"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Sunday, June 30, 2019

July 2019 is #CleanMovieMonth85!

Hello, movie lovers!

Last year,  I participated in #CleanMovieMonth which was hosted by Pure Entertainment Preservation Society (PEPS), and ran all July. PEPS has decided to do it again this year, and are calling it:


Why? Because it has been 85 years since the Code was first in place. How cool is that?
It is very easy to join if you want to, all you have to do is watch only Code films during July! A "Code" film means that it was made between July 1934 and 1954.

Now, I'm going to break that a little because there is a movie coming out that my sister and I have been waiting for and can't wait to see in the theater, and there are a few movie reviews that I have planned for July and I need to watch those. But other than that, I'm going to try to make it so that all of the movies I watch in July are Code films!

I have a page that is 1001 Movies that You Have to See Before You Die. Right now I've watched about 71. My main goal for July is to watch as many Code films that are on there as I can!

PEPS is also hosting The Favorite Code Film Blogathon that will run from the 5th-7th and they would love it if you would talk about your favorite!

Check out more details on #CleanMovieMonth85 HERE.

&

Check out more details on The Favorite Code Film Blogathon HERE.


What about you? Are you going to join?

MovieCritic

Friday, June 28, 2019

Movie Review: Enchanted (2007)

Hello, people!

How are you all doing today? For today's movie review, I am reviewing a movie that I have seen a lot. Every once in a while my grandma will take me or one of my sisters just to stay a few days with her. We go shopping, watch movies, and just hang out. The very first time I ever went with her we rented this movie!

"You have got to be kidding me."

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


Enchanted (2007):
'"Where did you send her?"
"To a place where there are no happily ever afters."'
Giselle has always dreamed of finding her true love. When she meets Prince Edward, they know that they have both found it. But, Edward's stepmother, Narissa is not so happy about it. To prevent them getting married, she pushes Giselle down a well that brings her to a strange place: New York City. Lost, sad and alone, she meets Robert and his daughter Morgan and they decide to help her... for the night. Meanwhile, Giselle's chipmunk friend Pip and Prince Edward are looking for her, with the "help" of Nathaniel who pledges loyalty to Narissa. Will they find each other and make it home or will Narissa find another way to get rid of Giselle?
'"I hope you had nice dreams."
"I think I'm still in one."'
Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Family.
Length: approx. 105 minutes.
Costumes: 7, some of them are a little low, and there is a scene where someone isn't really wearing anything, but I love how Giselle "makes" her own clothes!
"Just because she has a funny dress on doesn't mean that she is a princess."
Costumes by: Mona May.
Script: 10, no bad words!
"You are not a very nice old man!"
Crew:
Directed by: Kevin Lima.
Written by: Bill Kelly.
Starring:
Amy Adams as Giselle.
Patrick Dempsy as Robert Philip.
James Marsden as Prince Edward.
Timothy Spall as Nathaniel.
Idina Menzel as Nancy Tremaine.
Rachel Covey as Morgan.
'"I'm only six."
"You won't always be."'
Susan Sarandon as Queen Narissa.
Jeff Bennett and Kevin Lima as Pip .
They also had a lot of cameos of people who are in other Disney movies:
Paige O'Hara as Angela .
Jodi Benson as Sam.
Judy Kuhn as Pregnant Woman with Kids (uncredited).
Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Mr. Banks.
Jon McLaughlin as himself.
Julie Andrews as the Narrator.
Cinematography/Animation: 9. The really cool thing about this movie is that any of it Andalasia is animated (classic style!!), and any of it in New York is live action! I love that they did this.
'"What sort of awful place is this?"
"It's reality."'
Cinematography by: Don Burgess.
Music: 9, the song "That's How You Know" is my favorite!
Music by: Alan Meken.
Quotes: 8, "Everybody has bad times, do we sacrifice our good times for them?"
Storyline: 8, there are some suggestive things, kissing (it is a romance), and it deals partly with divorce, but that's it!
Good For: Disney fans, anyone!
Age Range: As I always say, it's Disney so it is for all ages!
Overall Score: 8.5!
Bonus thoughts:
This is a very fun movie. It has colorful costumes, animation and cinematography. It makes fun of "love at first sight" while at the same time making a tribute to Disney's past films. My mom doesn't really like Amy Adams in movies, but even she really enjoyed watching this.


And that wraps up my review! Have you seen this movie? What do you think of it?

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Monday, June 24, 2019

Movie Review: The Man From Snowy River (1982)

G'day everyone!

Today I am reviewing a movie that I saw for the first time a few years ago, and it instantly became a favorite. This is actually a surprisingly rare thing for me because as you all know, I am very picky.

I normally say that I hate '80s movies, but this one is great. Enjoy!


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


The Man From Snowy River (1982):
Based on: The Man from Snowy River (poem) - by Banjo Paterson.
"It's just the beginning, not the end."
Jim Craig has to leave his home in the mountains to get work in order to show that he can "get by on his own" and that no one can take his home from him. He gets a job with a rancher, Harrison, who has a pretty but fierce daughter. Working together they begin to train a horse that Harrison bought. The other help don't like Jim, and he finds out a secret about the family, that some hate just might run too deep.
"There's a lot of pain and suffering when you try to dig up the past."
Genre: Western, Romance.
Length: approx. 105 minutes.
Costumes: 9. All good!
Script: 7, a few bad words and name calling.
'"How romantic."
"Romantic! Your brains've got soft!"'
Crew:
Directed by: George T. Miller.
Written by: John Dixon & Fred Cul Cullen.
Starring:
Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig.
Sigrid Thornton as Jessica Harrison.
Kirk Douglas as Mr. Harrison & Spur.
Chris Haywood as Curly.
Kristopher Steele as Moss.
Jack Thompson as Clancy.
Lorraine Bayly as Rosemary Hume.
Terence Donovan as Henry Craig.
David Bradshaw as Banjo Paterson.
Tony Bonner as Kane.
June Jago as Mrs. Bailey.
Gus Mercurio as Frew.
Howard Eynon as Shorry.
Cinematography: 10! It is beautiful! There is a weird quality that makes it seem older than it is, but it is still gorgeous!
Cinematography by: Keith Wagstaff.
Music: 10! Love it!
Music by: Bruce Rowland.
Quotes: 8, "One minute it's like paradise, and the next it's trying to kill you."
Storyline: 7, there is smoking, drinking, a suggestive comment, and a little bit of fighting.
Good For: Western lovers, everyone.
Age Range: I only saw it for the first time in 2017, but I feel like anyone any age would love it!
Overall Score: 8.5!!
"I'll be back later to check on your work."


Now why today (it was actually supposed to be yesterday) of all days would I be review this? Because this is my entry to Quiggy's (who blogs at Midnite Drive-In) "Blizzard of Oz" Blogathon, which is about all things Australia! (Isn't that an awesome name for a blogathon? Especially since this is The Man from Snowy River. Hehe.) This movie is set in Australia!
Look, the button even has a picture from it!
The cinematography and landscape are so spectacular, it makes me want to visit Australia!
I, like many others, love this movie. And you know what? I don't even know why. It's just one of those movies that makes you so incredibly happy. I recommend it 100%.


Thanks to Quiggy for hosting this event and accepting my (late) entry! Thank you so much for reading!  Have you seen this movie? What do you think?

MovieCritic

Friday, June 21, 2019

I Saw it in the Movies Tag

Hello, everyone!!

It has been awhile since I did a tag, and back in April I was tagged, so it's about time that I got around to it!

Rakayle (who blogs at A Story Detective) made this tag, and passed it on to me! I am excited about it because I have often thought about how I am influenced by movies.

Saw it in the Movies Tag:
The rules:
Pick at least 3 things that you have done from a movie.
It can be any movie, anything you did. Tell how the event worked out.
Link back to the creator and the person who tagged you.
Have fun (Thank you, I plan to).
Tag 4 people.
Use the header.

Rakayle said: "I know they say 'don't do what you saw in the movies...' but it doesn't have to be something dangerous."

Being the overachiever that I am, I've decided to list 6 things, and it took me a surprisingly long time to think of them all! When my sisters and I were younger we loved to act out movies (Especially The Wizard of Oz, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, and Scooby Doo [TV shows, too]). As you will notice, there are not enough parts for girls in all of those movies (at least the story would go nowhere), so guess who always had to play the boys. That's right, yours truly. We middle kids just roll with the punches. But anyway, I thought that acting out the entire movie probably wasn't what Rakayle meant, so here are 6 things besides that.

(Don't worry, there are no spoilers!)

What I've done:


Tried to be Sherlock Holmes - Sherlock Holmes (books, movies, TV series).
Anyone who has watched or read any version of Sherlock Holmes knows that he can figure out so much by just observing. I tend to have to wait for my family in areas where there are other people and so I have tried to figure out what people do, etc.. Let's just say that I'm an amateur.


Fast hands - The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
(I can't tell you how much trouble I went through to get this video. Enjoy!)
In the movie The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) there is a point when a priest is trying to train the main character, Edmond. He wants Edmond to learn how to be quick, so he makes him put his hand under a drip and pull it out without getting wet. Ever since I saw that, every single time that I see a drip I have to try it. I'm really slow and pretty much always get wet.


Blowing dandelions - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
In the song...(hold on, I'm blanking out on what it's called. Just give me a minute) (Oh, yeah) "Provincial Life" Belle takes a dandelion that has gone to seed and just pulls all the seeds off letting them spin into the air in one smooth motion. I'm pretty sure that everyone who has seen that movie has tried it at some point. Let me tell you, it doesn't work because all of the seeds clump together and are too heavy to blow away.


Holding bubbles - Cinderella (1950)
In the movie, Cinderella looks at her reflection in a bubble while holding it. Being a dishwasher, of course I have tried it. Just so you know, Disney animation gives you false expectations. It does not work. First off, no bubbles ever get that big, and second, you just see through them. Oh well, I guess it is just something that only Cinderella can do.


Sung in the rain - Singin' in the Rain (1952)
It is my favorite movie ever, so of course I have copied it! The most famous scene in the movie is famous for a reason, and while I'm no where as good as Gene Kelly, I still have so much fun. I also have made up my very own lyrics for winter:
"I'm singin' in the snow,
Just singin' in the snow,
I am free of all worries,
I've nowhere to go."
What do you think?


Archery - The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
It is no secret that I am obsessed with the story of Robin Hood. Ever since I first saw the 1938 version, I have also loved archery! As I tell everyone, I have terrible aim, but I love it. It has effected me so much, that I have favorite movies (Brave) and favorite characters (Legolas [Lord of the Rings], Hawkeye [MCU]) based on it.


I tag:

Hamlette
Fawnabelle
Olivia
Catherine

(You guys don't have to do it if you don't want to, I just thought that it would be fun to see your answers).


Thanks for tagging me, Rakayle! I had a great time.

Thanks to all of you for reading! Have you tried any of these things? Did you have more success than I did?

MovieCritic

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Movie Review: R.V. (2006)

Hello, people!

Happy Father's Day! We owe a lot to our fathers, they teach us so much, and love us no matter what.

Because of this, I am going to review a movie that is all about a father and his family! This is a good movie to watch together with your father today, or any day.


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


R.V. (2006):
(Also known as Runaway Vacation)
"I'm the father, I'm evil. I forgot."
When Bob Munro's job is at stake he has to cancel his family's trip to Hawaii, but knows that he won't have any time to spend with his kids for the rest of the summer. He has to be in Boulder, Colorado for a meeting, but thinks that the family will be mad at him if he cancels their trip just to do more work. He comes up with a solution: rent an R.V. and go to Colorado for their vacation, all the while keeping the motive secret. They encounter animals, mishaps, and an overly friendly family. His kids meanwhile hate that they aren't in Hawaii. Will the continue to hate this road trip, or will finally bond?
'"You're just determined to have a bad time, aren't you?"
"We all are, daddy."'
Genre: Comedy.
Length: approx. 99 minutes.
Costumes: 6, some of them are a little low or tight.
Script: 6, there is using the Lord's name in vain, a lot. And one or two other bad words.
"Anything else you want to hit?"
Crew:
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Written by: Geoff Rodkey
Starring:
Robin Williams as Bob Munro.
Cheryl Hines as Jamie Munro. "Honey, try to remember: we're not friendly."
Joanna Levesque as Cassie Munro.
Josh Hutcherson as Carl Munro.
Jeff Daniels as Travis Gornicke.
Kristin Chenoweth as Mary Jo Gornicke.
Hunter Parrish as Earl Gornicke.
Chloe Sonnenfeld as Moon Gornicke.
Alex Ferris as Billy Gornicke
Will Arnett as Todd Mallory.
Rob LaBelle as Larry Moiphine.
Brian Markinson as Garry Moiphine.
Barry Sonnenfeld as Irv.
Richard Ian Cox as Laird.
Cinematography: 7, nothing exciting.
Cinematography by: Fred Murphy.
Music: 8, I do like the songs they chose to play throughout!
Music by: James Newton Howard.
Quotes: 8, "What do they even like about us? We're not even that appealing!"
Storyline: 5, oh dear. Okay, so there are some really suggestive things, some really, really gross things, and crude humor. 
Good For: Families. As I said, today would be a good day to watch it!
Age Range: I was introduced to it by an 7 year old who loves it.  
Overall Score: 6.5.
Bonus thoughts:
This isn't a bad movie! It has its funny moments, and it has got a good message about family. Sometimes we can under appreciate all that people do for us, so it is a good reminder.
This movie has a lot of stereotypes, especially about the homeschooled family, the Gornickes, that the Munros meet. Being homeschooled myself, some of it is definitely not true to reality, but one of my favorite parts is when Cassie Munro is talking to them and suddenly says, "So, you guys are smart." Just because we are homeschooled doesn't mean that we are learning less!
As I said, there is some crude humor, and things that are supposed to be funny but aren't, but it is a fun family movie.
"Is he being funny? I can never tell."


Also, I have two new pages! I used to have one page that was Good Books & Movies, where it was random books and movies that I liked, but I now have two pages! My Favorites, which is my top 100 books and movies, and My Reviews, which is has a link to every review that I have ever done. So check those out!

Thanks for reading, and happy Father's day!

MovieCritic

Friday, June 14, 2019

Movie Review: Lilo and Stitch (2002)

Aloha!

Are you all feeling "summery" yet? I am, because today I will be reviewing a movie to get you into a "summery" mood! I mean, when you think of summer, at one point you think of Hawaii, right?

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


Lilo and Stitch (2002):
'"So it is a monster!"
"Only a small one!"'
Experiment 626, created by Dr. Jumba Jookiba, has gone rogue and crash landed on the planet Earth. At first the Grand Councilwoman wants to destroy the planet, but Agent Pleakley convinces her to let Dr. Jumba and himself go and bring it back. Meanwhile, an orphan named Lilo, who lives in Hawaii, is lonely, with only her big sister Nani as a friend. Nani sees that Lilo is upset, and to keep her out of trouble she decides that Lilo should have a dog. At the shelter there is a very strange looking "dog" who Lilo immediately decides will make the perfect pet. She names him Stitch. What she doesn't know is that this creature is Experiment 626! Will they be best friends, or will Dr. Jumba and Pleakley take Stitch away and break up Nani and Lilo's small family?
"Sometimes things have to change."
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family.
Length: approx. 85 minutes.
Costumes: 6, there are quite a few times where people are not wearing shirts, or have short clothing. There also isn't a wide range. But, it's animation, you know? How fancy are you expecting it to be?
Script: 10! No bad words!
"It's little and broken, but still good."
Crew:
Directed by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois.
Written by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois.
Starring (the voices of):
Daveigh Chase as Lilo.
Chris Sanders as Stitch.
Tia Carrere as Nani.
David Ogden Stiers as Dr. Jumba Jookiba.
Kevin McDonald as Agt. Wendell Pleakley.
Jason Scott Lee as David Kawena.
Ving Rhames as Cobra Bubbles (Can we talk about how awesome these names are??)
Kevin Michael Richardson as Captain Gantu.
Zoe Caldwell as the Grand Councilwoman.
Miranda Paige Walls as Mertle Edmonds.
Animation: 9! You know me, I love classic animation. I love how they used watercolors for the background.
Music: 9, I love all of the Hawaiian themed music, and then of course all of the Elvis songs.
Music by: Alan Silvestri.
Quotes: 10: "Ohana means family: family means that nobody gets left behind."
Notes: There are Easter eggs! I have only spotted one, but I know where another is, I just am always so interested in the story that I forget to look.
Storyline: 8, there are some gross things and one or two suggestive things, but perfectly lean besides that.
Good For: All families, everyone.
Age Range: This is Disney, so it is made for all ages! Little kids will love Stitch and no matter how old you are we can appreciate what the deeper meanings. This is the perfect family movie.
Overall Score: 8.5!
Bonus thoughts:
I absolutely love how Chris Sanders had the idea of "Hey, what if an alien comes to Hawaii and becomes a little girl's dog?" This was always one of my favorites when I was younger. As I keep saying, the message of looking for a family is so beautiful! And I'm sure that we can all relate to feeling like an ugly duckling at some time in our lives.

"In case you were wondering, this did not go well."

What? I thought I did a good job!

Well, what do you think? Have you seen this movie? Thanks for reading!

Aloha!

MovieCritic

Monday, June 10, 2019

Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Hello!

Remember way back in October of 2017 when I reviewed the original Pirates of the Caribbean? Well, I'm finally getting around to the sequels. Sorry about the long wait.

Why am I getting to it now? Yesterday was Johnny Depp's birthday, so I have an excuse!

Enjoy!


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006):
Based on: the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. (I still can't get over how they based this on a ride. Wow.)
'"My compass is unique."
"Unique here meaning broken."'
William Turner and Elizabeth Swann have been thrown in jail for assisting in the escape of a pirate. Lord Becket will only realize them from their fate if Will goes to find Jack Sparrow and brings back his compass. When Will finds him, Jack agrees to give him the compass, if he will help him find a key. The key unlocks a chest where the contents could control the whole sea. Jack tricks Will onto getting aboard the Flying Dutchman, the ship of Davy Jones and his undead pirate crew. Will finds that there may be more at stake then his and Elizabeth's lives. Meanwhile, Elizabeth escaped jail, along with carrying papers of mark. She goes across the sea to once again find William Turner.
'"It's a key!"
"No, much, much better: it's a drawing of a key."'
Genre: Swashbuckler, Adventure.
Length: approx. 150 minutes (yeah, it's long).
Costumes: 6, there are some low things, and several times when people are not wearing shirts.
Script: 8, one or two bad words.
'"You actually were telling the truth!"
"I do that a lot actually, you people are always surprised."'
Crew:
Directed by: Gore Verbinski.
Written by: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Orlando Bloom as Will Turner. "You have a touch of destiny about you."
Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann.
Bill Nighy as Davy Jones.
Stellan Skarsgård as "Bootstrap Bill" Turner.
Jack Davenport as James Norrington.
Kevin McNally as Gibbs.
Tom Hollander as Lord Beckett.
Jonathan Pryce as Governor Swann.
Lee Arenberg as Pintel.
Mackenzie Crook as Ragetti.
Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma.
Cinematography: 9, so there are parts that are a little dark, and others that you can obviously see the CGI, but the choreography is AMAZING. There is a fight scene in here that is so awesome, it is my favorite in any movie. (It isn't that violent, it is mostly a sword fight.)
Cinematography by: Dariusz Wolski
Music: 10! I love this score.
Music by: Hans Zimmer.
Quotes: 8. My sister and I quote this almost all the time:
"I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it!"
Oscars won: Best Visual Effects.
Storyline: 5, Oh dear. Okay, so there is: death, gross things, scary things, drinking, smoking, kissing, torture, suggestive things, cannibalism, and loss of limbs. I am exhausted after typing all of that.
Good For: people who enjoy swashbucklers, people who like adventure.
Age Range: This is rated PG-13, so I would go with that (though I watched it when I was younger).
Overall Score: 7.5.
Bonus thoughts:
Usually I don't really like sequels, especially sequels that are building up to more sequels, but I really like this one. None of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are as good as Curse of the Black Pearl, but this one is really good. As I said, there are problems with it, but I LOVE the sword fights and music. Oh yeah.


Right now, my header has a picture from this movie:
The bottom center one. The top center one is from the first movie.


Have you seen this? What do you think? Thank you so much for reading!

MovieCritic
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles