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Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
What do you mean? African or European Swallow?
Growing up, I probably watched this movie over 20 times with my friends. Though we didn't understand much of what was going on, we knew that it was hilarious. Now as an adult, I showed this movie to my 8-year-old son and he (like 8-year-old me) could not stop laughing.
Between the coconut clacking Patsy, the black knight, the holy hand grenade and the Knights who say Ni, there is plenty to keep a kid entertained. As an adult, it was the jam-packed dialogue and hilarious banter that kept me laughing. The conversations regarding swallows, supreme executive power, hamsters and elderberries, and what makes a witch (among countless others), are why Monty Python and the Holy Grail is legendary.
The scenes are memorable, the dialogue is endlessly quotable and the absurdity is top tier.
Best Character: Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot
Best Quote: "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?" - Bridgekeeper
Best Scene: From the Cave to the Bridge
Note: The ending itself is pretty terrible, but it suits the film.
About Time (2013)
The Secret Formula for Happiness
Quirky, original, beautiful, heartwarming, there are so many words I could use to describe About Time. The film does an incredible job at taking something "supernatural" and incorporating it seamlessly into the real world. Though the hook is the time travel element, there is so much more to this movie that meets the eye.
The relationship between the characters is touching, the earnest nature of the protagonist is charming and the finale is one of the most touching/tear-jerking in recent memory. It is evident that the writers thought carefully about the rules of time travel, specifically related to the third act reveal.
About Time is also much more than a Rom/Com. While Tim and Mary's love story is at the forefront (and their playful banter is captivating), the beautiful nature of living each day to the fullest is truly what drive this film to greatness.
Best Character: Tim (honorable mention to nearly every other character)
Best Quote: "I thought this phone was old, and suddenly it's my most valuable possession." - Tim
Best Scene: Goodbye
Best Piece of Score: Golborne Road
Honorable Mention Quote: "We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride." - Tim
Note: I think that the relationship between Tim and his father is one of the best parent/child bonds in all of cinema.
Note 2: I LOVE Tim's Dad's secret formula for happiness and his ultimate twist on it.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
A Little Too Much Mockery
On the surface, this movie could have been brilliant. Take a world where no one can lie and have a man discover the power of fibbing. In the first act, the premise actually works. There are some funny "full-truth" moments and some interesting manipulation.
The movie starts to go downhill when Gervais' atheist views trickle into the script and create some sacrilegious moments. From the "Man in the Sky" talk to the pizza box commandments, the film just crossed the line a little too often.
The love story is actually pretty sweet and seeing the development of Jennifer Gardner's character is one of the strongest elements of the script. Unfortunately, the movie's ending is poor and half-baked.
The potential was there, but the movie just ventured too hard into mockery.
Best Character: Anna
Best Quote: "'It's basically just brown sugar water, we haven't changed the ingredients much lately, so there's nothing new I can tell you about that." - Bob
Best Scene: Discovering the Ability to Lie.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Tim Burton at His Finest
What a wacky film! The premise is interesting, the cast is stacked and there are iconic moments/lines littered throughout. Tim Burton has one of the strangest minds in filmmaking history, and you either love him or you hate him.
While I haven't loved a lot of his other films, I really enjoyed Beetlejuice (once I embraced the weirdness of it). I would have liked to see a little more of Beetlejuice himself, but in the end I really enjoyed the movie.
Best Character: Beetlejuice
Best Quote: "I've seen the Exorcist about a hundred and sixty seven times, and it keep getting funnier every single time I see it." - Beetlejuice
Best Scene: The Dinner Dance
Best Piece of Score: Main Titles.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
The Bottle Episode
I don't think that I had re-watched this movie in the nearly 20 years since it was released. I decided to show Zathura to my two older kids and it was a fun experience.
The whole "Jumanji in Space" concept is enjoyable, the child actors are strong and there is a bit of an emotional pull in there. The mute and malicious Zorgons are terrifying and I loved seeing all the destruction to the house.
There were moments that seemed underdeveloped and others that dragged on longer than they should have, but for a movie that takes place 95% inside of the house, it kept my attention.
Best Character: Danny
Best Quote: "Dude. You're meat." - The Astronaut
Best Scene: The Meteor Shower.
Bandits (2001)
Edward, Bella and Jacob Rob a Bank
I remember a VHS copy of Bandits sitting on our movie shelf growing up. I was always so intrigued by it and wanted to pop it in the VCR (I don't know why) but never did. Now as an adult, this showed up on Max and I had to jump on the chance to give it a watch.
Bandits is an interesting crime drama with some likeable characters, a little bit of anxiety and some unique relationships. I particularly liked Billy Bob Thornton's character and each of the different dynamics with Kate.. There aren't a lot of memorable moments in this film, but it was a simple, enjoyable watch.
Best Character: Terry Collins
Best Quote: "One, I had no choice, two, I may have suffered a slight concussion and three, she is mentally imbalanced to a spectacular degree." - Terry
Best Scene: Each of the robberies.
Note: Like a true baldy, Bruce Willis' hair was out of this world.
Prom Night (2008)
Objectively Terrible, Subjectively Great
I get that this movie is objectively terrible, but it is such a guilty pleasure of mine. The bad acting, the cut-away murders, the dumb plot, everything comes together to make Prom Night so dang enjoyable.
This film has two separate identities: one is a petty high school drama where the girls make fun of the lesbian teacher, bicker with the popular girl and reminisce about the good ol' days while anxiously dreading graduation. The other is a creepy slasher flick involving an obsessed teacher who kills people in front of their children, stashes bodies in the ceiling and cries while looking at a camera (with a dead body sitting next to him). Unfortunately, these two storylines conflict with each other more than they build off one another.
That being said, there is a special place in my teenage heart for Prom Night. Every few years I have to revisit this movie just to remember that it exists.
Best Character: Lisa
Best Quote: "Michael is making me so darn mad. And on top of that, I have killer cramps!" - Claire
Best Scene: The Construction Level Murder
Note: Shoutout to Ronnie. Poor guy didn't know what he was signing up for by being friends with Donna.
Note 2: Uncle Jack deserved to die.
Note 3: This movie made me HATE the mirrors that open/shut. Too many jump scares.
The Proposal (2009)
Boxes Checked
This movie checks all the boxes for the RomCom genre. You've got the enemies turned lovers trope, a unique destination weekend, two charming leads and plenty of humor scattered throughout.
My biggest gripe with The Proposal is the *love* between Andrew and Margaret. In order for these two to truly fall in love, we needed more scenes with them together. While in Alaska many of the scenes took them in opposite directions (i.e., the adventure with the girls, the fire dance, the talk with the dad) rather than bringing them together.
I enjoyed this movie a lot and I laughed out loud more than once, it just needed a bit more depth.
Best Character: Grandma Annie
Best Quote: "Do you prefer Margaret or "Satan's Mistress"?" - Grandma Annie
Best Scene: The Fire Dance
Note: Shout out to Ramone for being absolutely hilarious!
Note 2: The mid-credit scenes were solid.
The Ring (2002)
That Face Moment...
Let me preface this review by saying that I despise horror movies. I don't like creepy movies, I don't like movies with jump-scares, I could go the rest of my life without seeing a film like this. So why did I watch "The Ring"? Because my wife wanted to watch it with me and because I'm a good husband.
With that in mind, I actually didn't hate "The Ring" as much as I thought that I would. The acting was good, the tension was... tense..., and I enjoyed the twist at the end. I wish there was a little more explanation as to *why* that twist was necessary, but I still didn't mind it.
As a whole, this is a solid entry in the genre (I don't have much to compare it to), though it relies mostly on creepy images and jumps to create fear.
Best Character: Noah
Best Quote: "But I do, and I'm sorry. It won't stop." - Samara
Best Scene: In the Well
Note: Am I going to watch "The Ring 2"? I keep going back and forth.
Note 2: The "I saw her face" moment was terrifying and made me so mad that I almost turn off the TV.
Grown Ups 2 (2013)
Too Much Burpsnarting
If you take out all the burpsnarting, this movie might go up half a star. I went in with low expectations and those expectations were barely surpassed.
The plot is shallow, the jokes are crude and there isn't much substance to it, but it looked like the cast was having a genuinely good time filming. I wish that some of the plot points, particularly those with the kids were explored a bit more. The moment with talking to the baby is sweet, but most of the scenes seemed pieced together as an afterthought.
Best Character: Keithie
Best Quote: "I just want to tell you welcome to the family, and I love you very much." - Lenny
Best Scene: Cliff-Jumping
Note: The two posters that I've seen have either A) the main guys on a roller coaster or B) the main guys driving go-carts. I don't remember either of those scenes happening!
Vantage Point (2008)
Let's See a Remake
I absolutely love the idea of Vantage Point. I am fascinated by the idea of the same story told through different points of view, all culminating in an "aha moment" where the terrorist plot is revealed.
Unfortunately, this movie does not deliver on that promise. The plot is intensely convoluted and jam-packed into the 90 minute runtime. We spend way too much time with some characters, not enough time with others and many plot points are either pointless or left unfinished. The character depth is non-existent and I left wondering why the movie needed to be told from different vantage points (sadly).
I would love to see what a strong writing team and director could do with this concept, because on its surface it is intriguing.
Best Character: Howard
Best Quote: "The beauty of American arrogance is that they can't imagine a world where they're not a step ahead." - Suarez
Best Scene: The first jump back to the beginning.
Note: Forest Whitaker is the only strong actor of the bunch and I loved his scenes.
Note 2: Hearing Dennis Quaid shout in his hand for "Control!" over and over again was particularly irksome.
I Feel Pretty (2018)
Positive Message but Forgettable
I enjoyed this movie more than I thought that I would. Amy Schumer's personality can be grating at times, but she wasn't terrible in this one. I don't know if she has the chops to be a leading lady, but she clearly put her best foot forward.
The message is positive, the premise is quirky and there were some enjoyable moments throughout. The majority of the film is forgettable and all blends together, but I liked most of it. There aren't very many "stand out" moments that you leave the movie remembering, which is probably its biggest flaw.
Best Character: Wheat Thin
Best Quote: "I can eat whatever I want and still look like this." - Renee
Best Scene: Meeting at the Dry Cleaners
Best Piece of Score: Wish Transformation.
Blades of Glory (2007)
A Better "Balls of Fury"
"Blades of Glory" is a fascinating comedy film. There are moments that made me genuinely laugh out loud, but it's mostly full of ridiculous, unfunny antics. Will Ferrell is in full-blown cheese mode and Jon Heber sputters his way through. The supporting cast has moments of hilarity, but for the most part the movie is just over-the-top nonsense.
This film is very similar in tone to "Balls of Fury" but it sticks the landing much better than that terrible movie. For some reason, "Blades of Glory" is highly re-watchable, but mostly for its mindless comedy and mind-numbing plot.
Best Character: Coach
Best Quote: "No one knows what it means, but it's provocative." - Chazz
Best Scene: The Iron Lotus
Best Piece of Score: Blades of Glory.
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves! (1997)
Overlong Disney Channel Episode
I remember loving this movie as a kid. There were so many memorable moments: the cockroach trap, the french onion dip, the potassium deficiency, etc. Re-watching this movie as an adult did not hit as hard as I hoped. There were some clever moments, but the end result was lackluster. Rick Moranis is fun as always, but there wasn't much substance to it.
The acting was extremely poor, I couldn't stand the mom and it just felt like an overlong episode of an episode of a Disney Channel show.
Best Character: Adam
Best Quote: "Gordon, you're three-quarters of an inch tall, now's not the time." - Wayne
Best Scene: The Hot Wheels Track.
Hook (1991)
Child-Like Wonder
Movie night with the kids! They absolutely loved it and I was pleasantly surprised with what I liked about the film. The cast is excellent, even the little kids. Robin Williams is truly a generational talent, who is missed greatly in the movie industry today.
The plot has some holes and there are certain moments which drag unnecessarily long, but there is joy throughout. It helped me remember the importance of finding child-like wonder in life.
Hook is full of adventure and one of Spielberg's more flawed but charming movies.
Best Character: Peter
Best Quote: "You know that place between sleep and awake? That place where you still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you... Peter Pan. That's where I'll be waiting." - Tinkerbell
Best Scene: "There you are Peter!"
Best Piece of Score: You Are the Pan
Note: Was Tootles just one of the Lost Boys who came back to the real world? I couldn't figure that out.
Fahrenheit 451 (2018)
Too Much on the Cutting Room Floor
On the surface, Fahrenheit 451 is not a terrible film. It features two strong leads in Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon, the visuals are powerful and the message is needed now more than ever. Unfortunately, the story is underdeveloped, which I think is due to the large stray from the source material.
As someone who read the book years ago, I was surprised by the extent of creative license that the filmmakers took. I'm not saying that writers and directors should not change items from books when adapting them to film. However, when vital characters are cut, entire plot points are changed and the ending is completely different, it is almost disrespectful to the author.
I was optimistic going into the film and there are some positive elements, but as a whole, this film just felt disappointing.
Best Character: Beatty
Best Quote: "You should try reading before burning." - Clarisse
Best Scene: The Woman on Fire
Best Piece of Score: "Resurrection"
Bolt (2008)
Is it Almost Done?
How in the world is this movie 90% on Rotten Tomatoes? In my opinion, this is one of the weakest Disney Animated Films ever released. While I was watching, I kept relating it to "Home On the Range", which is near the bottom of my Disney ranking.
The voice cast is fairly good and the beginning action sequence is strong, but I can't think of another good thing to say about it. Bolt falls in the forgotten Disney years when Pixar was completely blowing them out of the water. It honestly feels more like Monsters v Aliens or one of those cheaper, early DreamWorks films.
Multiple times during the movie, my 8-year-old son would say, "But why?" in response to certain plot points. Similarly, I asked myself why Disney thought this movie was a good idea.
My 4-year-old son asked "Is it almost done?" after 45 minutes and he sat through the full 142 minute runtime of Hook without complaint.
Best Character: Penny
Best Quote: "They pretend they're going to always be there for you, and then one day they pack up and move away and take their love with them, and leave their declawed cat to fend for herself! They leave her, wondering what she did wrong." - Mittens
Best Scene: Beginning Action Scene
Best Piece of Score: Home At Last
Note: If this movie was made today, Mittens would 100% be played by Awkwafina.
The Maze Runner (2014)
Not the Book, But Still Good
I absolutely loved the Maze Runner book series when I was in high school. The premise is fascinating and James Dashner did a great job of building a post-apocalyptic world with fascinating backstory. Is the movie as good as the book? No, but it's still pretty good.
I think that Dylan O'Brien (Thomas), Ki Hong Lee (Minho) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt) are perfectly cast. The majority of the rest of the cast is just fine. Unfortunately, Chuck and Teresa were huge misses. Their characters are supposed to be pivotal and crucial motivators for Thomas, but they are both forgettable and bland. Honestly, if you cut them both out of the movie, I don't think that much would change. Can you cut them out of the book? Absolutely not. They are essential to the plot.
The setting is perfect, the story is still strong and I care about what happens to the Gladers. Unfortunately, the connection and depth between characters really missed the mark.
Best Character: Thomas
Best Quote: The Night in the Maze
Best Scene: "Be careful, don't die." - Minho
Best Piece of Score: Finale.
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
No Real "Aha!"
We need to see more movies like this released in theaters. I'm not saying that this is a great movie or even a really good movie, but it is a fun movie. There are plenty of fun moments, like the card passing scene and some interesting characters.
My biggest gripe with this movie are the twists. When a movie has a big twist (i.e., The Sixth Sense), what makes it great is how everything comes full-circle. The problem with this twists in this movie is that they fall into two categories:
1. Predictable
2. Pointless/Dumb
There was no real "Aha!" moment and the biggest twist really undermined the gravity of the first film.
Ultimately, I had a lot of fun with this movie, mostly because I had to accept it for what it is. If you go into it hoping for a mind-blowing reveal or something even close to the first one, you'll be disappointed.
Best Character: Lula
Best Quote: "A magician's greatest strength is an empty fist." - Atlas
Best Scene: The Card Pass
Best Piece of Score: Sleight of Hand.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Le Man 66
Back when this movie was nominated for a few Oscars, there wasn't much hype around it. Most of the attention that year was dedicated to Parasite, Jojo Rabbit and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I'm not sure why I didn't watch it then, but I'm glad that I watched it now.
Both lead actors were fantastic, the sound mixing is gorgeous and I was glued to the screen from start to finish. This film is a testament that there are great, true stories out there that need to be told.
Best Character: Miles
Best Quote: "When I was 10 years old, my Pops said, son it's a truly lucky man who knows what he wants to do in this world. 'Cause that man will never work a day in his life." - Carroll Shelby
Best Scene: Driving Henry Ford
Best Piece of Score: Le Mans 66.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Solid Doomsday
The Day After Tomorrow is a solid doomsday film. The premise is interesting, the cast has some bright spots and there is good tension throughout. Some of the more "thrilling" moments felt a bit forced (i.e., the wolves, the 10 degree drop per second, etc.), but for the most part the film felt like something that could actually happen.
My biggest gripe with this film is the plot structure. It takes a long time for anything to happen and then everything is wrapped up in a tight 20-30 minutes. I would have liked to see a little more closure and development of the side characters (the mom's side plot is pretty pointless). That being said, this is a movie that I'll turn on every few years to scare me into being more environmentally conscious.
Best Character: Sam
Best Quote: "As far as I'm concerned, the written word is mankind's greatest achievement." - Jeremy
Best Scene: The Initial Flood
Best Piece of Score: Bedtime Story.
WALL·E (2008)
Give Tommy Newman an Oscar!
Another one of the Pixar greats. I didn't love this movie as a kid, mostly because of the lack of dialogue and my short attention span. As an adult, this film is breathtaking. As always with Pixar, the animation is gorgeous, the message is beautiful and the non-human characters feel the most human.
While it's not the most exciting or funny film, WALL-E delivers on its premise. In an odd way it has become a comfort film and can easily put me to sleep in minutes (not in a bad way)
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Best Character: WALL-E
Best Quote: "Eeeee... aah." - WALL-E
Best Scene: Dancing in Space
Best Piece of Score: Define Dancing
Note: Justice for my boy, Tommy Newman. He deserves an Oscar!
Inside Out 2 (2024)
We Need Joy
What a "bundle of joy"! After a series of misses from Disney and Pixar, I am delighted with how great Inside Out 2 turned out. The new characters are interesting (especially Anxiety), the existing characters continue to shine and Riley's journey into life as a teenager is just as compelling as the first film.
Inside Out 2 doesn't take many risks, but it doesn't need to. The film feels reminiscent of Toy Story 2, a continuation of a strong first film. I laughed, I cried and I felt myself experiencing my own mini-therapy session in the theater. The scene with the anxiety attack and Riley needing Joy is *chef's kiss* absolutely stunning.
Is this a top 5 Pixar movie? No. Is it top 15? Possibly. Is it just what we needed in this recent Pixar slump? Absolutely. Is it going to get better with age? I think so.
Best Character: Anxiety
Best Quote: "I don't know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe we can't. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy." - Joy
Best Scene: Needing Joy
Best Piece of Score: The Life of Riley.
George of the Jungle (1997)
Endlessly Rewatchable
This movie is just full to the brim with nostalgia for me. I showed it to my kids and could not stop laughing. From the 4th wall breaks to the hilarious plot explanations from the narrator, there is plenty of humor to go around. Not only that, but this movie has a lot of heart. Brendan Fraser is wonderful and his chemistry with Leslie Mann is palpable. There is a purity to George's character and the entire film that make it endlessly rewatchable.
The villains are villainous, the heroes are heroic and I left the movie smiling from ear to ear.
Best Character: George
Best Quote: "George just lucky I guess" - George
Best Scene: Dancing in the Jungle
Best Song: Dela
Note: I need George's shoes from his cross-country run.
Miracle (2004)
Great Moments
With the Olympics right around the corner, I was itching for a dose of Team USA. This film hit just the right spot. Though the movie's poster and the blurb on Disney+/IMDb give away the ending (The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U. S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet squad), it is still an inspirational classic.
The story is strong, the message is powerful and it is easy to leave the movie with a new sense of patriotism.
Note: The final locker room speech is one of the all-time greats.
Best Character: Jim Craig
Best Quote: "Great moments are born from great opportunity." - Herb
Best Scene: The "Again" Scene
Best Piece of Score: "The Games"