100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 89: Inside Out

Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen

Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Drama/ Fantasy

Runtime: 95 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Bobby Moynihan

Description: After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

Review: Ideas for an original film are often easier than you might think. The creative minds of Pixar used director Pete Docter’s childhood experiences for “Inside Out”. When he was a kid, his family moved to Denmark for work. Pete’s sister had no trouble adapting to the situation, but Pete himself didn’t feel at home right away. Years later Pete saw the same with his daughter, who was on the edge of puberty at the time. The idea for “Inside Out” was born and he started to fantasize about what went on in the human mind and how certain emotions happen.

Like in “Up”, Docter manages to grab the audience from the first moment, with emotion. We see a baby being born and we see her first emotions: Joy and Sadness. The girl is Riley and we see her grow up in Minnesota. Together with Joy and Sadness, there is also Fear, Disgust and Anger. They rule Riley’s emotions. When Riley is eleven, her family moves to San Fransisco. A new city, a new house, a new school; Riley and her emotions have a lot they struggle with.

Rats that can cook, roots falling in love, toys coming to life; where does ixar get all those original ideas? “Inside Out” fits this perfectly. The coming of age story has been done so many times before, but never this original.

“Inside Out” has a lot of funny moments, but also manages to touch us. Not only with the opening scene. In fact, you will feel every emotion while watching the film. As always, the movie looks fantastic. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.

Pixar did it again. It made an animation that doesn’t only entertain you, but also manages to touch you and it will stay in your memory. Great piece of cinema for the whole family.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Breakup Movies

We’ve all been there: bad breakups. In movies it’s also a common theme and here are the five best movies about breakups.

5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Jason Segel wrote this very touching and funny comedy, that also happened to be hilarious. Oh and yeah, this is that movie where Jason Segel gets naked.

 

 

4. Silver Linings Playbook

There’s nothing sadder than watching someone refuse to accept the end of a relationship, but that’s what makes the burgeoning romance between Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence’s manic lovebirds so powerful. It’s only once Cooper’s character learns to let go of the woman who abandoned him he can see the woman who’s right in front of him.

 

 

3. Crazy Stupid Love

Love can go crazy, make you crazy, it simply makes people crazy. After his wife wants a divorce, because she slept with her boss, Cal Weaver befriends playboy Jacob. Jacob teaches him how to talk to women and how to get a woman home. It’s such a great comedy, with a fantastic cast.

 

 

2. (500) Days of Summer

It was a sleeper hit. “(500) Days of Summer” alternates between the good and the bad moments between Summer and Tom, even though they seem like the perfect pair.

 

 

1. High Fidelity

Rob Gordon is going through yet another breakup and he even lists his top 5 breakups of all-time. And that’s why it got my attention. “High Fidelity” isn’t just the best breakup movie, it’s one of the best movies ever.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: The War of the Roses, Blue Valentine

Monthly 4: June 2015

Better late than never. Here are my favorite moments of June!

 

 

1. I finally did it, I got a bob line! I wanted this for such a long time, but I was a bit scared. So bit by bit I did it. And it looks kinda nice.

2. Vayèn really lights my day every time I see her. Irene and Evelien visited me with her and my day was better again!

3. My dad did an amazing job on putting all my photos on the wall. And I can expand it whenever I want.

4. We went on a school trip to the zoo. It was a fun day with the kids and my co-workers.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 88: Paddington

Director: Paul King

Genre: Comedy/ Family

Runtime: 95 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Ben Wishaw, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walter, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Matt Lucas

Description: A young Peruvian bear (Ben Wishaw) travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

Review: A movie about a talking bear. Is it like “Ted”? NO! “Paddington” is a family film, based on the stories of Michael Bond.

Paddington is a young Peruvian bear, who travels to London. He is taken in by the Brown family. Paddington is ready for a new adventure, but there is also a woman after him to put him in a museum.

The story follows the classic good versus bad routine, but this works especially for the younger viewers. The movie has great (visual) humor and a very strong cast. And Paddington bear himself looks amazing and recognizable.

“Paddington” is a real fun family film. It’s heartwarming, funny, adventurous and entertaining. It’s really worth every minute of your time.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 87: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 101 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Pete Plszek, Johnny Knoxville, Jeremy Howard, Danny Woodburn, Tony Shalhoub, Tohuru Masamune, Whoopi Goldberg, Minae Noji, Abby Elliot, Madison Mason

Description: When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their home.

Review: It started out as a parody, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles became extremely popular in the 90s. Comics, a TV show, toys and their own movie.

The announcement of a new Michael Bay produced movie was received skeptical. It appeared that the turtles weren’t mutated turtles, but aliens. This was just a rumor, because the story stayed very close to the original. Although there are some adjustments here and there.

In “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” the turtles aren’t portrayed by professional fighters in costumes, but they are full CGI creations. But before we get to see them, we meet reporter April O’Neill, assisted by her cameraman Vernon. Wanting more excitement, April digs deeper into the whereabouts of the infamous Foot Clan, led by the evil Shredder. During her investigation, she discovers the turtles and their master Splinter.

The opening prologue is really impressive, in comic book style. The individual characters stay close to how they were intended: nerdy Donatello, leader Leonardo, joker Michelangelo and rebel Raphael. And they look pretty good, but there is a CGI overkill. Shredder looks different, more like he should be in one of the “Transformers” movies. And Splinter lost its original look as well. The story also feels uninspiring, but there is only a few directions you can go into with four giant turtles. But the budget was obviously spend on the action sequences. The movie also has lots of humor. I caught myself laughing a couple of times, because it really felt like the old cartoons again.

Megan Fox is great eye candy, but she hasn’t improved her acting since the “Transformers”. Will Arnett doesn’t really get a lot to do. His comedic talent was a little lost.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is entertaining, but not very good. If you are familiar with the cartoon from the 90s, you’re not completely satisfied, because it could have been a lot better. But it could also be a lot worse. It’s not as bad as I expected it to be.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 86: Death at a Funeral

Director: Frank Oz

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 90 minutes

Year: 2007

Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Rupert Graves, Alan Tudyk, Daisy Donovan, Kris Marshall, Andy Nyman, Jane Asher, Peter Dinklage, Keeley Hawes, Peter Vaughan, Ewen Bremner, Thomas Wheatley, Peter Egen, Jeremy Booth, Angela Booth, Angela Curran, Kelly Eastwood, Gareth Milne, Brendan O’Hea

Description: Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.

Review: “Death at a Funeral” is a comedy about a funeral where nothing goes according to plan. When the casket is brought to the elderly house the oldest son Daniel opens it and says: “Who’s that”? Them bringing the wrong casket is only the beginning of all the mayhem. The film is about taking responsibility. Not for yourself, but also for the people around you. Not that the main characters do that. Dad did. That’s why everyone is sad about his passing. But dad also had some secrets.

The power of the film is the script and the good ensemble cast. One by one the characters are introduced. Invalid uncle Alfie, the successful writer brother, and the other brother that wants to become a successful writer, the mom that hates her daughter in law, the hypochondriac best friend, the stoner. And then there is that little man that no one knows. What is he doing at the funeral? All this makes it to a fun, dark and enjoyable comedy.

Best roles are for Ewen Bremner, who once had a one night stand with one of the relatives. And also Alan Tudyk, who accidentally used a drug. Together with the rest of the cast, it’s a great film for a broad audience.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (196)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Queen of the Desert

Description: A chronicle of Gertrude Bell's (Nicole Kidman) life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Director: Werner Herzog

Starring: Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson, Damian Lewis

Trailer: Trailer "Queen of the Desert"

Comment: This looks gorgeous

Staten Island Summer

Description:

Director: Rhys Thomas

Starring: Ashley Green, Bobby Moynihan, Kate Walsh, Jim Caffigan, Gina Gershon, Graham Philips, Colin Jost, Cecily Strong

Trailer: Trailer "Staten Island Summer"

Comment: Filled with SNL stars!

London Has Fallen

Description: In London for the Prime Minister's funeral, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) discovers a plot to assassinate all the attending world leaders.

Director: Babak Najafi

Starring: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Angela Bassett, Aaron Eckhart, Jackie Earle Haley

Trailer: Trailer "London Has Fallen"

Comment: Was the first one such a success?

Steve Jobs

Description: Follows the life and legacy of Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender).

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels

Trailer: Trailer "Steve Jobs"

Comment: Hopefully it's better than that other biopic!

Creed

Description: The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

Director: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan

Trailer: Trailer "Creed"

Comment: Yeah, a spin-off!