Atlantis: The Lost Empire

"I didn't say it was the smart thing, but it is the right thing."

Milo Thatch (Fox) is a linguist trying to prove that Atlantis is real.  He works as the janitor at the Smithsonian, where the the directors mock his research.  Everything changes when he is hired by eccentric billionaire Preston Whitmore (Mahoney), an old friend of his grandfather, invites him to lead an expedition to find Atlantis.

The expedition is populated by specialists, who worked with Milo's grandfather: Commander Rourke (Garner) and Lieutenant Helga Sinclair (Christian) provide military expertise, Vinny (Novello) is the demolition expert, Audrey (Obradors) is the chief mechanic, Dr. Sweets (Morris) is the medical officer, Mollere (Burton) is the digger, Cookie (Varney) makes the meals and Wilhemina (Stanley) tackles communications.  They travel in a massive submarine, until they are attacked by a levithan.  Eventually the team discovers the city of Atlantis, completely intact and thriving.  Milo strikes up a friendship with Kida (Summer) the daughter of the King, based on mutual curiosity about life.  But things are not what they seem, can Milo survive his first adventure?


In the early 2000s, Disney Animation wanted to step away from the musical format of previous films and embraced stories with more science fiction / fantasy and began using more computer animation.  The films released from 2000-2008 were part of a the Second Decline of the company.  Some of the films were successful, but none achieved the kind of success as the films from the 1990s.  Atlantis was the first film to break out of the usual Disney formula and embrace action and adventure.

The animators embraced the visual style of comic book artist Mike Mignola, who created Hellboy.  Mignola served as a production designer.  The animators also used a different format to show that this film was a major departure from previous Disney films.  They also hired Marc Okrand to create the Atlantean language and John Emerson created the writing / alphabet.

The characters are unique, with little quirks provided by the actors delivery.  Michael J. Fox brings heart to the character of Milo, making the audience love him from the beginning.  James Garner and Leonard Nimoy make their characters strong, imposing leaders.  Cree Summer and Claudia Christian are voice tough women.  The rest of the cast dive into quirky performances.  Apparently Don Novello ad libbed his part, which makes Vinny an interesting character that is a delight to watch.  This was Jim Varney's final performance, and his Cookie does not disappoint.

This isn't Disney's finest film...  I have seen it 3 times and I'm still trying to figure out if I like it.  I like aspects of it, but I don't intend to add it to my personal collection.  Decent, but not memorable.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) 95 minutes
Director: Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise
Starring: Michael J. Fox as Milo Thatch
James Garner as Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke
Cree Summer as Kida Nedakh
Don Novello as Vinny Santorini
Phil Morris as Dr. Joshua Strongbear Sweets
Claudia Christian as Lieutenant Helga Sinclair
Jacqueline Obradors as Audrey Rocio Ramirez
Florence Stanley as Wilhemina Bertha Packard
Jim Varney as Jebidiah "Cookie" Farnsworth
Corey Burton as Gaetan "Mole" Mollere
John Mahoney as Preston Whitmore

Brother Bear 2

"Once you love someone, they stay in your heart forever."

After a long hibernation, Kenai (Dempsey) and Koda (Suarez) plan to get the first berries of the season.  Meanwhile, Kenai's childhood friend, before he became a bear, Nita (Moore) is getting married.  The wedding is interrupted by the Spirits who are not happy as they feel Nita is already tied to Kenai.  The shaman (Wanda Sykes) tells Nita the only way to break the bond is to find Kenai and destroy the amulet he gave her.  The Spirits gift her with the ability to converse with animals to accomplish this task.

Kenai and Koda are not happy with the development, but they agree to the journey with Nita.  They are joined by the Canadian moose brothers Rutt (Moranis) and Tuke (Thomas), who are attempting to court to lovely moosettes.


During the 2000s Disney was churning out direct-to-video sequels for many of their successful properties.  This sequel boasts quality animation and the return of many of the original cast.  However, the story is entirely predictable and destroys the beauty of the first film.  Originally the sequel was supposed to focus on Rutt and Tuke, with the potential for a brief look at the bears.  Honestly, that would be a better film.

It takes some time to like the new characters, specifically Nita.  You do eventually accept them.  There are some cute and funny moments, mostly from the moose brothers.  The sequence with the raccoons is also entertaining.  The ending is reasonably satisfying, but the sequel was completely unnecessary.  I'm sure it will appeal to some, but I was not impressed.

Brother Bear 2 (2006) 74 minutes
Director: Ben Gluck
Starring: Patrick Dempsey as Kenai
Mandy Moore as Nita
Jeremy Suarez as Koda
Rick Moranis as Rutt
Dave Thomas as Tuke
Andrea Martin as Anda
Catherine O'Hara as Kata

Brother Bear

"What's he getting all worked up about, eh?"

"I don't know. Maybe the goose pooped on him, eh?"

Kenai (Phoenix) is excited to finally receive his totem from the Spirits and begin his journey towards manhood.  He is given the "bear of love", which he sees as joke.  His oldest brother, Sitka (Sweeney) is killed by a bear, and he vows revenge, forsaking his gift.  After killing the bear, the Spirits transform into a bear.

His other brother, Denahi (Raize), believes he was killed by the bear, and devotes his life to killing the bear to avenge both of his brothers.  Kenai, now a bear, learns that he must find the mountain where the Spirits come to earth to reclaim his old life.  He teams up with Koda (Suarez), a smart aleck cub who is trying to find his mother.  Along the way they meet up with Canadian moose brother Rutt (Moranis) and Tuke (Thomas).  Can they find the mountain before Denahi finds them?


When Disney first released this film, I wasn't particularly interested in it.  I don't know what didn't appeal, but this film was not on my radar until more recently.  Seeing it was on Netflix instant streaming, I added it to my queue and figured I would eventually get around to watching it.

The story is compelling from beginning to end.  It ranges from serious to sad to silly, without taking you out of the story.  Disney had enough faith in the film to greenlight a direct-to-video sequel.

The animal characters are hilarious.  Jeremy Suarez's Koda is lovable from the beginning.  The moose, voiced by comedic actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, steal the show.  They are crazy and entertaining and pop up at just the right times.  The chipmunks are silly.  And I really enjoyed the rams and wish we saw a little more of them.  The human characters are good as well, but the animals are more memorable.

A good film that is far too often overlooked among all other Disney animated films.

Brother Bear (2003) 85 minutes
Director: Aaron Blaise & Robert Walker
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai
Jeremy Suarez as Koda
Rick Moranis as Rutt
Dave Thomas as Tuke
Jason Raize as Denahi
D.B. Sweeney as Sitka
Joan Copeland as Tanana

Delivery Man

"When you're looking out for these kids, will you be wearing some kind of cape?"
"I didn't say superhero. I said guardian angel."

Underachiever David Wozniak (Vaughn) drives the delivery van for his family's butcher shop.  His brothers, Aleksy (Moynihan) and Victor (Delaney) think he's a screw up.  He also owes lots of money to the wrong people.  His girlfriend, Emma (Smulders), is pregnant with his child and does not want him to be involved.

A lawyer notifies him that he is the father of 533 children, through his many donations to the sperm bank.  He used the alias "Starbuck" and now 142 of his children are suing the sperm bank to learn his identity.  His best friend and lawyer, Brett (Pratt), wants him to plead insanity.  He is given a packet containing profiles of his children, and he decides to help them, while keeping the secret from his family and Emma.


This film is a remake of the French-Canadian film Starbuck.  Director Ken Scott wrote and directed Starbuck.  This film is considered a pale comparison to the original, but it still has good moments / performances.

Chris Pratt, best known for his role on TV's Parks and Recreation, steals the show as Brett.  He has great chemistry with the 4 kids that play his children.  His scenes are hilarious.

The 142 are not overly developed, but they work well in their roles.  A decent adaptation of a good film.  Definitely plan to watch Starbuck as well!

Delivery Man (2013) 105 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, some drug material, brief violence and language
Director: Ken Scott
Starring: Vince Vaughn as David Wozniak
Chris Pratt as Brett
Cobie Smulders as Emma
Andrzej Blumenfeld as Mikolaj Wozniak
Simon Delaney as Victor Wozniak
Bobby Moynihan as Aleksy Wozniak
Dave Patten as Adam
Adam Chanler-Berat as Viggo
Britt Robertson as Kristen
Jack Reynor as Josh
Amos VanderPoel as Taylor

Son of Frankestein

"Nothing in nature is terrifying when one understands it. My father drew that very lightening from heaven and forced it for his own will to bring life to a being he created with his own hands. Why should we fear anything?"

Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Rathbone) brings his family, wife Elsa (Hutchinson) and son Peter (Dunagan), to live in his ancestral home.  The villagers are afraid that, like his father, he will try to create a monster and plunge their peaceful town into horror.  Wolf tries to convince the town, through Inspector Krogh (Atwill) that he has no intentions of continuing his father's work.

The following day he visits his father's laboratory and discovers Ygor (Lugosi), his father's assistant, living in the basement alongside the Monster (Karloff), who is ill and unable to walk.  Wolf wants to fix the Monster and repair his father's reputation.  Ygor serves as his assistant, wanting Wolf to succeed for his own nefarious purposes.


After the success of Frankenstein in 1931 and The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935, Universal Studios decided to make another Frankenstein film.  This time they wanted to focus on Henry's son, and ultimately cast talented author Basil Rathbone.  Rathbone would later gain prominence for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.  Once again Boris Karloff brought the Monster to life.  Unlike the prior films, his character does not speak and is not the main focus of the film.  He does not appear until almost 30 minutes, and does not move until much later in the film.  The film is dominated by Bela Lugosi, best known for playing Dracula.  Originally Lugosi's character was a minor character, but director Rowland Lee kept rewriting the script to further accommodate Ygor.  Incidentally, Igor is always the name of Dr. Frankenstein's assistant in popular culture, although he does not appear in Mary Shelley's novel or the first 2 films.  This is considered Lugosi's best performance.

This is the last of the good Frankenstein films made by Universal Studios, and the last good film to feature Frankenstein until Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein almost a decade later.  The story is ok, but makes most of the characters unlikeable by the end.  Portions of this film, specifically the character of Inspector Krogh, are spoofed in Young Frankenstein.  This film marks Karloff's final portrayal of the Monster, although he did appear in subsequent Frankenstein films.  Lugosi would don the makeup to appear in the sequel, The Ghost of Frankenstein.

A decent horror film, but not at the same caliber as it's predecessors.

Son of Frankenstein (1939) 99 minutes
Director: Rowland V. Lee
Starring: Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
Boris Karloff as The Monster
Bela Lugosi as Ygor
Lionel Atwill as Inspector Krogh
Josephine Hutchinson as Elsa von Frankenstein
Donnie Dunagan as Peter von Frankenstein

Pacific Rim

"Now, you and I are the only thing standin' between that ugly bastard and a city of 2 million people! Now we have a choice here: we either sit and wait, or we take these flare guns and do something really stupid."

Humanity is attacked by giant sea creatures called Kaijus, that travel through a portal in the ocean from another dimension.  To combat the Kaiju, humanity creates colossal mechanical robots, called Jaegers, that are controlled by two pilots.  The pilots brains are linked, also known as drifting, to help control the robots abilities without overloading the pilot's brain.  Raleigh Becket (Hunnam) and his brother Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) pilot a Jaeger named Gipsy Danger.  But their career is cut short when they are attacked by a more powerful Kaiju, who severely damages the Jaeger and kills Yancy.

Seven years later, the Kaijus have destroyed all but four of the Jaegers and the government cuts the funding for the program.  Stacker Pentecost (Elba) recruits Raleigh to return to the program and once again pilot the Gipsy Danger.  He is paired with Mako Mori (Kikuchi), a trainee that has no experience, while the other 3 teams have perfect records and have a history together.  Dr. Hermann Gottlieb (Gorman) predicts that the attacks will only get worse, while his colleague Dr. Newt Geiszler (Day) focuses on figuring out the Kaiju.  As the Kaijus get stronger, the future lays in the hands of Raleigh and Mori.


I initially disregarded this film.  I figured it was just trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Transformers films.  But I read a few positive reviews and there was buzz about a potential Oscar nomination for the film (which never happened).  Based on the buzz, I bought the film for my brother and planned to eventually watch it.

I loved it!  Yes, this is a weird movie... but it works.  The effects are awesome.  Each of the Kaijus are different (apparently they created many more, but couldn't use all of them for the film so they chose the filmmakers favorites).  The Jaegers are distinct enough that you can pick them out in the battles, and they seem to take on the personality of their pilots.  You really have the pay attention to understand the film, but the payoff is worth it.  The characters are compelling, and don't mind being silly, and the complex story works.  The film itself is a bit of a departure from director Guillermo del Toro's previous films, but when you hear del Toro is the director, it makes sense.

Frequent del Toro actor Ron Perlman has a small, but memorable role, that lets him be as weird as he can be.  Idris Elba grounds the film as Stacker, you really believe that people would follow his orders and follow him into battle.  Charlie Hunnam is a strong lead and audience surrogate.  Comedy actor Charlie Day (Horrible Bosses and TV's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Burn Gorman (TV's Torchwood, Game of Thrones, and Turn) are the perfect match as the scientists.  They bring a nice does of comedy as the bickering scientists.  Rinko Kikuchi holds her own among the men, and ends up being the strongest character in the film.  The rest of cast works well in their roles.

I still don't understand how/why it's special effects were not nominated for an Oscar, but it did receive other nominations / wins.  The film was popular enough to garner sequel talk, which del Toro is currently writing.  I enjoyed the film and look forward to seeing a sequel.

Pacific Rim (2013) minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket
Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost
Rinko Kikuchi as Mako Mori
Charlie Day as Dr. Newt Geiszler
Burn Gorman as Dr. Hermann Gottlieb
Rob Kazinsky as Chuck Hansen
Max Martini as Herc Hansen
Clifton Collins Jr. as Ops Tendo Choi
Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau

The Art of the Steal (2013)

"If you've got no trust, then what do you got?"

Crunch Calhoun (Russell) is a reformed art thief, turned daredevil.  After a stint in prison, he gave up the life of crime.  He agrees to reassemble the old team for one last score.  His shady brother Nicky (Dillon) is the brains of the operation, Uncle Paddy (Welsh) has the right connections, Guy (Diamantopoulous) is the forager, and they bring along Crunch's apprentice Francie (Baruchel).  They need to find a way to steal a priceless book from a Customs station in Canada.

Meanwhile, Interpol Agent Bick (Jones) is chasing after them with the reluctant help of art thief Samuel Winter (Stamp).  Can the team successfully pull off the heist, or will old betrayals get in the way.


I was pleasantly surprised by this film.  I had a free rental from Redbox and decided to give this film a chance.  It seems like a fairly predictable heist film and sets up the actual heist well, without drawing it out too long... but then it flips the board and shows you something new.  The surprises work well and make the story much more interesting and worth a second viewing to see what you missed the first time.

The film has the advantage of having a great cast.  Kurt Russell is a compelling lead and believable in the role.  Jay Baruchel is good as the voice of reason / audience surrogate.  Jason Jones, of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," is perfect for his role.  I loved his exchanges with Terence Stamp's character, who gets the best comebacks.  Matt Dillon has a talent for playing slimely characters, and puts that to good use here.  The characters are compelling and interesting.

The story hooks you from the beginning and keeps you guessing.  Check it out, you won't regret it.

The Art of the Steal (2013) 90 minutes
Rating: R for language throughout including some sexual references
Director: Jonathan Sobol
Starring: Kurt Russell as Crunch Calhoun
Matt Dillon as Nicky Calhoun
Jay Baruchel as Francie Tobin
Kenneth Welsh as Paddy McCarthy
Chris Diamantopoulos as Guy de Cornet
Katheryn Winnick as Lola
Jason Jones as Interpol Agent Bick
Terrence Stamp as Samuel Winter

Ride Along

"Oh, damn, it's Sir Scream-A-Lot!"

"I was responding to a hostile situation, James."
"That was a high-pitched scream."

James Payton (Cube) is a tough cop that doesn't trust anyone.  His sister, Angela (Sumpter), is dating high school security guard Ben Barber (Hart).  After Ben gets accepted to the Atlanta Police Academy he asks for James' permission to propose to Angela.  James challenges Ben to a ride along to prove he is worthy.

Meanwhile, James is trying to find a way to bring criminal mastermind Omar to justice.  Despite warnings from Lieutenant Brooks (McGill), he has his associates Santiago (Leguizamo) and Miggs (Callen) checking leads while he terrorizes Ben.


I enjoy Kevin Hart.  It seems like he is everywhere, between films and TV and his comedy shows.  I enjoyed his stand up Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny and decided to give this film a try because he was in it.  Also, the trailers looked promising.

Ice Cube often plays tough characters, and is very convincing in those roles.  He has made a few comedies, but he is mostly known for serious action films.  This film is comfortably in his wheelhouse, while delving in comedy.  He has excellent chemistry with Hart.  Hart gets most of the laughs in the film, with his rapid delivery and facial expressions.  The rest of the cast are decent in their roles, but the story focuses on the relationship between the male leads.

The film is a nice mix of humor and action.  The film was successful enough for New Line Cinema to greenlight a sequel for 2016.

Ride Along (2014) 99 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence, sexual content and brief strong language
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Ice Cube as James Payton
Kevin Hart as Ben Barber
John Leguizamo as Santiago
Bruce McGill as Lieutenant Brooks
Tika Sumpter as Angela Payton
Bryan Callen as Miggs

Send Me No Flowers

"When he tells me he's dying and he doesn't DIE... wouldn't he know that I'd get SUSPICIOUS?"

Hypochondriac George Kimball (Hudson) is convinced that he is dying.  His wife, Judy (Day), best friend Arnold (Randall), and doctor, Dr. Ralph Morrissey (Andrews), put up with his neuroses.  At his latest doctor's appointment he overhears someone else's diagnosis and believes he only has a few days/weeks left to live.

He shares the diagnosis with Arnold, who decides to cope by drinking.  George accepts his fate, but is worried about Judy's future and asks Arnold help him find a replacement husband for Judy.  He does not tell Judy about his plans or that he is dying.  She is concerned by his behavior and believes he is having an affair.  Can their marriage survive?


This is the third and final collaboration between Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall (following Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back).  The leads have incredible chemistry and are perfectly suited to their roles.  Pillow Talk is the best of their collaborations, but this has great physical comedy.  Tony Randall steals the show as Arnold.  He is hilarious every time he is drunk in the film.  His best scene is writing and rewriting George's eulogy.  Rock Hudson shows that he is adept at comedy with his reactions and the wheelchair scene (among others).  Doris Day once again gets to sing the title song, but she also gets a funny dance sequence with Clive Clerk (who was in the original cast of "A Chorus Line" on Broadway).

The rest of cast give stellar performances.  Paul Lynde is the gleeful funeral director, who delivers his lines with a gleam in his eyes.  Hal March is slimey as Winston Burr.

The story, written by Julius Epstein, is based on a play by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore.  The play was on Broadway in 1960.  Everything works in this film, thanks to the smart script and strong performances.  An entertaining film.

Send Me No Flowers (1964) 100 minutes
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Rock Hudson as George Kimball
Doris Day as Judy Kimball
Tony Randall as Arnold Nash
Paul Lynde as Mr. Akins
Hal March as Winston Burr
Edward Andrews as Dr. Ralph Morrissey
Patricia Barry as Linda Bullard
Clint Walker as Bert Power
Clive Clerk as Vito

Lover Come Back (1961)

"You won't sign. You won't jump. I'm surrounded by traitors."

Jerry Webster (Hudson) and Carol Templeton (Day) are rivals in the advertising business.  Jerry gets big clients by throwing lavish parties with women and alcohol, while Carol is dedicated to creating the best ads for her clients.  Carol is disgusted by Jerry's tactics and reports him to the Ad Council.  Jerry avoids trouble by convincing chorus girl, Rebel Davis (Adams) that she will be featured in the ads for a new product called VIP.  VIP does not exist, but his oblivious boss Peter Ramsey (Randall) airs the ads anyway.

Carol, with the backing of her agency, decides to steal the client away from Jerry and goes to the lab of Dr. Linus Tyler (Kruschen) to plead her case.  She accidentally meets Jerry, who poses as Dr. Tyler to keep Carol away while they create VIP.  Can Jerry keep up the charade as he falls for Carol?


This is the second film that Rock Hudson and Doris Day made together.  The first was Pillow Talk in 1959 and in 1964 they made a final film together Send Me No Flowers.  All three films also starred Tony Randall.  The plot of this film is similar to Pillow Talk.

They are surrounded by talented actors.  Broadway star Edie Adams shines in a small role as Rebel Davis.  Jack Oakie, in his final film performance, is entertaining as the client Jerry steals from Carol at the beginning of the film.  Ann B. Davis, best known as Alice on The Brady Bunch TV show is Carol's assistant / secretary Millie.  Randall is once again a wealthy neurotic who employees Hudson's character.

Doris Day provides 2 songs for the film: the title song played over the opening credits and "Should I Surrender" later in the film.  An entertaining romantic comedy.

Lover Come Back (1961) 107 minutes
Director: Delbert Mann
Starring: Rock Hudson as Jerry Webster
Doris Day as Carol Templeton
Tony Randall as Peter Ramsey
Edie Adams as Rebel Davis
Jack Oakie as J. Paxton Miller
Jack Kruschen as Dr. Linus Tyler
Ann B. Davis as Millie
Howard St. John as Mr. John Brackett