Hotel Transylvania 2

"Come on. Everybody likes that song."
"We're not everybody!  We're scary monsters, remember?"

Hotel Transylvania is now a popular destination for humans and monsters.  Count Dracula's (Sandler) beloved daughter Mavis (Gomez) is married to human Jonathan (Samberg), and they have a son Dennis (Blinkoff).  Dennis looks like his father and doesn't have fangs, but Drac is convinced that his grandson is a vampire.  Dennis' 5th birthday is approaching, and if he doesn't have fangs by then, he never will.  Mavis wants to give Dennis a normal life and starts thinking about life away from the hotel.

Drac and Jonathan devise a plan: Jonathan and Mavis will visit his parents (Offerman and Mullally) in California while Drac works on getting Dennis' fangs to grow.  Drac enlists the help of his monster friends: Frankenstein's monster Frank (James), Wayne (Buscemi) the werewolf, Murray (Key) the mummy, Griffin (Spade) the invisible man, and Blobby (Jonny Solomon).  They set out on a road trip to all their old haunts to show Dennis what it means to be a monster.  With Drac's father, Vlad (Brooks) coming to visit, can they get Dennis' fangs to grow?


The sequel to 2012's Hotel Transylvania, reunites the iconic monsters for another round of fun.  Robert Smigel returned as the writer and Genndy Tartakovsky returned as the director.  Most of the main cast returned for the sequel, with Keegan-Michael Key replacing Cee Lo Green as Murray.

Like the the first film, this film is dominated by the male characters.  Selena Gomez's Mavis is the only female character that gets much of a story.  The new characters each get a moment, but the film focuses more on the characters you already know.  Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are great as Jonathan's parents, who are very similar to characters each has played before (Offerman as the deadpan dad and Mullally as the talkative mother).  Asher Blinkoff is precious as Dennis, as is Adam Sandler's daughter Sadie Sandler as Winnie.  Mel Brooks is awesome as Drac's father Vlad (as in Vlad the Impaler), and Rob Riggle is menacing as Bela (as an homage to Bela Lugosi).  Key is good as Murray.  And like in most of Sandler's films, other SNL alum pop up in cameos.

A decent film, very similar to the first film.  Like the first film, this film ends with a dance party (this time it is set to the catchy song "I'm in Love with a Monster).

They are planning to make a third film, to be released in 2018.

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) 89 minutes
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Starring: Adam Sandler as Count Dracula
Andy Samberg as Jonathan
Selena Gomez as Mavis
Asher Blinkoff as Dennis
Kevin James as Frank
Steve Buscemi as Wayne
David Spade as Griffin
Keegan-Michael Key as Murray
Mel Brooks as Vlad
Fran Drescher as Eunice
Molly Shannon as Wanda
Nick Offerman as Mike
Megan Mullally as Linda
Rob Riggle as Bela

TV: White Collar

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."

Neal Caffrey (Bomer) is a charismatic con artist.  He escapes from prison to find the woman he loves, Kate (Alexandra Daddario), but is caught by FBI Agent Peter Burke (DeKay).  Peter works for the White Collar crime division and spent years trying to catch Neal.  At the White Collar division, Peter leads a team that consists of Clinton Jones (Atkins) and Diana Barrigan (Thomason), who do not trust Neal.  Peter is married to Elizabeth (Thiessen), an art curator.

Peter makes a deal with Neal: help the FBI catch other criminals using his expertise.  He agrees to the terms and is given a tracking anklet to monitor his movements.  He rents a room from June (Carroll), a wealthy widow, with a great view.  His best friend, Mozzie (Garson), is a wine-drinking, philosophy-spouting enigma who partnered with Neal on numerous occasions.


I discovered this show after I fell in love with Chuck.  I loved Matt Bomer and was sad when he left that show for this one.  From the beginning I loved the dynamic between Bomer's Neal and Tim DeKay's Peter.

The show revolves around the cases the White Collar division investigate.  It also focuses on the partnership between Neal and Peter.  Bomer's Neal is charismatic and thinks quick on his feet, while DeKay's Peter is by-the-books and detail oriented.  While they are the main focus, they are surrounded by unique supporting characters.  The standout is Willie Garson's Mozzie.  Mozzie always has something to say and is a bit of an enigma.  You slowly learn more about him over the course of the series.  Tiffani Thiessen is the voice of reason as Peter's wife Elizabeth.  I love the relationship between Elizabeth and Mozzie, and how that is different from Peter and Neal's relationship.  Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason are Peter's co-workers, who have entertaining relationships with Neal and Mozzie.

Every season features a big mystery / villain for the team to uncover, and each episode features a new case.  The show is fun but isn't afraid to show emotion.  The series finale fits nicely with the show and feels like an authentic way to leave these characters.

White Collar (2009-2014)
Creator: Jeff Eastin
Starring: Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey
Tim DeKay as Peter Burke
Willie Garson as Mozzie
Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke
Sharif Atkins as Clinton Jones
Marsha Thomason as Diana Barrigan
Diahann Carroll as June

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

"There are much worse games to play."

The war in Panem is escalating.  The rebels in District 13, led by President Alma Coin (Moore), celebrate their victories over the Capitol, while planning their next move.  Most of the Districts have aligned with them, but the Capitol still has the advantage.  Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) continues to be the face of the resistance, but wants to be involved in the actual fighting.  Her friends who were rescued from the Capitol are still suffering the effects of the torture, especially Peeta (Hutcherson), who doesn't know what is real.

Katniss is put on a special team to document the battle, from a safe distance.  The team is led by Boggs (Ali) and includes the other victors, Peeta and Finnick (Claflin), Gale (Hemsworth), and Cressida (Dormer) and her team.  Meanwhile, President Snow (Sutherland) has put the gamemakers in charge of booby-trapping the city.  Can Katniss and the rebels survive the perils of the city and stop Snow?


Following the trend of recent YA film adaptations, producers decided to split Suzanne Collins final installment in the Hunger Games series, "Mockingjay" into 2 films: Mockingjay Part 1 and Mockingjay Part 2.  The first two films in the series (The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) were incredibly popular and expectations for the final films were high.  Both parts of Mockingjay are directed by Francis Lawrence (who also directed Catching Fire) and both screenplays were written by Danny Strong and Peter Craig.

After the success of Part 1, my expectations were high for this film.  As a whole, I think it works as a nice ending to the series.  It stays faithful to the novel and, like the other films, it fleshes out some areas that the book left to your imagination (such as showing Snow's response to Katniss' actions).  But some areas were lacking... such as the relationship between Johanna and Katniss.  In the books, they grew closer in the last book and had an interesting friendship, but the film glosses over that in favor of giving all the other characters closure.  But I can't fault that decision.

The final battle is intense and devastating, with beloved characters in peril and even dying.  It is brutal, one character even jokingly calls it the "76th Hunger Games".  The score, by James Newton Howard, only heightens the intensity and emotions in these scenes.  

If you loved the films, you need to see how it all ends.  If you love the books, you should see it (since it ends the same way the book ends).  It is a satisfying ending to a addictive series.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) 137 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
 Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow
Sam Clafilin as Finnick Odair
Jena Malone as Johanna Mason
Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier
Natalie Dormer as Cressida
Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen
Mahershala Ali as Boggs
Patina Miller as Commander Paylor

The Good Dinosaur

"You have to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side."

Henry (Wright) and Ida (McDormand) are farming Apatosauruses, with three children: smart Libby (Padilla), strong Buck (Scribner) and runt Arlo (Ochoa).  Each has a job on the farm that uses their special skills.  Arlo is afraid of everything and has a hard time completing his job, so Poppa gives him a special job: guard the feed from critters.  The feed is repeatedly stolen by a feral child, but Arlo refuses to kill him.  When he and Henry go to stop the boy, his father is killed by a storm.

Arlo is angry and goes after the boy, but both end up in the river and swept away from home.  He and the boy, who he names Spot (Bright), are forced to work together to find survive.  With a pack of bloodthirsty pterodactyls chasing them and danger around every bend, can they find their way home?


The 16th Pixar Animated film imagines a world where dinosaurs rule the world.  The film was first imagined in 2009 by director Peter Sohn and Bob Peterson and was planned to premiere in 2013.  However difficulties with the script, and changes to the cast, moved back the release to 2015.  This was Pixar's second release in 2015, and unfortunately, this film was overshadowed by the other film: Inside Out.

The premise is good and the story is compelling (although it does take a bit to get into).  The Apatosaurus family feels realistic (sibling rivalry etc), but the focus is on young Arlo's journey.  Arlo is an endearing character that you fall in love with from his first moments on screen.  His literal and personal journey is emotional and filled with colorful characters.  Steve Zahn's Thunderclap, and the other Pterodactyls, skirt the line of sanity.  The Velociraptors are creepy and the Tyrannosauruses are intimidating.  Plus all the little critters are quirky and entertaining.  And despite only speaking a few works and grunts, the character of Spot conveys so much emotion.

The DVD includes the short Sanjay's Super Team, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

It is an endearing little film that will probably always be overshadowed by other films in Pixar's cannon.  It isn't the best of the bunch, but it isn't the worst either, it sits comfortably toward the middle.  Hopefully with time more people will find and love this film.

The Good Dinosaur (2015) 93 minutes
Director: Peter Sohn
Starring: Raymond Ochoa as Arlo
Jack Bright as Spot
Sam Elliott as Butch
Anna Paquin as Ramsey
A.J. Buckley as Nash
Jeffrey Wright as Poppa Henry
Frances McDormand as Momma Ida
Steve Zahn as Thunderclap
Marcus Scribner as Buck
Maleah Padilla as Libby

Crimson Peak

"Where I come from, ghosts are not to be taken lightly."

Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) is a writer, trying to get her first book published.  The publishers want her to write love stories, not "ghost stories".  Her widowed father (Beaver) encourages her writing, even though most of their friends mock her career.  She is also encouraged by her childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael (Hunnam).  As she works on rewrites, she meets English baronet and inventor Sir Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston) and his sister Lucille (Chastain), who are looking for investors for Thomas' invention.  Thomas and Edith are attracted to each other, and they draw closer together after the brutal murder of her father.

They marry and return to the Sharpe family home.  The mansion is dilapidated and slowly sinking into the ground beneath it.  The land is on a clay mine and nothing grows there.  The house is always cold and dark, and seems to have a life of it's own.  From the beginning, Edith is plagued by ghosts that appear to her alone.  Can she solve the mystery of the house, before the visions destroy her?


I do not like horror movies or ghost stories and tend to avoid them.  However, I enjoy Guillermo del Toro's films and vision, and decided to make an exception for this film.

The film is not what it appears, in fact, it mirrors Edith's description of her novel: a story with ghosts (who serve a purpose) and there is a love story (but it is not the main focus).  Despite the trailers and marketing, it is not a horror film... it is a Gothic romance.  The film is not scary... it is violent, unsettling at times, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The house and music adds to the tension.  The story is interesting, and keeps the film from becoming predictable or easy to categorize.  Del Toro co-wrote the script with Matthew Robbins.

The visuals are dazzling.  The house, Allerdale Hall, is gorgeous and dangerous.  And the ghosts are incredible.  The main ghosts are played by del Toro regular, Doug Jones.  Jones is best known for his roles in science fiction films, hidden beneath heavy makeup and prosthetics.  The Hall takes on an existence of it's own, and is a fascinating setting.  And the filmmakers make subtle choices with color and imagery to contrast Edith's life in American and her life at the Hall.  Oddly enough the film was not nominated for any Oscars, despite it's strong visuals and storytelling.

The main cast are well-known for their ability to excel in any genre.  Jessica Chastain's Lucille keeps you guessing throughout and changes on a dime.  Mia Wasikowska's Edith is a good audience surrogate / strong female lead.  The men are good as well, but never outshine their female costars.

This film definitely isn't for everyone, but if you are a del Toro fan, this is definitely worth checking out.

Crimson Peak (2015) 119 minutes
Rating: R for bloody violence, some sexual content and brief strong language
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing
Jessica Chastain as Lady Lucille Sharpe
Tom Hiddleston as Sir Thomas Sharpe
Charlie Hunnam as Dr. Alan McMichael
Jim Beaver as Carter Cushing
Burn Gorman as Mr. Holly

Fantastic Four (2015)

"You want to be famous?"

"I just want my work to make a difference."

Since childhood Reed Richards (Teller) has been building a teleportation device.  At the school science fair, he and best friend Ben Grimm (Bell), test the device.  It works, but not they way they expect and they are disqualified, but the machine brings them to the attention of Dr. Franklin Storm (Cathey).  Dr. Storm invites Reed to join the the Baxter Foundation to work on a larger device.  Dr. Storm and his team are trying to find a way to get to Planet Zero, and want to tweak Reed's device to reach that goal.

The team consists of Dr. Storms' delinquent son Johnny (Jordan), brilliant daughter Sue (Mara), and protege Victor von Doom (Kebbell).  Their efforts are successful and the guys, aided by Ben, make a secret trip to Planet Zero.  But something happens on the planet and when Sue brings them back, all are changed by an energy blast.  Can they overcome their new abilities?


The Fantastic Four comic was created in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel comics.  The group were different from other Marvel comics and gained popularity.  Since the 1960s they have headlined 4 animated TV shows and three films.  The first film was made in 1994, a low-budget film that was never released (but bootleg copies exist).  In 2005, Tim Story directed The Fantastic Four and it's 2007 sequel The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.  Story planned to make a third film, but after Rise of the Silver Surfer bombed in the box office, the project was cancelled.

With the resurgence of comic book films in the 2010s, Fox decided to reboot the franchise (Fox owns the rights to The Fantastic Four and the X-Men and need to use the characters every so many years or the rights return to Marvel Studios).  They brought Josh Trank on board as the director and Jeremy Slater as the screenwriter.  Simon Kinberg also served as a screenwriter for the film.  This was Trank's second film; his directorial debut was indie superhero film Chronicle.

The film feels disjointed, like it is trying to be different things at different times.  The studio was unhappy with Trank's film and required re-shoots.  The film takes it's time building the characters, without really establishing their relationships and chemistry.  They don't get powers until about half way through the film, and then it jumps ahead a few weeks/months to when they are able to control their powers.  The runtime is part of the problem, if the film was 2 hours it would make more sense to really introduce the characters and then show them learning to use their powers, so the rest of the action and working together as a team would feel earned.

The cast are talented actors and are game for whatever is thrown their way, but they don't have much to work with.  It is a dark and gritty take on the characters, but loses the joy of the original comics (and their TV shows).  Loosing the joy also looses some of the charisma of the characters and the chemistry between the characters is minimal.  Michael B. Jordan previously worked with Trank in Chronicle, and was the director's first choice for Johnny Storm.  He is a talented actor, but doesn't have much to do.  Kate Mara is mostly one-note as Sue Storm.  Miles Teller is the main focus, but doesn't hold your interest.  Jamie Bell doesn't have as much screen time as the others on the team and is never fully fleshed out.  Toby Kebbell does what he can with Victor von Doom.  Reg E. Cathey and Tim Blake Nelson are good in their roles.

If you want to see a Fantastic Four film, watch the 2005 version... better yet find one of the TV shows.  The film was nominated for 5 Razzies and won "Worst Picture", "Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel", and "Worst Director."

Fantastic Four (2015) 100 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and language
Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Miles Teller as Reed Richards
Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm
Kate Mara as Sue Storm
Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm
Toby Kebbell as Victor von Doom
Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Franklin Storm
Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Harvey Allen

TV: Fringe

"How come when nobody knows and it doesn't make sense, they come to us?"

The FBI has a special division that investigates the weird cases that involve fringe science, known as the Fringe Division.  Agent Olivia Dunham (Torv) stumbles onto the Fringe Division while investigating a case.  To solve the case she brings along con artist Peter Bishop (Jackson) and his crazy scientist father Dr. Walter Bishop (Noble).  Walter was a brilliant scientist, specializing in fringe science, before a disaster led to his institutionalization decades before.  They are aided by Olivia's assistant, Agent Astrid Farnsworth (Nicole).

They work well together, and the head of Fringe division, Colonel Phillip Broyles (Reddick), makes them permanent members of the team, along with Olivia's partner Agent Charlie Francis (Acevedo).  Their investigations regularly lead them to Massive Dynamics, a large science and technology company, and it's mysterious Director Nina Sharp (Brown).  Can their combined resources and expertise keep the world safe?


When Fringe was first announced, it was seen as an X-Files clone, but it emerged as something different.  It was a science fiction series routed in crazy theories and fringe science, but it was also about the core team and their relationships.  The show also introduced mythologies that matured over the seasons.

The series was created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci.  They worked together on the series Alias, where Abrams was the creator and Kurtzman and Orci were writers.  Abrams also was a creator of Lost and Kurtman and Orci were writers and producers of Jack of All Trades.  They envisioned a show that would take the weird elements from The X-Files and The Twilight Zone and present them in a procedural format.  They wanted to reward long-term viewers, but also make the series accessible for new viewers to jump in and understand.  For example, every episode featured an appearance by an Observer.  Sometimes they were a focal point, and sometimes they just pop up in the background for a moment.  It is something for the long-time fans to look for, and something that doesn't alienate new viewers.

One of the things I love about this show, is that you don't know what will happen next.  Each reset what the audiences knows about the world of the show: alternate universes, altered timelines, time jumps, etc.  It continually worked, because the characters were the same ones you loved from the beginning.  Some things were different, but they were still a make-shift family, solving weird crimes.  Each season they also featured a "strange" episode, that was tonally different from the rest of the season and just went ran with a crazy concept or format.  This gave them the opportunity to do a musical episode, while still staying true to the show as a whole... and an episode that included an extended animation sequence.

The cast is phenomenal.  They dive into every scenario and bring something new to the characters.  That was especially important when the alternate universe was introduced and most of the cast had to play 2 versions of their character, you can see the similarities and still appreciate the subtle differences.  Anna Torv is the main focus and grounds the show.  Joshua Jackson is the charming heart of the show.  While John Noble steals your heart and does incredible work as Walter.  The chemistry between Torv, Jackson, and Nobel is compelling and draws you in.  And that extends to the rest of the cast as well.  Jasika Nicole is great as Astrid and you come to appreciate the many facets of Lance Reddick and Blair Brown.  Every character is needed and brings something unique to the table.

It is a fascinating series that I can't wait to rewatch.  Every season has great episodes and a few duds here and there, but overall, the show is consistently weird and entertaining.

Fringe (2008-2013)
Creator: J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
Starring: Anna Torv as Olivia Dunham
Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop
Jasika Nicole as Astrid Farnsworth
John Noble as Dr. Walter Bishop
Lance Reddick as Phillip Broyles
Blair Brown as Nina Sharp
Michael Cerveris as The Observer/September
Kirk Acevedo as Charlie Francis
Seth Gabel as Lincoln Lee

Only Angels Have Wings

"Someday I'll get a straight answer from you, and I won't know what to do with it."

Entertainer Bonnie Lee (Arthur) is returning to America when her ship stops in Barranca to deliver the mail.  She gets off the ship and meets a group of American pilots who work at the Barranca Airways.  The company is owned by John "Dutchy" Van Ruyter (Ruman), who also runs the bar, and run by pilot Geoff Carter (Grant).  They are short on funds, the trip is dangerous, and the pilots are constantly battling bad weather and failing planes.  On the night Bonnie arrives another pilot is killed due to poor flying conditions, and she immediately clashes with Geoff.  They are drawn to each other and she decides to stay in Barranca.

Geoff mocks her rash decision and encourages her to leave on the next boat.  Geoff is forced to bench his best friend Kid Dabb (Mitchell) for his failing eyesight and one of the other pilots has a broken arm.  Tough times force him to hire Bat MacPherson (Barthelmess).  Years before MacPherson caused the death of Kid's brother, and he is hated by all the pilots.  MacPherson brings along his wife Judy (Hayworth), an old flame of Geoff's.  They are days away from receiving a big contract to keep the company in business.  With a big storm on the horizon, can they hold together long enough to get the contract?


The film is written and directed by Howard Hawks.  Hawks wrote the story Plane from Barranca based on pilots he met in Mexico while working on the film Viva Villa!.

This film was Hawks second collaboration (of 5) with actor Cary Grant.  They worked together the year before on the film Bringing Up Baby, and for their follow-up together they went with a drama.  This was Rita Hayworth's film premiere.  Richard Barthelmess was a silent film star, and wasn't getting good or big roles.  He had also recently undergone plastic surgery that left him with scars, which Hawks chose to accentuate for the role.  He was considered a controversial choice, but he definitely delivered here.

The aircraft used in the film were from the 1920s and were realistic to the time period.  The effects were well-done and were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.  It was also nominated for Best Cinematography.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) 121 minutes
Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: Cary Grant as Geoff Carter
Jean Arthur as Bonnie Lee
Richard Barthelmess as Bat MacPherson
Rita Hayworth as Judy MacPherson
Thomas Mitchell as Kid Dabb
Allyn Joslyn as Les Peters
Sig Ruman as John "Dutchy" Van Ruyter
Victor Kilian as Sparks Reynolds
John Carroll as Gent Shelton
Don Barry as Tex Gordon

Zootopia

"It's not about how badly you WANT something. It's about what you are capable of!"

Judy Hopps (Goodwin) has dreamed of being a Zootopia police officer since she was a child.  Her determination and hard work make that dream come true when she graduates valedictorian and Mayor Lionheart (Simmons) assigns her to Zootopia.  She is the first bunny assigned to the force, against the wishes of Chief Bogo (Elba).  She is given the task of meter maid, where she runs into con artist Nick Wilde (Bateman).

Animals across Zootopia are missing, and Judy volunteers to find Emmett Otterson.  She is given 2 days to find him or resign from the force.  Her only lead is Nick, can they put aside their differences long enough to find Emmett and save her job?


For their 55th animated feature film, Walt Disney Animation Studios imagined a city of animals in anthropomorphic roles.  This is the first Disney film that I have seen on it's opening day.  My theater was crowded, with a mixture of families with young children and groups of young adults.  It was a fun showing, filled with laughter and repeated "awws" and little kids excitement or shock.  And everyone applauded at the end.

The film is funny.  It has the obvious pratfalls and physical humor to appeal to the kids, and has some humor for the adults as well.  It also makes references to other Disney films (I won't spoil them here, but Frozen is definitely referenced).  Alan Tudyk plays a character named Duke Weasleton, which is very similar to his character in Frozen (Duke Weselton).  The obvious humor comes from the DMV sloths and their exaggerated slow responses.  It is a brief, but memorable scene, and Disney wisely chose to capitalize on this scene by featuring the character Speedy in promotional materials (trailers, posters).

They created a fascinating word, that is grounded in reality.  The story is predictable, but offers lots of teaching moments.  The voice cast is good.  Stick around during the credits to watch the characters dance at a concert.  Each character gets a moment to dance and have their actor or actresses name displayed.

It is a cute film, but probably won't surpass the popularity of Frozen.  It has an interesting concept and fun characters, but gets a little preachy.

Zootopia (2016) 108 minutes
Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin as Officer Judy Hopps
Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde
Idris Elba as Chief Bogo
Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether
Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser
J.K. Simmons as Mayor Lionheart
Maurice LaMarche as Mr. Big
Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps
Don Lake as Stu Hopps
Raymond S. Perski as Flash
Tommy Chong as Yax
Octavia Spencer as Mrs. Otterton
Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton
Shakira as Gazelle

The Intern (2015)

"I'm glad you also see the humor in this."
"It would be hard not to."

Ben Whittaker (DeNiro) is a retired widower.  He is bored with retirement and jumps at the chance to do something usual with his days.  He applies for a senior citizen internship program and is accepted at an online fashion site.  The company is About the Fit, and Ben is one of the four new interns.  The company was started a year ago by Jules Ostin (Hathaway), who has a hand in every aspect of the company.

Ben is assigned as Jules personal intern.  Jules doesn't think she needs any help, so Ben spends most of his time lending a hand wherever he is needed and quickly becomes well-known in the office.  He also replaces Jules regular driver, and meets her husband (Holm) and daughter (Kushner).  As Jules starts to let Ben into her life, can he find a way to help her balance her company and life?


The latest film by writer / director Nancy Meyers is a delight.  I initially wrote it off, but everyone I know saw and loved it, so I gave it a chance.

It is a funny film, with an incredibly likeable cast.  You love Robert DeNiro's Ben from the first moment you see him on screen, and continue to cheer his progression through the rest of the film.  He has excellent chemistry with Anne Hathaway.  Hathaway's Jules is a competent leader, a little frazzled, but still in control.  She is the modern woman, trying to have it all, and mostly succeeding.  Adam DeVine, Zach Pearlman and Jason Orley are Ben's work friends.  They are a fun group, and have a funny sequence where they go on a heist (complete with Ocean's 11 monikers) that is ridiculous and hilarious.  Anders Holm is Jules' husband and JoJo Kushner is their adorable daughter.  Rene Russo is the in-house masseuse, and Andrew Rannells is Jules second-in-command.

The story is funny, and heartbreaking, and keeps you guessing (while still delivering a happy ending).  A fun film worth checking out.

The Intern (2015) 121 minutes
Director: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker
Anne Hathaway as Jules Ostin
Rene Russo as Fiona
Anders Holm as Matt
Andrew Rannells as Cameron
Adam DeVine as Jason
Zack Pearlman as Davis
Jason Orley as Lewis
JoJo Kushner as Paige