Mr Holmes Review

July 18, 2015July 18, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Today I had the day off of work and before I drove up to Bear Lake for a race tomorrow I decided to see the new movie Mr Holmes. If some of you have been reading for a while you might remember in my Great Mouse Detective review talking about my family’s love for Sherlock Holmes. We love all the versions except Robert Downy and we talk about it seemingly without end. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw a new movie was coming up about an older Holmes starring the great Ian McKellen.

Mr Holmes is definitely a mixed bag for me but the good parts are very good. To begin with Ian McKellen is wonderful as Holmes. He manages to pull off a wide range of ages and feel authentic and real in all of them. He’s a little different than our typical Holmes. In this world Watson has embellished him quite a bit (he’s never worn a bowler hat and doesn’t smoke a pipe for instance). This Holmes is less bombastic. He is thoughtful and quiet and seems more mentally stable.

At the beginning he has returned from a trip from Japan and is at his home which is a honeybee farm. Laura Linney plays his beleaguered housekeeper trying to raise her son Roger who is a sweet inquisitive kid who is comfortable making friends with adults. He has an interest in honeybees and so Holmes and him strike a bond with each other. He also loves Holmes’ writing and encourages to write a story about his last case. This is difficult because his memory is leaving him more each day. He can’t even remember why he went to Japan but we do get bits of that through the story.

You end up with a lot of storylines. There’s the storyline of Holmes and the boy, of his last case, of Linney and moving to Porstmouth, and Holmes’ trip to Japan. Director Bill Condon takes a huge step up from Twilight but it is a very leisurely paced movie and a few of the sideplots aren’t as compelling as others. I am sure that many, less patient viewers, will find this to be boring. I didn’t but I can see that. (There was a man at my theater snoring very loudly!).

I hate to say it but a big problem with this movie is Laura Linney isn’t very good. She’s flat, unemotive, wooden and her accent isn’t convincing at all. She’s someone who I normally think of as such a great actress but I was looking at her imdb and it is actually a while since she gave a great performance. There was the Big C on TV which I hated and then the great John Adams miniseries in 2008, but for movies I have to go back to 2007’s Breach to find a movie of hers I like. It’s so strange. I wonder why this has happened because she definitely has the acting chops and yet has been in an 8 year slump. It’s not good. It’s funny how certain actors can maintain a reputation but when you look at it they’ve been in a lot of turkeys.

Regardless of her career, she isn’t good in Mr Holmes. She doesn’t create a convincing character and that is made all the more apparent by the comparison to McKellen who is so great in the movie. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he gets nominated for an Oscar for this performances. He’s subtle and funny and believable in the part. He’s the reason to see the movie and makes it a fun experience.

I really liked the story of his last case and putting the pieces together. It had an emotional heft to it without verging into melodrama. I don’t want to give anything away but Hattie Morahan who plays the female in the old case is very good. She doesn’t say much but her expressions are very haunting. (I also learned what a glass armonica was from this movie. Had never heard of that weird instrument).

The cinematography by Tobias A Schliessler was really nice . You couldn’t blame Holmes for retreating with his bees to such a beautiful place. It also captures Japan in 1947 fresh from the war very well.

Unfortunately the ending is a bit heavy-handed and there is a lot of telling rather than showing but still McKellen is so strong it is entertaining. It is far from a perfect but I enjoyed it. I think if you go you will like it too- especially if you are a big Sherlock Holmes fan like I am. It’s worth going just to see a great actor in an iconic role. If any of you see it I would be curious for your thoughts.

Overall Grade- C+

Ant-Man Review

July 17, 2015August 7, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Back in 2011 I swore off superhero movies for good. I had seen the terrible Green Lantern movie and I was done. They were stupid, moronic, boring, self-important junk and I didn’t want to see another one again. So, if you had told me then I would be giving a positive review of a movie called Ant-Man I would have said you were insane. Yet here I am giving such a review for Marvel’s new movie Ant-Man. Nice job Kevin Feige and Marvel. With Ant-Man you have an entertaining time at the movies. It’s as simple as that.

Part of what makes Ant-Man work is they have assembled an incredibly charismatic and likable cast. I’ve been a huge Paul Rudd fan for years going all the way back to Clueless (and totally have a crush on him). He plays Scott Lang a thief who is recruited to be the next Ant-Man. As always he is a complete charmer in the role.

Scott is trained in the Ant-Man ways by Hank Pym played by Michael Douglas who looks like he is having a blast in a Marvel movie.

Another actor I always love is Corey Stoll who plays the villain Yellowjacket and has a swagger that is magnetic on screen.

Finally there are 3 friends of Scott from prison that are a riot- TI, Michael Pena and David Dastmalchian. Michael Pena is especially funny in his part as the Latino crook who knows art and wine.

Ant-man reminded me a lot of Sam Riami’s Spiderman and maybe a little bit of the original Ironman. It feels light and fun and superhero movies have gotten so overly serious of late. And yet it isn’t stupid like a Batman and Robin or Green Lantern.

There is a fair amount of humor and pretty much the entire plot of the movie is centered around Michael Douglas’ house so it feels very small (forgive the pun) in its scope. It is not like an Avengers movie where the entire earth could be destroyed by the rising of a city. This is a single building with one technology and one madman trying to control it. In truth it is a heist movie.

The training montages are a little ‘seen it all before’ but I liked the way they filmed the interactions with the ants and the CG looked very good in those scenes. Except for a CG rat which made me shout in the middle of the theater it caught me off guard!

Evangeline Lilly plays Hank’s daughter and I’m sorry but I do not think she is a very good actress. She was terrible in the Hobbit movies and she isn’t very good here. Just a bore and no chemistry between her and Rudd at all.

I could see how some might say this is a light weight superhero movie and in a way it is but I had so much fun with it. Like I said it is funny and for the most part has actors who can pull it off.

It also doesn’t get too mired in the MCU (which I kind of like those clues to the broader universe but I know others hate it). There is one cameo that is very well done and a few name drops but not distracting at all.

If you thought Jurassic World was fun I can’t imagine you not enjoying Ant-Man. In my mind it is much better silly entertainment. It’s not deep or profound or going to make you think about life. Ant-Man is just an enjoyable superhero movie with laughs, a good cast and some decent action set pieces I’ve never quite seen before.

I also liked that Bobby Cannavale plays the new love interest of Scott’s ex and for once he is actually a good guy. It’s such a cliche for the new guy to be a total jerk (I’m talking to you San Andreas!).

The entire family can go to Ant-Man. There is nothing offensive or off putting in it aside from a few very mild fighting.

There’s not that much to say about Ant-Man except this is the kind of movie I can have fun with. It does everything I need it to do and doesn’t distract me with big plotholes, annoying characters or a meandering script. I really enjoyed it.

Overall Grade- A-

Animated Emmy Noms 2015

July 16, 2015July 17, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

The Emmy nominations were announced today and like always there were a bunch of shows I don’t watch. Pretty much the only live action shows I watch that got nominated was Mad Men and Downton Abbey. I was hoping The Goldbergs would get recognized but no love once again.

The one live action nom I was excited about was Disney’s Girl Meets World. I have been meaning to blog about it but haven’t found the time. I love it! I loved Boy Meets World and I think it is one of the few reboots that has worked great. A wonderful mixture of nostalgia for us grown-ups and lots of good stuff for kids. It’s a show the entire family can watch together and enjoy.

Other than that I was interested in the animation categories (of course!) and for the most part I was pleased.

For Outstanding Animated Program we had:

Outstanding Animated Program – 2015

Archer

Bob’s Burgers

Over the Garden Wall

South Park

The Simpsons

Of these 5 the one I am most excited for is Over the Garden Wall which I think is a true masterpiece. I would love to see it get some recognition and perhaps more people to see it. It is bold in its storytelling and the animation is stunning. You can read my review of Over the Garden Wall here.

The Simpsons I also think is worthy. I know people criticize it but they had an artistically ambitious season for 26 and the Treehouse of Horror that was nominated was brilliant with Simpsons 26 meeting Simpsons 1.

The rest of the nominees are too crass and vulgar for my taste but I see the appeal.

And for Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program we had:

Adventure Time

Disney’s Mickey Mouse

Regular Show

Robot Chicken

Steven Universe

Wander over Yonder

A few of these I haven’t heard of. I would have loved to see Gravity Falls nominated which is so clever. Robot Chicken I’ve heard of but never seen. Wander over Yonder, Steven Universe, and Regular Show are new to me. Have any of you seen them? Are they good?

Adventure Time is a lot of fun but I would have put Rick and Morty in its place (not sure if that is short format or not?).

I am very happy to see Disney’s Mickey Mouse get a nomination. It’s a vintage style 2D show in the spirit of the old Mickey Mouse animated shorts and I love it! If you haven’t seen it, it’s really quite brilliant. Artist Paul Rudish and his team capture the feel of old school Disney perfectly. I reviewed it on my channel.

What about you? What do you think of the nominations? I’d love to know your thoughts especially if you’ve seen some of these shows I haven’t. It’s just a silly awards show but it is nice when something like Over the Garden Wall gets nominated when it sorely deserves it.

Have a great day!

Rachel’s Top 50 Animation Countdown (30-21)

July 15, 2015November 18, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

30. American Tail- The recent death of James Horner had me revisiting American Tail a few weeks ago, and I really do love it. Much like the great early Disney movies it has scares, laughter and a lot of tears. Horner’s music is iconic in my childhood. I like the voice performances and the ending is so satisfying. I even like the sequel. It’s really cool to have the first Jewish animated character that I am aware of and a lot of good educational opportunities for parents and kids with the immigrant story.

29. Nightmare Before Christmas- A groundbreaking stop motion movie with amazing Danny Elfman songs. I love the clever story of the man who swaps out Christmas for Halloween. Jack is a character we really root for because he has such pure intentions. I also love the romance with Sally and their bond throughout the film. It looks seamless and different and is scary in moments without being over-the-top. Great vocal performances and music. The rare movie which is great for Halloween and Christmas.

28. The Wind Rises- the final film from Hayao Miyazaki and perhaps his most grown-up . The story of Jiro who designs the airplane for the Japanese army in WWII. It is his dream to help people fly but then it is used for war, which is an interesting dynamic. He also falls in love with a girl who isn’t well and that is moving. It is layered, moving film and subtle in how it portrays war, romance, life, and dreams. It also looks stunning and will make you cry but for all the right reasons. You almost forget you are watching animation for stretches but then the artistry will take your breath away. It makes me want to seek out my dreams.

27. Alice in Wonderland– the movie that embraces nonsense and I love it for it. It has a non-linear plot with eccentricities that are different and surprising. Basically its Alice meeting a bunch of colorful characters one after another and I like going on that journey with her. The music is so much fun with great voice performances throughout. Only part that doesn’t work for me is when it throws in a narrative with the walrus and oysters which feels completely out of place.

26. Toy Story 3- Takes all the strengths of 1 and 2 and combines them into an extremely satisfying ending to the Andy part of the Toy Story chapter. Andy has grown up and the toys are given to a daycare which is full of peril, humor and real heart. The incinerator scene is shocking, gut-wrenching and extremely tense. My nieces hate it for those reasons but I was engrossed. The ending is perfect reminding us all of when we had to say goodbye to childhood and pass our memories on to others.

25. Lego Movie- One of the most inventive movies I’ve ever seen. It is for me what Wreck-it Ralph should have been. I love all the different worlds and how they capture a child’s randomness in play. I love the journey Emmit goes on from following all the rules to trusting in his own ingenuity. I love the visual appeal and how every scene moves and feels like legos coming together. I love the voice performances and all the jokes. I love the live action scene which makes me tear up every time. It’s a child trying to explain his world to his parents and that is beautiful. I was so skeptical going in but to me it is about perfect.

24. Jungle Book– I hate the ending but love the songs and characters. Baloo is one of my favorites in all of Disney and Shere Khan is a menacing villain. I also like Kaa with his creepy hypnosis. It doesn’t leave any space to be bored but goes from one delightful scene to the next. All the voice performances are top notch and it’s one of my favorites to rewatch and smile. I’m also a sucker for any film about friendship and how yes family is key but friends are pretty darn great too. 🙂

23. Ratatouille– I just reviewed Ratatouille a few weeks ago and it is such a lovely film. It looks gorgeous. I love how it captures Paris as the City of Lights. It makes me want to go there every time I see it. I love Remy and how he feels uncomfortable in his skin. He doesn’t belong in the world he was born into and food is his way of leaving that world. He meets Linguini and finds a purpose. It is funny and Ego is one of my favorite characters ever in animation. His speech at the end is perfection. Ratatouille is also very funny particularly the interactions between Remy and his imaginary mentor Gusteau.

22. Sleeping Beauty– The lyrical look to this animated version of the Sleeping Beauty ballet is so unique and special. I love the faeries and how smart yet funny they are. I love Maleficent and her seemingly petty spat with Stephan leading to the curse of Aurora. She’s such a great villain. Phillip is my favorite Disney prince because he is brave and shows a lot of spunk when dealing with Maleficent. My only flaw of it is Aurora is pretty bland. But look at this image and see how deep the trees are layered on to each other. It’s amazing. The story is equally special.

21. Frozen– The opposite of Aurora is our two princesses in Frozen and I love both of them. Much like Ariel Elsa has this thing that makes her different than the world she is born into. She doesn’t belong and is taught to fear her gifts and hide them. I was really moved by that. Meanwhile Anna is left to wonder what happened to her sister. I related to that as well because I have 3 sisters and sometimes it can feel impossible to get through to them- especially one that is particularly private and introverted. I love the relationship of the sisters as it grows and I love the ending. I think Olaf is in it for just enough comic relief (and one sweet moment). I love the songs and the vocal performances are some of the best ever in Disney. The way the villain was handled definitely surprised me and I thought the take on the traditional Disney romance was fun. I know the haters are out there but make your own list! This is mine.

Here is my youtube review

Hit Me with Your Best Shot: Sunset Boulevard

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

This weeks choice for Hit Me with Your Best Shot movie club is the classic Billy Wilder directed and written film Sunset Boulevard.

If you haven’t seen it the film stars Gloria Swanson and William Holden in a film noir drama about a struggling writer who gets involved with a delusional star from the silent movies named Norma Desmond. Most movies are about not giving up hope and achieving your dreams (even if it ends tragically). Sunset Boulevard on the other hand is a bit of a cautionary tale of when those dreams become obsessions and keep you from living a full life. Great Expectations is mentioned in the beginning and in many ways they are similar. Both stories have a male protagonist who dreams of greatness and women who can’t let go of lost dreams.

Today watching Sunset Boulevard reminded me of a guy I knew when I was about 25. He believed he was destined to play in the NBA. He actually had a vision from God that it was his calling. Unfortunately he had not been good enough to make the college team at UofU. Nevertheless, he would give these motivational speeches about the power of a dream and all. It not actually happening didn’t seem to phase him much like Norma Desmond. On one hand this kind of vain ambition may seem charming but on the other it seems like a lot of wasted energy when new perhaps better dreams could be fulfilled.

Anyway, in classic noir style the film tells you the grim results of the crime with brooding narration at the onset. This allows us to focus entirely on characters because the plot has already been spelled out.

Because it is so character driven a movie like Sunset Boulevard depends entirely upon the strength of the actors for its success. Luckily in this case Holden and especially Swanson are up to the task. It’s a cliche to say but Swanson is mesmerizing in every scene. One gets the impression Norma Desmond would be proud of the leading lady portraying her!

That’s not to take anything away from Wilder or cinematographer John F Seitz because their work is very strong. What they do enhances the great efforts of the actors making it all work together nearly flawlessly.

For example, one thing I noticed while looking for a shot is the way Wilder makes Norma feel both large and small depending on the moment.

Gloria Swanson it turns out is only 4’11” (William Holden is 5 ’11” which would normally be short but a foot taller than his costar in this case).

When he needs Norma to feel powerful over Joe she has buns in her hair or they are sitting. Here are some examples:

But when Norma is losing control we see her being looked down on or seeming as tiny as Swanson really was.

sunset8 — All the doors in the house are massive and dwarf Norma.

sunset9 — Norma looks so tiny next to this giant ship bed

sunset4 — All the reporters looking down on her as she makes her grand exit.

Before I give my shot I will say that Sunset Boulevard is one of the few classics I would love to see a remake on. The reason why is I love the musical version by Andrew Lloyd Webber (definitely his most underrated). The music is very strong and I can see Meryl Streep eating up the part of Norma Desmond. (Norma’s only 50 after all!).

Glenn Close is also iconic in the role as can be seen in one of the best songs

Can’t you just see that being a great movie?

Best Shot-

In this shot Joe is finally leaving Norma. He spills the beans on all that Max has been doing to prop up her delusions of grandeur but she seems to be oblivious to all he is saying. He is telling her “there is no shame in being 50 except when you are trying to be 25”. Instead of paying heed she is giving a performance almost as if there is a spotlight over her head. Look at the way her hands are at her throat like a Shakespearean actor doing Hamlet. It’s almost as if she expects applause.

Then she says “I’m the greatest star of them all”. He leaves and says goodbye and she says “No one ever leaves a star. That’s what makes them a star”. Once having tasted the greatness of being adored and loved Norma mentally cannot handle being small (she even says ‘I’m big. It’s the pictures that got small’).

Madness for Norma is a better alternative than being abandoned.

Pixar Review 24: Partly Cloudy

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Next up in our Pixar short reviews is called Partly Cloudy. It’s kind of like the beginning of Dumbo but with a funny twist.

If you don’t remember the beginning of Dumbo we see the storks getting their bundles and delivering them to the anxious mothers of the circus. This is all accompanied by the song “Look out for Mr Stork” . I think it might have been fun to use that song in this Pixar feature as kind of an homage but the music they have is fine.

What we don’t see in Dumbo is where the storks get the bundles. In Partly Cloudy we learn the clouds make the babies and give them to the storks.

This is a clever concept but then they take it a step further. What about those less than pleasant animals like porcupines and crocodiles? What poor stork has to deliver those? And what kind of cloud makes such creatures?

Well one lonely dark storm cloud is given that job and a stork is assigned the rather painful task of delivering his bundles. We see him kicked by a bighorn sheep, pricked by a porcupine and finally when he is given a shark he puts on protective headgear and body armor!

Directed by Peter Sohn who is the voice of Emile in Ratatouille it is a charming Pixar short. He is directing the upcoming Good Dinosaur which watching this short kind of makes me excited for that film. (So many of these Pixar greats including John Lasseter got their feet wet in these shorts). There is a gentleness to Partly Cloudy which I have a hunch will work well with Good Dinosaur.

I also really like the music by Michael Giacchino and the fluffy feel of the clouds looks like piles of pillows. In a lot of ways it reminds of Lava which is also very textured and gentle.

I wouldn’t say it is one of my favorite of the shorts but that’s only because the other’s are so great it makes for tough competition. It’s lovely and a joy to watch.

Overall Grade- A-

Next up in the Pixar reviews is Up! Although I am slightly intimidated. How do you adequately write about your favorite movie? I will give it a go!

Rachel’s Top 50 Animation Countdown (40-31)

July 11, 2015November 12, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

40. Aladdin- I know for some people Aladdin would make their top 10 but I’ve never been as big a fan as most people even though I do like it (hey it made this list!). It’s a ton of fun with one of the most iconic performances in all of Disney. The Menken/Ashman/Rice songs are wonderful.39. Batman Mask of the Phantasm- vastly underrated superhero movie with terrific vocal performances. Actually my favorite batman movie. I think the animation is also underrated. Get it on blu-ray studio!

38. Persepolis- One of most unique animated films I’ve ever seen. About a girl growing up in the Iranian Revolution. It looks striking, with an extremely likable lead character and a story with a lot of layers of family, personal and political drama.37. Big Hero 6- I was really moved by the relationship of Hiro and Tadashi. A lovely film about grief and remembering those who have past on while also being a superhero movie with a diverse, funny group unlike any I’ve seen before. I love Baymax so much and SanFransokyo was so creative and beautiful.36. Snow White and 7 Dwarves- I realize this is a little out of sync with my Disney rankings but this where I felt it fit in this list. Snow White is not just great because it was first but it holds up remarkably well. It’s funny, sweet, scary and has great songs. I love how the Queen is the queen but it isn’t enough for her. She also has to be prettiest in the land.35. Iron Giant- A lovely animated story by Brad Bird about a boy in 1950s who finds a giant and has to keep it from the government. Love the animation, story, everything. 34. Mulan- Underrated Disney movie with a strong female heroine, good laughs, strong ensemble of characters, sweeping battle animation, great score and fun songs. Only weakness is lame boring villain. 33. Corpse Bride- a beautiful ghost story with haunting music and a visual style that I actually like even better than Nightmare Before Christmas. The story isn’t quite as layered or interesting and the characters not as good as Nightmare but I still love it. There is enough story of the unlikely match thrown together for me to love it. 32. Lion King- Another one I’m sure people will be upset having so low but I love Lion King. That’s why it beat out 18 other films. It’s epic, beautiful, heartfelt and has an amazing villain. Some of the pop elements, juvenile humor and way they handle Can You Feel Love Tonight I could do without. Still hugely satisfying engaging film about whether we take the easy way out or the tough one that we are destined for. It’s also some of Disney’s most glorious animation they ever did. 31. Dumbo- It depresses me that so many outside the animation community see Dumbo as a racist Disney movie. That or it is ‘too sad’. It has its perhaps questionable segments but at its core is a message about acceptance of people and their differences. The relationship between Timothy Q Mouse and Dumbo is sweet. The watercolor artwork is lovely capturing the bright colors of the circus. The elephants dream is weird and a delight. I love it! Here’s my video on this list:

Minions Review

July 10, 2015December 5, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

I got to see the Minions movie tonight. I went into this movie actually pretty excited. I am not the biggest fan of the Despicable Me movies. I think they are just ok, but the thing I like about them most is the minions characters. They are really funny with their language and love of bananas. There is something adorable about them. They even like selfies on occasion…

And little kids love the minions. I’ve seen it with my 5 nieces. They crack up and get a huge smile on their faces whenever they see the minions. But it is always tricky when a sidekick gets their own movie (think Elektra…) especially sidekicks that don’t speak English. How was this going to work?

Then the first trailer came out and it looked really cute. It is actually the first 5 minutes or so of the movie in that first trailer and it is the best part of the movie IMO. We get the history of the minions starting with amoeba cells and then through all time periods looking for a master to serve. This takes us to 1968 and 3 of the minions decide to go out and look for their leader before they all perish from boredom. They are Bob, Kevin and Stuart which for some reason makes me laugh. It just seems like funny names for these minions.

They then travel great distances and there are some cute gags but nothing that wasn’t shown in a trailer and that made me laugh out loud. The best scene is probably when Stuart wants to eat Kevin and Bob because he thinks they are bananas but again that is in the trailer so you don’t need to pay the big bucks to see that. Eventually they make it to New York where we start to get material from the second trailer. This trailer had me nervous. It looked like a lot of adult ‘wink-wink’ humor which I really hate. Like do we really need to see Stuart in a thong and having a threesome joke? I certainly don’t.

But luckily there isn’t that much of those jokes so my fears were mostly ill founded. Besides, pretty much all the adult humor jokes are in the trailer including a scene where they are tortured which was strange and hung in a noose. Do we really need that in our kids comedy? These scenes were awkward instead of funny.

The minions eventually go to Villain-con which was a fun sequence and they meet Scarlet Overkill voiced by Sandra Bullock. Her character had potential but they didn’t do much with her. I think they needed a vocal performance with a little more sauce to it like someone Russian or with an exotic accent. Bullock ends up feeling flat as Scarlet but it isn’t really her fault because she doesn’t have much to do. Her boyfriend is voiced by John Hamm who is actually a little bit funnier than Scarlet.

The one thing I did like is Scarlet wants to be a princess and be treated like royalty. She already has the money so I thought that was kind of clever to have a female villain who still wants to be pretty and a princess. Usually the villain hates princesses. I also liked she wanted her hair cut like a drawing of her as a princess she did when she was a child. That made me laugh.

So she equips the trio of minions to steal the crown from Queen Elizabeth. The rest of the movie is then spent in England and at one point Bob becomes King of England which was funny.

I think small kids who already love the minions will enjoy this movie. It is definitely better than say a Home or Strange Magic. That said, I never really laughed like I did for Penguins of Madagascar last year which was very funny and had great vocal performances. It also makes me realize how clever Mr Peabody and Sherman was because that had a thin premise but the jokes were so good I laughed a lot. Both those movies are much better than Minions.

A friend of mine asked me if she should still see and I said yes. It’s fine but just know it is made for little kids without a ton of grown up appeal. But then it has those adult moments which are unfortunate. However, it does look nice and is bright and colorful and the beginning 20 minutes is a lot of fun. It’s when they get to England that things really fall apart.

In the end I left Minions thinking ‘that was cute but I didn’t laugh’, and I think many of you will feel the same way. I also might have laughed more if everything hadn’t been in the trailers. But like I said it’s cute, there are a couple jokes that work but there are sections where I got a little bit bored because I wasn’t laughing.

Kids will like it but probably forget about it rather quickly. If you have a $1 theater by you wait till then to take the kids. It’s worth a $1. $10 I don’t think so.

If you like 1960’s classic rock you will enjoy the soundtrack with songs from The Who, Beatles, Kinks and many other bands. They must have spent a fortune on all the songs so that is cool.

I will say the people in front of me were laughing hysterically so maybe I missed something? Or they were on something? Not sure…

Overall Grade- C-

Any of you see it? What did you think?

My youtube review

Liebster Award Drew’s Movie Reviews

July 9, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Hey guys! My friend over at Drew’s Movie Reviews has nominated me for Liebster Award. Thanks! I figure it would be a fun way for you all to get to know me better. A reminder my regular blog has a lot of this information about me at smilingldsgirl.com. My regular blog does get into politics and religion a little bit so not for everyone but I try to have a variety.

So here are the rules to the Liebster Award.

Thank the blog who nominated you and link back to them.
Nominate up to 11 other bloggers to receive the coveted award.
Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
Tell your readers 11 random facts about yourself.
Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post their nomination.

Can you wiggle your ears? No. I wish I could!
Do you watch any web series? If so, what’s your favorite one? I don’t watch any because they tend to be pretty R rated in content. I liked Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and will watch Mindy Project now that it is moving over to Hulu. There are a lot of shows I watch online like Rick and Morty but are still aired on cable.
What is the first movie you remember watching in the theaters? Little Mermaid and Home Alone is the first comedy I remember.
Do you prefer 3D or 2D movies or are you indifferent? 2D because I have a lazy eye so 3D is tough for me.
Do/Did you play any sports? Which ones? I’m an open water swimmer.
What is your favorite card game? Phase 10
What is your favorite board game? I love games like Apples to Apples, Pictionairy but probably Cranium because it combines so many fun games into one
What is your favorite video game? Not a video game fan so I guess Tetris.
If you had a time machine and could go back in time without consequence of messing up the future, where and when would you visit and why? This is going to sound cheesy but it’s true I would go back and meet Jesus, hear the Sermon on the Mount.
Do you have a motto or mantra? I love the Nora Ephron quote “Above all, be the heroine of your life not the victim”
What is your favorite thing about blogging or being a blogger? My favorite part is the experience of writing whether it be a movie review or a more personal entry on my regular blog.

Thanks for those questions. Now I have to give 11 random facts about myself

1. I’ve been blogging since 2008

2. I hate driving. If I could have a chauffeur I would never miss it.

3. I love subscription boxes and review them on my youtube channel along with movies.

4. I got my dream job last year working in social media marketing.

5. I hate tomato juice

6. I’ve swam and completed 8 open water races including swimming the Great Salt Lake Open Water Swim 4 times.

7. My favorite books are North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I have read both books at least 7 times

8. I met Jackie Chan and his autobiography is actually super good. He’s had an insane life growing up in an orphanage that performed Chinese opera.

9. I have an MBA from University of Phoenix and a BA from Brigham Young University.

10. I served a mission for my church in Indiana from 2003-2005 so pretty much any movie during those years I haven’t seen except for Incredibles, Return of the King, and HP 3.

11. I’ve had surgery on my eyes twice to correct a lazy eye and I can’t see those darn Magic Eye pictures and I hate them!

So that is my 11 random facts. I don’t know who to nominate but I’ll do:

Fast Film Reviews

Natalie over at Disney Freak

Heather at Hope for Heather

Kyle at http://www.kylesanimatedworld.blogspot.com/

That’s good enough for now.

Here are my 11 questions

1. If you had to pick music, movies, or books what would you pick?

2. Favorite animated film?

3. What movie do you think is actually better than the book?

4. What is the best dish you cook?

5. Favorite candy bar?

6. What’s worst date you’ve ever been on?

7. Mac or PC?

8. What is the movie that you relate too the most? That seems to be telling your story

9. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

10. What do you collect?

11. What’s the movie you went to see in the theater multiple times the most?

There you go! Feel free to give me your answers in the comments section or answer them even if not tagged. I wasn’t sure who had recently been tagged so I didn’t know who to pick. Have fun!