this movie is about. I loved the plot because for the first time I understood why the new sequels were called Jurassic World instead of Jurassic Park. If for no other reason, that right there is why you should see this movie. It is finally coming all together and this will not be the end. I personally cannot wait to see the finale that must be in the works now. Blue, my beautiful raptor girl (with your lack of feathers), I shall see you again soon.

What raptors should look like...

Incredibles 2

After 14 years, the Incredibles 2 movie has finally been released. In this sequel, we watch as Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr, voiced by Craig T. Nelson) goes from amazing superhero to stay-at-home dad, and Elastigirl (Helen Parr, voiced by Holly Hunter) takes the role of money-maker. This is the film that Incredibles lovers have been waiting for, but was it worth the wait?

Was I one of the people that was waiting impatiently for 14 years for this film? No, I was not. I did enjoy the first film, but I was not sitting around waiting to find out what Jack-Jack's powers are. It was a good movie and I enjoyed it a lot when I was 12 years old, but now that I'm 26, the idea of a sequel was like, "Really...now?!" That being said, viewers of this sequel either love it or hate it. I loved it, but I can see why people dislike it.

The action scenes in this movie are fantastic! The animation is spot on and beautifully done. You can tell that a lot of time was spent on perfecting each scene, and this film does not disappoint on the action. From start to finish, the balance of action to at-home scenes was perfectly executed. Elastigirl is a great superhero with some amazing skill at problem solving, and with a new super-suit she was looking pretty good. I bet all the guys that see this movie are thinking "man, she got some curves in that suit"...see for yourself:

For me, the best parts centered around Jack-Jack. A lot of the comedy in this film was sub-Parr (see what I did there?), but the Jack-Jack comedy was great.  I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times when it came to Jack-Jack and Mr. Incredible trying to figure out how to be a good stay-at-home dad. A lot of this movie is about that aspect. Being a stay-at-home dad is not easy, and I found it extremely enjoyable watching a big, tough man learn what it's like on the other side. This is, however, where a lot of people are upset by the film. They felt like this was unneeded and that it added nothing to the Incredibles story. They feel like the themes from the first film were not continued in this sequel. One reviewer on IMDb states:

              None of the conflict of the original film is present. The themes of family and the struggles that come with being that are so surface level it borders on the cliche in some respects. Helen is given NOTHING to be her own character in this, and instead is given action scenes to play-out and a sub-plot that only serves to remind me how much better the first film was. Rather than giving us a great and in-depth character plot for Helen, we get something so weak and honestly regressive for how hard this film brandishes itself to be a feminist advocate that I would dare say it's offensive how shallow Helen's character arc and story comes off in this.
              Bob's story arc doesn't fare much better. The concept of flipping the script and giving him the family to run and learning how to be a proper father on his own is an interesting way to parallel the first film and the story it gave him...but instead, we are only given small glimpses at the depth this story can provide."

 

This reviewer gave the movie a 4/10. In a way, I can see what they are saying, but I also think they looked too far into this. As I already stated, the balance of family to superhero-ism was well-balanced in my opinion. I enjoyed the action scenes with Elastigirl and I never once thought there was some hidden feminist agenda. That is never even brought up in the film so I'm confused as to where this reviewer came up with that. Elastigirl is chosen to be the face of superheroes because of the cost-potential. She costs the city less in damages when she solves problems, than Mr. Incredible ever has. I guess I can see how this may seem like a hidden agenda, but I never thought that before I read this review on IMDb.  

 

My only problem with the film was that it was predictable. From the moment that the bad guy was introduced, I was like hmm yep, gotta be that person. I'm not sure if the "acting" was meant to be so obvious or if I just found it to be that way, but I knew from very early on where this was going to end. This does not mean that it took anything away from the story. I was still interested in watching it all unfold. I would in no way rate this movie a 4/10. The overall rating of 8.4/10 is much more believable. I apologize to all the adults that have been waiting for so long for this movie only to be let down, but I feel like you had much too high expectations for a children's movie.

 

 



Ocean's 8

Ocean's 8 is the newest Ocean's movie, but this one is an all female group led by Debbie Ocean. They are on a mission to steal one of Cartier's most prized possessions, the Toussiant necklace, worth $150 million dollars. After Debbie is released from jail, she begins recruiting the other 7 women she needs to pull off this major heist at the Met Gala.

So, I've never seen any of the Ocean's movies before. The only reason I went to see this one is because it's a Sandra Bullock movie and it is loaded with other famous women actors. Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Rhianna, etc. all have leading roles in this film, and they all did a great job. The acting was brilliant, but the plot line was nothing to be amazed by. I felt like I'd seen this all before. The impossible mission that no one thinks they can pull off, but it somehow works smoothly with very little problems.

My biggest problem with the movie is that it kept referencing past movies in the series, which I mentioned, I haven't seen. Normally references are fine because they help you understand what happened in the past. I found the references in this movie to be extremely unhelpful. They just confused me, and they weren't necessary to this story.

Other than that, not a whole lot to say about this one. The reviews online say it all with a 6/10 on IMDb and a 49% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. No one was super impressed by it. It was decent, but not something I'd race to the theaters to see. Also, I'm pretty sure there will be a sequel. The way it ended left it open for more films, but we'll see if the so/so reviews keep that from happening or not.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo is the newest character development movie from Star Wars. We follow Han Solo from where he began, in the dark world of Coreilla under the control of Lady Proxima, up to his involvement in starting the Rebellion. This film is full of well-known actors: Emilia Clarke (Qi'ra), Woody Harrelson (Beckett), Childish Gambino (Lando Calrissian), etc. Notice how none of them played Han.....

Let me begin this review by saying that I am not a huge Star Wars fan. I probably just lost about half of my readers with that statement, but let me explain. I have seen every single film, I know all the main characters and I sort of know who is related to who and who slept with who. I got all that. I'm just not a fan of any movies that involve battles in space and lands with weird names that no human in their right mind should know how to spell. This includes Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica or any other space movie. (I'm sorry, please don't hate me.) For those that are still with me, I did enjoy Rogue One and the concept of a character development movie. Solo, however, was simply alright. I wasn't drawn in and invested as much as I have been for previous movies. I have been loving the newest trilogy and Rogue One was fantastic. Solo was like this huge build-up of anticipation, and then everyone left like meh ok.

Part of the reason I could not get into this movie is because of all the big name actors. Literally every main character was a big name, except for Han. Fail, Disney. I'm sorry, but I cannot look at Emilia Clarke and see her as anyone other than the Mother of Dragons. I have more anticipation waiting for the final part of the Game of Thrones than I did for Solo. Then to also add in Woody Harrelson, come on! Every time I see him I think Haymitch how you doing buddy?! Alden Ehrenreich did a great job as Han, but I honestly couldn't focus on him. He was a nobody in a land of celebrities, and I didn't feel like I was learning anything about Han that I didn't already know.

There is probably going to be a second Solo film. We were left with a cliffhanger ending: where is Qi'ra going, what's Han going to do about it, who is Rey's mother?! Really I think that last question is the only thing anyone cares about in the Star Wars realm right now, and if you read all the gossip people are talking about now, Qi'ra is hypothesized to be Rey's mother. This may be true, this may just be what Disney wants you to believe. In my opinion, I don't know, but I have a good feeling that Darth Maul isn't the father. Genetics tells me that can't be possible since Rey doesn't have horns, or a red face, or really any resemblance to Maul, but hey who am I to question genetics? You can read the theories here.

Solo has a IMDb rating of 7.2 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 65%, but when you read what people are saying the numbers don't add up to the reviews. Most people aren't overly satisfied and don't really care for more Solo. They just want the trilogy to end and for everything to make sense. I sadly feel like it may be a bit longer before this happens. I hope everyone can keep calm and carry on until then.

Deadpool 2

Deadpool returns in this sequel about lost love and the boy who lived...wait that sounds familiar... This sequel follows Wade Wilson (Deadpool/Ryan Reynolds) as he bands together a group of mutants and tries to protect a mutant boy from the cyborg Cable (Josh Brolin). Reviewers from the Hollywood Reporter and Screen Rant are raving that this film is better than the first, but is it really?

Deadpool 2 took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was happy and excited, then shocked and sad, then laughing out loud at the sly comments, then sad again. It was like every well-written speech should be. Funny to get you hooked, then they throw real life in your face like yeah take that, feel the sadness, to then finish with the happy yet again. The script was phenomenal and Ryan Reynolds is hilarious, but was it better than the first? I don't think so. I was super hyped up to see this movie after seeing and hearing all the reviews, and don't get me wrong, it is a fantastic Marvel film, but it doesn't beat the first for me.

I read Screen Rant's 2 Reasons Why... the sequel is better than the first. While I can agree with them that the second film is basically free range for Deadpool since the first movie set the backdrop, I do not agree that the jokes were better or that including the X-men into this film makes the huge difference. Honestly, I could do without another X-men movie. I tired of them a long time ago, and thankfully they only play a small role in this film. Thankfully, this is not an X-men film, it is very much Deadpool with his smart-mouth comments, and dark jokes that get a smile from everyone. But, ask me how many times I laughed out loud. Maybe twice? Yes, I giggled and tee-heed throughout, but there was no gut-wrenching laugh that made me think, "Man this movie was so freaking good I have to see it again right this second!" If it didn't make me feel that, then I have to say the first movie was better. One exciting part was the mysterious monster behind closed doors. My guy friends all guessed who it was and were sooooo happy. I was just like uhhh right...Juggernaut...never heard of him. He was pretty cool, but Domino was my girl for sure. Loved her.

If you liked Deadpool in the original, you will enjoy this sequel. I mean, come on, it's Ryan Reynolds. Enough said. But, I guess I should return to my original statement in this blog. Lost love is a huge part of this sequel. I will not say much more than that because I don't want to give it away, but maybe you've already heard or have guessed. Or maybe you'll get the same shock I got in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Either way, this is just another movie about Deadpool's damsel in distress. It's a different kind of distress sure, but it rocks Deadpool more than we've ever seen before. As for the boy who lived....well he lived, thanks to Deadpool stopping the cops and working with Cable to save him.

The one part of the film I could have done without came at the end. Deadpool goes through this series of "seeing the other side" at different parts of the film. Most of them are very fast, but the one at the end is longer, and drawn out and frankly I was bored. After seeing Avengers: Infinity Wars, I'm pretty sure Marvel can't kill anymore super heroes. It's just not nice. So, sitting there watching Deadpool in this dead but not dead state was like alright, OK, move on.

There are a couple of end credit scenes for Deadpool 2 so make sure to stay for all of them. The last one contains Wolverine and is probably the best cameo ever. Don't miss it!