Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (April 2016)

This month I saw lots of new films, lots of good ones and lots of classics. Here are the five best films I saw this month, for my 100 movie challenge.

5. Zootopia
People who know me, know how much I love rabbits. So I was super excited to see a film with a bunny as one of the leads. “Zootopia” is so well made, it looks beautiful and it was super funny (that scene with the sloths). Disney didn’t disappoint, again!

4. On the Waterfront
I understand why “On the Waterfront” is a classic. I’m glad to finally check it off of my ‘must-see’ list. And I just love young Marlon Brando.

3. Martha Marcy May Marlene
I didn’t know what to expect. Elizabeth Olsen was so good in this film. And the story was very interesting and sometimes shocking.

2. The Soloist
Such a beautiful story, based on real events. I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx together and apart. Great film.

1. Mr. Holland’s Opus This film was so inspiring and I loved Richard Dreyfuss as Mr. Holland. I cried, I really cried.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Deliverance, Secretary, Son of Saul, The Good Dinosaur

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 42: Zootopia

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Action
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Shakira, Octavia Spencer

Description: In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny (Ginnifer Goodwin) cop and a cynical con artist fox (Jason Bateman) must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Review: In the animation “Zootopia” all animals act like humans. Hamsters wear suits, giraffes play volleyball, elephants run ice salons. It’s a sure thing that many fun things are going to happen in “Zootopia”. The city is divided in different climate areas and it looks like an utopia for animals.
The central character is Judy Hopps, a sweet and naïve small town rabbit that is excited to explore the world. Her dream is to become the first bunny cop of Zootopia. But everyone around her isn’t that happy with that dream. They rather want her to help on the carrot farm of her parents. But Judy is determined. In the intro, we see how she finishes police academy and becomes a cop.
While all her cop colleagues get exciting cases, Judy is stuck with parking duty. But Judy doesn’t let that hold her back. When Judy meets the sly fox Nick, who is a con artist, she accidentaly gets involved in a major conspiracy. Judy is forced to work with Nick to unravel this mystery.
“Zootopia” is an easy to watch animation, it’s a modern fable where typical animal charactaristics are enhanced (the brave lion, the sly fox, the scared rabbit, the gentle sheep). But these clichés are broken when nothing is at it seems. You think you know what to expect, but then you don’t. This is where “Zootopia” seperates itself from other Disney animations. There are pretty complex themes in this film, like racism and the interaction between the media and politics. It’s actually a huge enhancement of human society.
This doesn’t mean the film gets heavy, because it’s still a Disney animation. And it is mostly a happy film that is well balanced. The animations are gorgeous, detailed, creative and there is so much to discover and explore.
Off course there is a moral. You should chase your dreams and anyone can do whatever they want. But this film is made for younger viewers, so it’s forgivable. The film is filled with amazing characters. I just love Judy Hopps and I’m so happy to finally see a rabbit character shine again in an animation. Nick is also a great character and the interaction between Judy and Nick is fantastic. The funniest scene is the one with the sloths, because sloths are awesome!
“Zootopia” is definintely a film that can be enjoyed by everyone. And everyone will love it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (216)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Eye in the Sky

Description: A military officer in command of a drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya sees her mission escalate from "capture" to "kill" just as a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone.

Director: Gavin Hood

Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman

Trailer: Trailer "Eye in the Sky"

Comment: Okay, a movie I want to check.

The Nice Guys

Description: A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger

Trailer: Trailer "The Nice Guys"

Comment: Shane Black also made "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and I love that movie. This also looks like a lot of fun.

Zootopia

Description: In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who's trying to make it big goes on the run when he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Zootopia's top cop, a self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they're forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Starring: Idris Elba, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Shakira

Trailer: Trailer "Zootopia"

Comment: Pixar!!!!!

Chi-Raq

Description: A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, John Cusack, Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle, Teyonah Parris

Trailer: Trailer "Chi-Raq"

Comment: Interesting.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Description: Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City's own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis' most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it's ever known before.

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Ezra Miller, Holly Hunter, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons,

Trailer: Trailer "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Comment: Still not excited!

Movie Trailer Sunday (193)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Rock the Kasbah

Description: A down-on-his-luck music manager (Bill Murray) discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star.

Director: Barry Levinson

Starring: Bill Murray, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, Bruce Willis, Leem Lubany

Trailer: Trailer "Rock the Kasbah"

Comment: Bill Murray rocks this trailer!

Zootopia

Description: In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox (Jason Bateman) who's trying to make it big goes on the run when he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Zootopia's top cop, a self-righteous rabbit (Ginnifer Goodwin), is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they're forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman

Trailer: Trailer "Zootopia"

Comment: Just a teaser, but it got me excited!

Regression

Description: A father is accused of a crime he has no memory of committing.

Director: Alejandro Amenábar

Starring: Emma Watson, David Thewlis, Ethan Hawke, David Dencik, Devon Bostick, Dale Dickey, Lothaire Bluteau

Trailer: Trailer "Regression"

Comment: Looks like a good, solid trailer.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Description: After being symbolized as the "Mockingjay", Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Wright, Josh Hutcherson, Jena Malone, Julianne Moore, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth

Trailer: Trailer "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2"

Comment: Can't wait for the final chapter.

The Martian

Description: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Trailer: Trailer "The Martian"

Comment: Bring him home....