The Mule (2018)

The Mule (2018)

6/10

Starring

Clint Eastwood

Bradley Cooper

Laurence Fishburne

Michael Peña

Directed by Clint Eastwood

The last time we saw Eastwood in a lead-starring role in a movie was in 2008’s Gran Torino, the movie back then was fun and great seeing Eastwood play a some sort hero. Here in this movie he is the mule. Yeap, the movie is about Eastwood playing a drug mule. I want to believe everyone reading this is aware of what a drug mule is, those are the people who take drugs from the makers to the retailers.

The movie is fun and the idea of his character not allowing himself to be intimidated and being prepared to stand his ground was just exciting to see. It is not one of the best movies that he has done as this movie had some dull moments and too many emphasis were on his relationship with his family when the excitement itself was in his new job.

Eastwood directed, starred and produced this movie which is based on The New York Times article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick, which recounts the story of a World War II veteran who became a drug courier in his 80s.

Here was the plot, Eastwood’s character is an award-winning horticulturist, who has fallen on bad times in his business. Growing and caring for flowers is his life and his bad times meant he was deprived of what he loved most in his life. Add to that, he is divorced after being married for ten years and estranged from his daughter which we see him miss her wedding to be at a horticulture engagement.

When his grand daughter was getting married though he promised to assist financially, but with the lack of money and his too obvious show of it, he and his ex-wife had a shout out at their grand daughter’s party. A stranger hearing the shout approached him with an offer – he was to call a number as the people on the other side were looking for a driver who can be under the radar. The idea of being able to make money driving and support his grand daughter made him take the offer. He made the call and became a drug courier.

Soon his personality made it easy for him to make friends with the drug lords. And his wit made it easy for him to get pass the police and any other obstruction so he can deliver on the goods.

Things like this always go south and when they do, they go fast. A change in leadership was the beginning of the end for our friend’s new money making business.

The Mule is not a super fantastic movie, it is not a bad movie either. I enjoyed it, but the length of the movie and the too many dull moments can be a turn off to those who like their movie delivered sharp and straight.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

7/10

Starring

Keanu Reeves

Alex Winter

Directed by Stephen Herek

The movie may have been done in 1989, but this movie was so much a 90s drink that was just way too loaded with alcohol, what that means is that – this movie makes you for its run time forget all your misery and be drunk with funny unbelievable stupidity. The movie had two of the most ridiculous friends you can think of and made them just so cool and fun that it was hard not to enjoy this film.

The funny part for me seeing this film is that it stars Keanu Reeves, the Matrix guy – John Wick when he was much younger, he acted as a goof in this movie.

I loved Bill and Ted when I was younger and saw the two seasons of the animation, which was not as exciting as this first movie was. The other thing that made this movie cool is the story, which is as bogus as they come. These two dimwits will be the ones who save the world and the only way this can happen is if they stay together. Then we have George Carlin, he is the dude who must be the one to set them on the path to international stardom.

The movie is about two High School students who were about to flunk history. What these two (Bill (Keanu Reeves) and Ted (Alex Winter)) do not know is that their rock band Wyld Stallyns will release music that will make the world a better place.

In the future 2688, humanity has reached a point of utopia thanks to the music of these two and the only way this can happen is if they do not get split up. And this can only happen if they pass their history exam. The future of humanity now rests in the hand of Rufus (George Carlin), a time traveler from the future whose sole job is to help these two pass their history test.

He travels back in time and meets these two

The movie uses ideas from Doctor Who as our two high school heroes travel through time in a phone box. Although, unlike Doctor Who the box is not bigger on the inside and it was fun to see these people cramp themselves into the box for their travels.

One last thing about this movie is that, you get to really appreciate it when you get to see the sequel. There is something like too much Bill and Ted and that is what the sequel and the animation proved and their antics in the sequel just made this first movie more enjoyable and classier to watch.

If you have not seen Bill and Ted go on their Excellent Adventure, well you are missing something so stupid and illiterate that it ended up being funny and cool.

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

7/10

Starring the voices of

Jay Baruchel

Gerard Butler

Craig Ferguson

America Ferrera

Jonah Hill

Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois

Here is an animation that no one saw coming. This Dreamworks loosely based adaptation of a book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, was a stunner and it was nominated for the Best Animation award at the Academy Awards, but lost to Toy Story 3 (2010).

What makes this animation so good, is the way the screenplay writers decided to craft our journey. We get to see the lead young lad, Hiccup try to tame a dragon. The comedy in his trials and the brains that comes with him makes his life a fun watch and the animation all so memorable.

Being a critical and commercial success, this movie birth two other sequels [How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2010) and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)] to complete a trilogy.

Hiccup is a Viking and his father is the chief of his home town, Berk. The village is attacked regularly by dragons who raid the village capture livestock and destroy buildings. The people of the town of Berk are dragon hunters and Hiccup is not allowed to join in the hunt, because in consideration of his build in comparison to the other men, he has fallen short.

Hiccup is a blacksmith apprentice and he uses this opportunity to create machines that he wants to use to catch dragons and kill them. He one day did shoot down a Night Fury, but nobody believed he did. He decided to go look for it and found the creature trapped, instead of killing the dragon, Hiccup sets it free, as he could not bring himself to kill.

The next time Hiccup returns to the place where he set the Night Fury free he sees that the dragon is still there, he during his attack on it tore the dragon’s tail fin, the dragon is now unable to fly. Hiccup designed a prosthetic fin which works with him in control, mounting the dragon.

The chief puts Hiccup to the test to fight and kill a dragon with everyone watching, Hiccup was able to subdue the dragon without any violence trying to prove that dragons are peaceful creatures. His father was not having it and that ladies and gentlemen is when the animation takes wing and flies. To know what happens next you have to take the time out to go see this movie and I beg you see the whole trilogy, they are worth owning.

How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World (2019)

How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World (2019)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Jay Baruchel

America Ferrera

Cate Blanchett

Craig Ferguson

Directed by Dean DeBlois

How To Train Your Dragon three is the final installment in the How To Train Your Dragon movie franchise. This animation follows the tale of Hiccup and his Night Fury as they try to save all the dragons they can find and have them live peacefully.

This Dreamworks animation is loosely based on a book series of the same name and it just blows my mind away in the way the story and animation gels into another memorable journey. All the animation in this here franchise have been great and each delivers a tale that is just worth seeing by both the young and adult.

Here we get to see Hiccup still living on the weird side of life with his mother by his side now and trying to master up his team without the aid of the dragons. With Toothless (the Night Fury) now an alfa it is a lot easier to control the dragons, but Hiccup and his crew are finding it hard to master any mission on their own.

The animation focused mostly on Hiccup this time as the new chief after the death of his father in How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) is trying to find the best way to handle the current situation. The situation which he is in now is that, his raids have been successful and he has saved many dragons. The bad part to this good news is that now Berk where he and the other vikings live is filled to the brim with dragons and it is becoming a chaos.

He needs to find them a new home, a place where they will be safe from humans and big enough for them to be free.

On the other side of the counter are the people who are loosing their dragons to Hiccup. They called in for some help a man named Grimmel. Grimmel has made it his life chant to kill every Night Fury there is and upon learning that Hiccup had one, he jumped on the wagon to help these sailors by capturing and killing Toothless. He used the aid of a White Fury (a female fury) which these men had with the hope of it luring Toothless away and leaving Hiccup vulnerable.

The plan was not a complete success, but he succeeded in making it difficult for Toothless to continue in his loyalty to Hiccup. He now has a love interest which he cares for and will love to have by his side.

The animation is cool and every movie in this trilogy delivers in the highs. How To Train Your Dragon delivers each movie with flying colors. All movies are critically and financially successful. You will not regret seeing the last movie in this series.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

7/10

Starring the voices of

Jay Baruchel

Cate Blanchett

Gerard Butler

Craig Ferguson

America Ferrera

Directed by Dean DeBlois

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is fun, classy and just delivers in many shocking excitement after another. The movie kicks off five years after the first How To Train Your Dragon and the story which leads us to see Hiccup’s mum and encounter an Alfa dragon and seeing Toothless challenge such, is just the kind of fun that is waiting for you when you sit to see this movie.

Everything about this movie is what you are looking for in a fun time at the movies, the movie delivers class and the animation is a step up from the first movie’s animation. Crafted by Dean DeBlois who did this sequel with the hope of turning this story into a trilogy. I beg you to take the time out to see these movies together in one go, it will be a fun evening with the kids.

This Dreamworks animation is loosely based on a book series of the same name and the story as said above happens when Hiccup is now twenty years. He and Toothless have grown their relationship and they seem to be inseparable. Add to that the city of Berk is now filled with Dragons as the people now welcome these creatures. Hiccup and Toothless continue to explore many new lands and chart their journeys.

Hiccup is being groomed by his father to succeed him as chief, something Hiccup does not feel he is fit to do. On the other side of things there is a man named Drago. Drago is a chief who wants to dominate the Vikings and he is using his dragons to take down anyone who refuse to pledge to him.

He is about to attack their island when Hiccup tries to go find him and reason with him. His search led him to meet Valka. She is also a dragon rider and like Hiccup has spent years rescuing and keeping dragons safe. She stays at a nest with an alfa dragon, a Bewilderbeast – who can hypnotize any adult dragon within reach of his call to obey.

There Drago and Hiccup’s father track Hiccup to the nest and a battle takes place, with a tragic loss. Drago came there with his own Bewilderbeast and defeats the alfa, making his Bewilderbeast the new alfa. Now with Drago able to control the other dragons and Hiccup without Toothless how are they going to be able to stop the meanness being propelled by Drago.

This animation is worth every moment seen and I will advise you to take the time to see it and enjoy the class this animation delivers. A Third part, How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World was released in 2019.

Isn’t It Romantic (2019)

Isn’t It Romantic (2019)

5/10

Starring

Rebel Wilson

Liam Hemsworth

Adam DeVine

Priyanka Chopra

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson

Isn’t It Romantic, the answer to that question is “No It Isn’t.”

There is nothing funny or romantic about this romcom on a lady who in the hospital bed fell into a universe where everything in her present life is different.

This movie is supposed to be about lady finding her voice and discovering her self esteem and learning what love is about. What we end up getting is a world turned upside down and a promise that everything will make sense if we continue watching, but the writers forgot to make any sense of what we saw.

The movie plot is about Natalie (Rebel Wilson) who grew up being told romance is not real and she had to get it out of her head that all that she saw on TV could happen. She did and grew up not wanting any attachment, add to that she is timid and gets pushed around in the office even though she is a senior staff.

After a day in the office and on her way home Natalie is mugged on the subway. There was a struggle and she manages to get away from the mugger, but just only to knock herself unconscious by clumsily walking head-first into a steel girder. Natalie wakes up in the hospital and immediately notices that things are different. She gets out of the hospital and sees that the world has changed, her apartment is now bigger,cleaner and she has new friends and old friends are now enemies.

A billionaire who cared less about her existence in her previous world now has the hurts for her and is willing to do anything to have her. Soon Natalie discovers that she is living in a romantic movie style life. She plays along with it and soon cannot wait to be back in her real life.

The movie idea is sounds good when read, but it is a complete eye sore when seen. Major criticism goes to the way the actors related with one another, they did so distastefully with only Rebel seeming to be in so much fun that she did not care what the others were doing, or what they smoked. Probably weed because you gotta be on something to get to make this movie.

In the end the movie had a dance number, which just added to the height of lameness this movie had installed for us and for you if you venture on the path to see this movie.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

7/10

Starring

Emily Blunt

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Ben Whishaw

Emily Mortimer

Julie Walters

Dick Van Dyke

Directed by Rob Marshall

After decades in development hell Disney has finally given us a Mary Poppins sequel.

Since its release in 1964 Walt Disney attempted to produce a sequel, but had problems with the writer P. L. Travers, but 55 years later these issues have been ironed out and we the audience are just grateful.

Like the previous film, the musical numbers are catchy and are easy to get lost in when listening.

This musical fantasy film is amazing and I enjoyed the ride and wished so much that I got a chance to see much of the cast from the previous 1964 film which are still alive do a cameo (Dick Van Dyke, did a cameo). The movie was so good that it received numerous praise and accolades which resulted in numerous nominations in the OSCARS, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Awards and others. Sadly, losing out in many.

Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins was just a delight. I went to see this movie believing that the role that Julie Andrews played cannot be matched, but Emily did match Andrews performance in her own way. She took the character and reshaped it to fit her personality.

The movie plot now focuses on the much older Jane and Michael Banks.

Michael is now the resident owner of the Banks home in the first film and he is in some financial trouble. He has taken a loan from the bank which his father worked in the first film and now the bank wants to close in on the loan and take the house.

Michael lives in the house with his three children, and Jane is staying back to help Michael find some important documents which can save their childhood home.

In their search they found the kite which was more of the theme in the ending of the first film and Michael tossed it out. George his last born son, was playing with it when the wind drags him and behind them was Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) who could tell what this wind was all about. Mary Poppins was the person behind the windy day and her arrival was welcomed by Jack. She talks to the children who are surprised that she knows their name and takes them home.

Michael and Jane recognize Mary Poppins immediately and she tells them, she is going to be the new nanny (we are left to discover who she has come to take care of). Now we are sent on a magical ride while we are also trying to find a way to save the Banks home.

The writers did something amazing, they pulled glimpses of the past with words for the older generation and used the magic of the Mary Poppins character to win over new fans and produce a fun magical ride for the family.

The movie didn't rely heavily on the nostalgia of the old movie, for this I give the director and Disney as much thumbs up that I can spare to keep writing this review.

Lastly, Lin-Manuel Miranda (Jack) vs Dick Van Dyke (Bert). For me both portray two different characters, so exploring their role as Mary Poppins co-anchor in this ride, I will say other than Miranda nailing the accent, I so much prefer Dick Van Dyke’s goofiness.

So here is a sequel that is very much well done and fun to see. You can have it lined up for a watch after seeing the first Mary Poppins (1964) movie.