“Dumbo” Remake Review
“Overboard” Review
Jason: Amnesia in our little town.
[she sees the story on Leonardo losing his memory after going overboard]
Kate: That’s him.
Theresa: I have an idea that is poetic in its justice.
He’s egotistical. She’s just a hard working single mother who wants to support her family and keep them in their house. When Kate, a carpet cleaner, goes to the yacht of Leonardo after his wild night to clean up, she encounters a self-absorbed man. At first look, Leonardo is only concerned for himself; it is clear that he only lives to have others wait on him, hand and foot. That is, until he falls overboard and forgets who is he is. Now, it is Kate’s plan to show Leonardo just how it feels to be treated like dirt when she poses as his wife and brings him home as a poor construction worker.
Leonardo is played by comedian Eugenio Derbez. He captures the role of Leonard perfectly, bringing the same Spanish flair as he did in his previous film, How To Be A Latin Lover. One can definitely see why Derbez was cast, but at the same time, his character is the one who goes through the most drastic change in somewhat of a short timespan. From the time when he falls off the boat, to the moments spent with Kate and her girls, he is quickly awoken to a new possibility of life where love is more important that that of his self-absorbed, money-focused life.
And Anna Faris exceptionally captures her role as Kate, who convinces her daughters and friends to play along with the idea of a fake husband, knowing that she can’t keep it up forever. The question, though, remains — is it too late to go back once she’s started? Overall, Faris portrays the same fun-like characteristics as in her TV series, Mom, as she makes motherhood fun by adding in a fake husband. The director did well in casting Anna Faris to replace the original Goldie Hawn. Her appearance and mannerisms match that of her predecessor despite the fact that Hawn was the one with amnesia versus Faris, who is the one doing the convincing.
The chemistry between Derbez and Faris is somewhat shaky in the beginning. One can definitely see a connection at first meeting, and though Leonardo tries to play it off as unacceptable, it is clear that once the plot takes place, the romance is bound to grow. In a way, the shakiness of the relationship enhances the portrayal and makes it realistic, though it’s a bit of a stretch for someone to be bad enough to push another person physically “overboard.” That aside, the sparring match between Faris and Derbez progresses seamlessly through joke after joke bouncing off one another, distilling the relationship that eventually gets stronger as the film goes on.
Based on the 1987 remake, the film follows the same story line with a slightly different twist. The 2018 version adds the new flair of Spanish language, with one-third of the film spoken in Spanish. It is still just as funny, but I feel a lot of the dialogue gets lost in translation. Those who are not Spanish speaking are slower to get the jokes than someone who understands. I can definitely see why the director opted to include language as a complement, since it does allow the viewers to see just how privy he is to the story line and cultural background of his secondary protagonist. The other difference is the gender swap from the original. It’s a nice touch to draw the fans in to make them see how the opposite sex handles the challenges in different ways.
Overall, the film does contain lots of humorous and heartfelt moments. It’s a film that nearly everyone that sees it will find something to connect with. The only thing that disconnected me were the subtitles, causing me to miss some crucial jokes. That being said, it is recommended for anyone who needs a good night out for great laughs. Maybe not recommended for young audiences, due to a little brief nudity, but it’s up to parental discretion.
“Death Wish” REVIEW
The Action Crime Drama, Death Wish is back on the screen this time starring Bruce Willis as Dr. Paul Kersey. In the eve of his wife’s murder and daughter who is in a coma, Paul decides to take matters into his own hands when the police seems to be overrun by the rising crime rate in Chicago. Soon the media starts to take notice as this hooded man gets revenge of all the thugs in town, deeming him either a guardian angel or grim reaper.
At an hour and 48 minutes, Death Wish is action packed, similar to the original starring Charles Bronson, only this time there is a slight difference in the career of Paul. In the remake, he is a doctor as opposed to an architect. That aside, the film does a good job of sticking to the original storyline of the 1974 version and Bruce Willis is definitely the right choice for replacing Charles Bronson as the lead. Willis even pay homage to the original at the end by cocking his fingers back in a pistol, (something that all the other Death Wish films had in common).
Overall, it’s a movie that is entertaining for the sake of entertainment. It reminds us all, that we should do anything in our power to protect the ones we love, though maybe not go on a shooting rampage, but for the sake of Hollywood, Death Wish brought back old school “ass-kicking” to the big screen, thanks to its director, Eli Roth.
Death Wish came out in theaters, March 2 and is currently playing in a theater near you.
“Flatliners” Reboot
Based on the 90’s film, Flatliners features five medical students who are determined to prove the after life despite the consequences, however there’s a catch because each one has secrets that no one knows about and these secrets begin to haunt them after each one flat line. Now it’s a question of how to stop these illusions before the illusion threatens their safety and career.
Flatliners stars newcomers, Ellen Page as Courtney, the student with the idea of studying the afterlife as well as Diego Luna as Ray, Nina Dobrev as Marlo, James Norton as Jamie and Kiersey Clemons as Sophia. At just 1 hour 50 minutes, Flatliners will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as Courtney and her team of medical students seek to get rid of the illusions and fight the fear within. With a special cameo from one of the original cast of the 90’s film, Keifer Sutherland. It’s an adventure that audience will be drawn instantly to for the suspense.
Flatliners came out in theaters September 29 and brought in 6.7 million in revenue for its first week at the box office. See it in a theater near you.
Western Remake Review
Warner Brothers has their eyes set on the prize with the Magnificient 7 reboot starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke as a band of outlaws set to save a town from thieving gold miners who wish to dig up the land for profit.
The high action adventure kicks off with a bang as the robbers come in and demand the land, killing several people when they don’t get their way. They give them three weeks to change their mind. Meanwhile widow, Emma Cullen, played by Haley Bennett, is determined not to let her husband die in vain. She enlists the help of Chisolm (Washington) who agrees but not without a little back up. It is what is called the most unlikely team of seven, that will serve as the little towns last hope of redemption.
Magnificent 7 is a film that has all the ingredients of a good old fashion western including a bar room brawl, standout and gun fighting. It’ll keep one on the edge of their seats from the first minute through including a few surprise twists that one might not see coming.
The film opened officially in theaters Sept. 23 and is a close front runner for the number one spot at the box office this week. See it in a theater near you. It won’t disappoint.
The original Magnificent 7 came out over 50 years ago and starred Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, and Steve McQueen.
Pete’s Dragon takes 3
The Classic tale about a little boy and his dragon is returning to theaters after nearly 40 years since the original and has earned enough to take number three at the box office with 21.5 million in revenue.
Pete’s Dragon stars newcomer Oakes Fegley in his first big role as Pete, the little boy who befriends a dragon named Elliot after his mother and father are killed in a car crash. He manages to survive with his dragon friend for six years until a little girl (Oona Laurence) discovers him by himself in the forest and takes him back to her mother (Bryce Dallas Howard), a forest ranger whose goal is to protect the forest as well as her father, (Robert Redford), the local storyteller, who is the only person besides Pete to have actually seen the dragon.
Now it is up to Pete to find some way to get back to Elliot before something happens to his beloved friend.
As good as the original with a few plot twists, Pete’s Dragon is a great movie for the whole family to experience. It’s heartwarming and will send chills down your spine as you are not sure what to expect next in the adventure of the little boy and his pet dragon.
Pete’s Dragon came out August 12, and is currently playing in a theater near you.
“Jungle Book” Remade
Disney has done it again, this time bringing Rudyard Kipling’s beloved tale to the big screen in an all new live action Jungle Book. The movie picks up with Mowgli, played by newcomer, Neel Sethi, being raised by a pack of Wolves. Everything is peaceful, until Shere Khan, voiced by Idris Elba, discovers the man cub and because of a deep run in that he had with an explorer and the “red flower”, Khan is determined to end young Mowgli’s life before he can end his.
Now it is up to Bagheera, the panther, voiced by Ben Kingsley, who has been watching out for Mowgli all his life as well as Baloo, a lazy, carefree bear, voiced by Bill Murray, who lives by the “Bear Necessities”, to join together and bring Mowgli back to the “man village”, but will they succeed and will Mowgli want to go back, after living with the wolves for so long.
At 105 minutes, its a movie that will keep you engaged with the scenery of the forest as well as beloved characters that show up along the way, including King Louie the Orangutan, voiced by Christopher Walken and Kaa the python, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Overall, the director, Jon Favreau, did a good job of sticking to the original animated movie. With familiar songs like “Bear Necessities” and “Trust In Me” generations will be taken back to their childhood, while new generations equally will experience the magic of the Jungle Book.
Jungle book opened in theaters April 15, 2016 and earned over 32-million in revenues its opening day. It is currently playing in one near you. See it and relive your childhood again.
A Classic Made New: TV Movie Review
On December 4, 2014, over fifty years after the original Peter Pan aired on NBC, actress Allison Williams brings the beloved character to life. Peter Pan Live was a 3 hour television movie that premiered on NBC-4 at 8 o’clock. Actor Christopher Walken played the villainous Captain Hook and despite a few problems with the lines, he gave it his all and delighted the television audience.
There were mix reviews that flooded the social media outlet all night as fans praised Williams performance as she paid homage to the original starring Marry Martin. In an television interview, she said, it was a dream come true to play such an important role. With music, including a tap dancing routine by Walken, it did the broadway play justice to the very end. It’s a musical that is highly recommended for those who love the classic story of Peter Pan, though there are a few changes and added numbers. For those with an open mind, it won’t fail.
Peter Pan LIVE will be available for purchase on December 16, 2014.