Movie Review: Leap Year (2010)

Happy Leap Day, everyone!!

The opportunity for bloggers to post on February 29th only comes every for years so you don't want to pass it up! Even though I've been blogging since the last Leap Year, 2016, I started in July so I missed this! Therefore, this is rather exciting for me.

I'll be reviewing a movie that I watched specifically for this purpose. Let me know what you think in my thoughts!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This review is spoiler free!


Leap Year (2010):

After a woman's boyfriend doesn't propose to her, so decides to follow her him to Ireland to carry out a tradition where every February 29th, where it is switched: a woman can ask a man to marry her. With bad weather she gets stuck far away where she wants to be and pays a local man to drive her to Dublin. A long, long, trip ensues, and while her companion at first seemed intolerable, she begins to find herself relying on him. But, could he have a past that she doesn't know about?
'"You know what I'm talking about."

"I never know what you're talking about!"'

Genre: Romance, Comedy.
Length: approx. 100 minutes.
Costumes: 6, nothing great, and we see people in their underclothing.
Script: 6, a few bad words here and there as well as some name calling.
"Throw them in the wash, it'll be grand."
Crew:
Directed by: Anand Tucker.
Written by: Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont.
Starring:
Amy Adams as Anna Brady.
Matthew Goode as Declan O’Callaghan. "You're a con artist."
Adam Scott as Jeremy Sloane.
John Lithgow as Jack Brady.
Noel O'Donovan as Seamus.
Tony Rohr as Frank.
Pat Laffan as Donal.
Alan Devlin as Joe.
Ian McElhinney as Priest.
Maggie McCarthy as Eileen.
Peter O'Meara as Ron.
Kaitlin Olson as Libby.
Cinematography: 9! This was the one thing that I really liked about this movie, the lovely shots of Ireland!
Cinematography by: Newton Thomas Sigel.
Music: 8, bonus points because I heard a few songs that I know ("Irish Rover" and "Tell Me Ma"), but other than that not memorable.
Music by: Randy Edelman.
Notes: Okay, so the geography is absolutely incorrect. She is stuck in Wales and wants to go to Dublin so she takes a ferry and ends up in... Dingle? As someone who has been to Ireland, I know where Dingle is, and Wales is way, way, way closer to Dublin than Dingle.
Quotes: 6, really not very quotable, but I did find the continual suitcase joke funny.
"Can I help you into the car, Louie?"
Content: 8, it is a romance so there is kissing, and a few suggestive things, in addition to gross things, fighting, and blood.
Originality: 4, I'm sorry that this rating is so low, but the whole plot was so predicable and I feel like I've seen it a million times. So cliche. The setting of Ireland was fun, but that was the only thing to distinguish it.
"You can dish it, but you can't take it, can you?"
Good For: People who want to see images of Ireland.
Age Range: Besides the few things that I mentioned this movie is clean and fine for all ages to watch it! It depends on who would be interested in the story.
Overall Score: 6.5!
Bonus thoughts:
Let me get this out first: This movie is very clean and I really appreciate that. I just didn't like it because of the fact that it was so predictable. If you feel like watching a rom-com this could be in your options, but I don't need to see it again. I wasn't really paying attention while I was watching because I was cleaning and playing with dogs, but I got the idea.


Have any of you seen this movie? Did you like it better than I did? Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Hello everyone!

*cue adventure music*

Today I will be reviewing a very famous and popular adventure movie starring someone who got his start in my favorite movie, Star Wars (1977). Crack your whip, and let's swing into the action!

Appologies that these pictures are all really in bad condition and small, my computer was not liking me today!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This review is spoiler free!


Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981):

In 1936, an intercepted message shows that the Nazis are looking for the Ark of the Covenant to become the most powerful army. Archaeologist and professor Indiana Jones decides that he needs to find it before they do, so he seeks out an old friend who might have a key to the whereabouts of the Ark. Going to Nepal he learns that his friend is dead, but his daughter might still have what he is looking for. Joining with her they travel to Egypt and other places looking for the holy object. Which will find it first? Or was it never meant to be found at all?

'"We must hurry, nothing to fear here."

"That's what scares me."'

Genre: Adventure, Action.
Length: approx. 115 minutes.
Costumes: 6, nothing really great and there are a few times when someone isn't wearing a shirt.
Script: 7, there is some name calling, a few bad words, and a name being taken in vain.

'"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!"

"Well, whatever you're doing, do it faster!"'

Crew:
Directed by: Steven Spielberg.
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, & Philip Kaufman.
Starring:
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. "I hate snakes!"

Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood.

Paul Freeman as Dr. Belloq.

John Rhys-Davies as Sallah.

Ronald Lacey as Major Arnold Toht.

Denholm Elliott as Dr. Marcus Brody.
Alfred Molina as Satipo.
Wolf Kahler as Colonel Dietrich.
Anthony Higgins as Major Gobler.
Vic Tablian as Barranca & Monkey Man.
Don Fellows as Col. Musgrove.
William Hootkins as Major Eaton.
Cinematography: 8. Not the best that I've seen, but there is always a lot going on and it is handled pretty well.
Cinematography by: Douglas Slocombe.

Music: 10! Okay, story time. It was with this movie and Pirates of the Caribbean that I first realized hat there was music playing during movies. One time my dad got a birthday card that when you opened it the score from this movie played. My sisters and I loved that card and would open it a hundred times a day until it finally drove my mom crazy and she had to put it where we couldn't get to it!
Music by: John Williams.
Notes: There are some Easter eggs in this movie. I've seen them, but this last time through I blinked at the wrong time and missed them. I'll give you a clue, this was written by George Lucas and look in the hieroglyphics.
Another thing that my dad pointed out is that in one part they are measuring things and they had the wrong size. My dad noticed this because they said what height it needed to be and when they stood it up it was taller than Harrison Ford, when it should have been about his height.
Quotes: 7, standard lines, so not too quotable, but okay.

"Holy smokes, my friends! I'm so glad that you're not dead."

Oscars won: 4: Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects.
Content: 5, there are spiders, snakes, skeletons and bodies, people being burned, blood, killing, smoking, drinking, suggestive things, & kissing. Someone dies by being impaled and there is a lot of blood (I wrote it in my notes as someone being 'spiked') as well as someone walking into an airplane propeller. Okay, there is one part that I have never watched, because Indy yells, "Close your eyes!" so I always do. I'd say it's about a three minute section and from the sounds of it and what my sister tells me (because she didn't close her eyes) it is really violent and involves a lot of death. She also thinks that it is important to the story which makes sense to me because I am always very confused after that.

Originality: 7. This movie is a cultural thing because there are quite a few famous scenes that are referenced to a lot. I just recently learned that some of them were actually based on some Uncle Scrooge comics, which is why I'm taking off a few points. It is also Biblically incorrect because in 2 Maccabees 2:4-8 it says that Jeremiah hid the ark of the covenant in a cave where no one could find it until God gathers his people together. I can let that detail slip, because the message of the movie is that the Ark of the Covenant:

"Is something that man was not meant to disturb."

Good For: adventure and action fans, Harrison Ford fans.
Age Range: This movie is rated PG, but never believe the ratings of 80's movies. There is a ton of violence, and I'm usually absolutely okay with that because it doesn't bother me, but there are some things in here that made me look away! One example is when someone who is driving gets shot in the arm and blood sprays onto the windshield. Because of this, and all of the other things I mentioned it the Content category, I would rate this PG-13. But, as always, it does depend on the person who is watching it.

Overall Score: 7!

'"How?"

"I don't know! I'm making this up as I go!"'

Bonus thoughts:
Sallah is my absolute favorite! I just have to mention him to give some credit.


This is my entry in The Harrison Ford Blogathon, hosted by Sat in Your Lap! When I saw this I knew this was the perfect time to talk about how he played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)!

For the blogathon:
A really funny thing is that no matter what I tell my younger sister, she never believes me that Han Solo and Indiana Jones are both played by the same person! She has only seen bits and pieces of this one and her comments crack me up!

[My sister walks into the room]
Sister: Who's that?
Me: Indiana Jones.
Sister: No it's not! Indiana Jones has a beard and doesn't wear glasses!
Me: Yes it is, he's a professor. And when has he ever had a full beard?

[Next scene]:
Sister: Who's that now?
Me: Still Indiana Jones.
Sister: No, he looks different.
Me: Trust me, it's him.
Sister: But he's wearing weird clothing!

[Next scene]:
Sister: *gasps* There's Han Solo!
Me: I told you!
Sister: When did he get here?
Me: It's been him the entire time!
Sister: Nope, he just got here.

[Next scene where Indiana is wearing his usual outfit]:
Sister: There Indiana Jones is finally!
Me: *sighs*

It shows a good actor if he can fool my sister that many times. I think that Harrison Ford does a good job of playing Indiana, and I can't ever see anyone else playing him.


Check out this post HERE to see all of the other entries in the blogathon! Thanks to Michael for hosting!

Thanks to all of you for reading! Do you have a favorite scene in this movie?

MovieCritic

Fairy Tale Tag and Fairy Tale OTP Challenge

Hello, everyone!

I hope that you are all having a magical day so far! This whole month Fairy Tale Central (FTC) is celebrating fairy tales and invites everyone to join in the fun with a tag that they created. Also, Wednesday the 26th is National Tell a Fairy tale Day!

Also, one of the "Fairy Godmothers" behind FTC, Arielle, posted on her blog another tag featuring fairy tale OTPs, so I decided to combine my posts. Time for some fantastical fun!

Fairy Tale Tag:

The Questions:

– What’s an obscure fairy tale that you love?

Cap o' rushes! I don't know why this is, but I love this story so much! Is it basically Cinderella? Uh, maybe, but still I just love it so much. A gorgeous retelling of it is Moss Gown and for years I didn't even realize that it was the same thing.

I also love the original Snow Queen!

– If you got to choose Disney’s next animated princess movie, what fairy tale would you choose to be adapted?

I've read a lot of posts already that had really good answers so I'm trying to think of something different.

Oh, I know! I love The Three Aunties (aka The Three Spinning Fairies). It has a bit of a Rumpelstiltskin vibe with a dash or Cinderella and it is so good. I don't know how they would do it, but I would love to see a movie version with added elements and the characters really fleshed out. BUT, it has to be in the original animation style because that is my favorite.

Maybe if I wish hard enough...

– What is the first fairy tale you remember hearing when you were a child?

It's either Red Riding Hood or Sleeping Beauty. My mom would tell both of them to my sisters, but my favorite was Red Riding Hood because she used a doll that was Red Riding Hood on one side, and the wolf and grandmother on the other. But I've been watching the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty (1959) for as long as I can remember.

– If you were to embark on a fairy tale quest, what necessities would you pack in your bag?

Lots and lots and lots of food along with a couple gallons of water because you never know if other food will be cursed or poisoned. Plus, I need extra for the inevitable wise person who will ask me for some. ('Cause you know that if you refuse you'll be cursed).

In additon to that I need: A needle that can sew anything, a gun that never misses its mark, a magic belt that has the power to make the wearer invisible, and a telescope from which nothing is hidden.

(This is a list of things from The Four Gallant Sisters. I LOVE THIS FAIRY TALE SO MUCH. Seriously, it is my favorite. If you haven't read it, you need to! Credit to PioneerGirl who reminded me of this.)

– What’s your favorite fairy tale trope?

"Beauty and the Beast"! Any time there is a talking animal that later turns out to be someone who was cursed that way and the spell can only be broken in a certain way makes me so happy. Pure fairy tale goodness there!

– If you could be any fairy tale character archetype (the princess, the soldier, fairy godmother, talking animal, mischievous imp, wise old woman, evil stepmother/sister, etc.), who would you want to be and why?

Some people would say that I am an evil stepsister or mischievous imp. *coughcough*

Though if I had the choice I would like to be the talking animal because I would be very cute and helpful. But it would be bad if I got back into this world and couldn't talk.

– What animal/mythical creature would be your sidekick for fairy tale adventures?

I would most definitely prefer to be the sidekick instead of having a sidekick, but I guess that I have to answer the question. Couldn't we both be sidekicks to someone else? Anyway, I would love to go on every adventure with a griffin because I love lions. I think it was The Castle Glower series that created my love for griffins.

And of course, you can't go wrong with a dragon. If I could have Falkor the luck-dragon (from The Neverending Story) be my sidekick I would be the happiest adventurer ever!

– What is your favorite historical era, and what fairy tale would you love to see in that setting?

Oh, great question! I have several obsessions around time periods (examples: things set in the times of Jane Austen, Robin Hood, or the Titanic) so combining any fairy tale with them would be awesome! I just got the idea that Cinderella would be so gorgeously tragic set on the Titanic. Yes, I have a strange mind.

Charles Dickens wrote a very fairy tale 'esque' story that I love called The Magic Fishbone, so anything in that time period would be cool.

And, Rachel Kovaciny is writing some awesome fairy tales as Westerns! I reviewed Cloaked HERE.

– If you could change a fairy tale’s villain into a hero, who would you choose and why?

You don't ever want to root for the villains, do you? Maybe Rumpelstiltskin? I know that Vivian Vande Velde did it a little in her collection of The Rumpelstiltskin Problem.

– Do you prefer fairy tales with happy endings or sad/tragic endings? Why or why not?

I like happy endings as opposed to some of the gruesome British endings (like in a version I read where two of The Three Little Pigs were eaten, then the third pig ate the wolf!), but I do like some with sadder endings that teach a lesson like The Fisherman and His Wife. Oh, and I absolutely love The Little Mermaid, the original one, which has a very bittersweet ending.

Fairy Tale OTP Challenge: From Arielle's blog:

I didn't know this for a long time, so to anyone who is as confused as I was OTP means One True Pairing. And "shipping" means that you really like those two as a couple.

I'm counting any fairy tale movies and retellings as well to fill these 14 different couples.

1. The first fairy tale OTP you shipped

As I answered in the other tag, one of my earliest memories of a fairy tale is from Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959), so I think that the first was Aroura and Philip. Yep, they are perfect.

2. The cliché fairy tale OTP that everyone ships but you still love

Cress and Thorne, from The Lunar Chronicles - by Marissa Meyer. Everyone who ever reads these books ships these two, and you can see why! I loved their unique story in Cress! And while there were a few things that weirded me out in Winter, they are still pretty great.

3. Your favorite hate-to-love fairy tale OTP

Every Beauty and the Beast couple is hate-to-love, right? And as I mentioned before, I love it so much! So, I choose all of them ever.

4. The fairy tale OTP with the craziest relationship

Tiana and Naveen, from The Princess and the Frog (2009). This movie is absolutely wonderful and charming! Tiana and Naveen go on a crazy roller coaster of adventure in this film! The things they get into...

5. The best-dressed fairy tale OTP

Snow and Prince Alcott, from Mirror Mirror (2012). Though there is some confusion always with the clothes that are over the top, these two are always stylish. In addition to being absolutely wonderful and one of my favorites ever.

6. Star-crossed love: the forbidden love fairy tale OTP

Jasmine and Aladdin, from Aladdin (both the 1992 and 2019 versions). 

They're from Arabian Nights so it doesn't count.

A princess and a street rat! I love these two! Is it "love at first sight" (something that I normally hate)? Yes. Is that pretty much every fairy tale? Yes. Do I still love them? YES! Now I just want to start belting out "A Whole New World".

7. The funniest fairy tale OTP

Ella and Char, from Ella Enchanted - by Gail Carson Levine. This whole book makes me laugh a ton and they are a big part of the reason why.

8. The fairy tale OTP with the most growth in their relationship

Rapunzel and Eugene, from Tangled (2010). Until it was pointed out to me lately, I didn't realize that this whole story takes place in two days! That is hardly any time, but the way that these two grow is so beautiful! I tend to be a little biased against this movie, but you can't not love these two!

9. The sweetest, most adorable fairy tale OTP

Gerda and Kai, from The Snow Queen.
Can we talk about how Gerda never stopped looking for Kai? These two are so precious and need to be protected at all costs! Yes, they are just kids, best friends, when the story starts, but by the end they are all grown up.

10. The OTP who snuck up on you, the one you didn't expect to love

It's funny for this one that I can't think of anyone.
I was trying to not use another Lunar Chronicles one, but I'm going with Winter and Jacin. When we met Jacin earlier in the series I didn't like him and I am not a fan of the 'best friends to lovers' trope (the previous answer is an exception), but these two are super sweet. The way they care for each other so much is heart warming. There is one scene that is a little weird for me, but other than that it's all good.

Also, the last time I watched Ever After (1998), I really liked Danielle and Henry when other times I haven't which surprised me!

11. The moodiest fairy tale OTP

Scarlet and Wolf, from The Lunar Chronicles - by Marissa Meyer. Can these guys chill? Wolf is extremely moody and Scarlet will shoot you if you get on the wrong side of her.

12. The class-crossed fairy tale OTP

Rose and Galen, from Princess of the Midnight Ball - by Jessica Day George.
A princess and a gardener. Not to mention a gardener who knits and is so incredibly sweet!

13. The obscure fairy tale OTP who isn't shipped by many people (or anyone)

Snow and Chayse from Falling Snow - by Skye Hoffert, part of the Five Poisoned Apples collection. If you look through my journal from the time I first read this you will find out how much I love these two. It is a very subtle romance, but as soon as I met the characters I knew that they had to be together! I'm pretty sure that everyone who reads this stunning story ships these two, but I have it in this category because more people need to read it!

14. Your very favorite fairy tale OTP you'll love for the rest of your days

Ella and Kit from Cinderella (2015)! I love these two so, so, so, so much!!!

WELL. There you have it, two tags! What do you think of all of my answers? A big thank you to FTC for hosting this! Happy National Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Royal Wedding (1951)

Good evening to everyone!

As you have seen I haven't been blogging as recently as I usually do, and that is because I have been really busy. And I will continue to be busy for a couple of months, so while I will be popping in to review things from time to time, my usual schedule won't be back in place until May. Anyway, as tradition on this blog, I do a post on the 19th of every month and for tonight I will be reviewing the first Fred Astaire movie that I saw!

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


Royal Wedding (1951):

A brother and sister dancing duo are going to preform in London around the time of the royal wedding. The sister, Ellen, has people admiring and falling in love with her all the time and meets a Lord who has the same problem. The brother, Tom, always makes fun of marriage, but in London he finds a dancer, Anne, whom he finds himself falling for. Ellen and Tom are determined to stay the team that they have always been, but will their hearts lead them elsewhere?

'"If you think nice things then doors open for you."

"Is that your message for the day."'

Genre: Comedy, Romance, (Musical? I actually really don't know what to call this. There is singing and dancing, but I wouldn't really consider it a musical? I don't know, I'll explain my strange brain and sorting system one day. Every movie back then had music, but it was almost always explained it by saying that they are performers.)
Length: approx. 93 minutes.
Costumes: 8, nothing in appropriate. The styles are fun to see.
My favorite:
Script: 10, no bad words!
"Let's walk a minute, get some nice clean fog."
Crew:
Directed by: Stanley Donen.
Written by: Alan Jay Lerner.
Starring:
Fred Astaire as Tom Bowen.

Jane Powell as Ellen Bowen.

Peter Lawford as Lord John Brindale.

Sarah Churchill as Anne Ashmond.

Keenan Wynn as Irving Klinger & Edgar Klinger. (He does such a good job at playing two roles!)
"This is a pretty box of pickles!"

Sadly, this was the best picture that I could find of him!

Albert Sharpe as James Ashmond.
Cinematography: 10. Okay, can we just talk about something for a minute? The fact that they had no CGI back then, but that they were able to make Fred Astaire do some insanely awesome things while he is dancing? Wowza! Really incredible. And they have good choreography in all of the dances.

Cinematography by: Robert Planck.
Music: 8, there are a ton of fun dance scenes with good music. A few of them are not my favorites (like "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life" [yes, that is the name of the song]), but I love the music for "Sunday Jumps" and whenever I hear "I Left My Hat in Haiti" I have to sing along.

This is from the one with the really long name. 

Music by: Burton Lane & Albert Sendrey.
Quotes: 8, "She's quiet, but also deep. At least I hope she's deep or else she's wasting her time being quiet."
Content: 8, there is some drinking, smoking, a suggestive thing, and a separated married couple.
[highlight for spoilers but they are shown as a possibility as getting together.]
Originality: 9, this is a cute little movie, and while I've seen lots of movies with dancing duos, this is the only one that I can think of who is a sibling team!
Good For: Fred Astaire fans, dancers, families.
Age Range: It is a fun movie for any age, with lots of dancing scenes to keep younger ones interested. I liked when I was little and my grandmother did, too.

Overall Score: 8.5!
"I always smile when I'm heartbroken."
Bonus thoughts:
As I said, this is the first movie that I remember watching with Fred Astaire. I know that I had seen tons of clips of his other movies, but this was the first one that I sat down and watched all the way through. So while a lot of people think of him and Ginger Rogers as a team, I always think Jane Powell. Once my sisters, grandma, and I watched it about once a week for two months and we were all so tired of it, but watching it again the other day I really enjoyed it. This was also my introduction to Peter Lawford who I absolutely love watching and can never find enough movies with him in it. So yeah, this is quite enjoyable way to spend some time! Actually, the dances are quite iconic!


What about all of you? What was the first Fred Astaire movie that you watched? Anyone else as big a fan of Peter Lawford as I am? Thanks for reading!

"Pip now!"

MovieCritic