Us

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.4 of 10

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 22 March 2019

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director/ Writer: Jordan Peele
Running Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes

Staring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

In order to get away from their busy lives, the Wilson family takes a vacation to Santa Cruz, CA with the plan of spending time with their friends, the Tylers. On a day at the beach, their young son Jason wanders off, causing mother Adelaide to become protective over her family. That night, four mysterious people arrive at the Wilson's, which just so happens to be Adelaide's childhood home. The family is shocked to find out that the intruders look like them, only with grotesque appearances.

MY REVIEW

What a movie. I am a HUGE fan of the horror genre and I must admit that Jordan Peele is a horror visionary. There was more to this movie that your average slasher horror flick. The story is original, which is a huge plus when the plot of most movies these days is heavily recycled or even a retelling.

Jordan Peele got high marks from me for his 2017 hit Get Out, link to my review. This one makes you think and that to me, is the true epic thing for a movie to do. I want to leave and question my own reality and boy did I have a lot to ponder. I sat quietly for a while after to let it all sink in and THERE was a lot to think about. There is a low level undertone on social commentary and the real deeper meaning that IS the monster in all of us. Good and bad are tenuous. We are what we are and the idea that someone is all good or all bad is laughable at best.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I can't say enough about Lupita Nyong'o. She IS the star of this film. Her performance is more than terrifying. Any actor who can not only take on a dual role but make the viewer believe that they are watching a second person is amazing.
• Soundtrack was a masterpiece!  I Got 5 On It.. was singing along in the theater. Brings back old times. Love this song and yes, it's about drugs! Ha ha!o
• Whoever decided on the red jumpsuit, tan driving gloves and the oversized shears, you sir, are a genius!
• The little injections of comedy were sublime!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The voices. It was scary and unnerving, but it kinda threw me off.
• What was with the rabbits?

What Other stuff can I say that's not really a review?

• The movie also stars Cali and Noelle Sheldon, the twins who played Emma Gellar-Green, the daughter of Ross and Rachel on Friends. 
• The film has a scheme set in 1987. Several key scenes are shot at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the same as the film The Lost Boys. There is a reference in the movie where young Adelaide's mother says "You know, they're shooting a movie over there by the carousel."

On a more personal note..... 

Had some time at the salon this week. I had the best of intentions to get a cut and color and failed on both fronts.I got a trim and no change of color. BUT, why mess with perfection!! Then there's my little guy Dexter Morgan. He's pretty handsome! He gets confused with string and wants to play with it, but doesn't know what to do!! Then, my 4 gentlemen decided to lay on the couch with me! 

Captain Marvel

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.2 of 10

MY RATING: 6 of 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 8 March 2019

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
(Marvel Comics Universe)
Writers/Director:Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Running Time: 2 Hours 3 Minutes

Staring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO 

STORYLINE

After crashing an experimental aircraft, Air Force pilot Carol Danvers is discovered by the Kree and trained as a member of the elite Starforce Military under the command of her mentor Yon-Rogg. Six years later, after escaping to Earth while under attack by the Skulls, Danvers begins to discover there's more to her past. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury, they set out to unravel the truth.

MY REVIEW

Marvel handed the help of writer/director to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whom I have never heard of before now. I'm always nervous when a franchise passes to an unknown, but this was a solid choice in my opinion. Lots of great things and a few that really just JUMPED out as annoyances. It really just left me with a "Meh, I guess it was entertaining enough."

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• FLERKEN!! Let's be honest, I love cats. Specifically, I have three ginger cats at home and the addition of the little ginger avenger, Goose. Such a sweet little guy and  I won't say much more about what a flerken is, but as a cat-mom. ACCURATE!
• That Soundtrack! What an amazing anthology of songs! Salt-N-Pepa "Whatta Man", TLC "Waterfalls" and a little Nirvana and REM to round it out. Sitting in the theater it was so difficult for me NOT to sing along to each one. Such great pairings with this powerful theme.
• Empowering. I disagree with a lot of the other reviews that I have read that say that this was basically a feminist manifesto. I wholeheartedly disagree. We have been conditioned over the years to see superhero as male and the women in the periphery. Captain Marvel is strong, she is invincible, she is human with some edits. The men in her life, like so many in the world are not all assholes, but it feels like there was a lot of the "I know better than you because I'm a man Man-splaining" but it was done to show just how different she is. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Pacing seemed a bit slow for a Marvel Superhero movie. Not that it was stagnant but it felt like the story took way too long to get to the point. Feels like they could have told this story in less than 2 hours and still had the same effect.
• Brie Larson- Don't take this wrong, but did she really want to be in this movie? Some of her scenes felt entirely forced and stiff. I might be completely off the mark and she was written that way to show her Kree emotionally detached training but it did not really play well for me.
• Script/Direction-  I felt like this story was just jammed into the Marvel Universe and could have enjoyed a bit more fluff. To me it seems that the writing did not really tie Captain Marvel to the Marvel Universe in a way that made sense. I feel like her story was disconnected from the others.

On a more personal note..... 

It was a nice afternoon to see a movie. We went and had brunch at Pops Diner and then headed over to Lynnhaven Mall AMC. I did feel it was important to show my Star Wars allegiance so I wore my 40th Anniversary tee that I got year before last at Star Wars Celebration. Picked up a little Jason to live on my Desk!! And last but not least, my one little flerken got a Star Wars backpack. Transparency, my mom got the little backpack for me as a purse for the upcoming Star Wars Celebration, but it just looked so much more adorable on Rocket.