Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

"A game for those who seek to find a way to leave the world behind."

Four high school students, Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner), find an old video game called Jumanji.  They decide to take a break and play the game.  they select avatars, and are sucked into the game.

They land in the middle of the jungle as the avatars they selected.  Spencer is afraid of everything, but in the game he is the muscle-bound explorer Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Johnson).  Fridge is a star athlete, but in the game he is the short zoologist Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Hart).  Martha is pretty, popular, and obsessed with her phone, but in the game she is middle-aged cartographer Professor Sheldon Oberon (Black).  Martha is a shy feminist, but in the game she is martial arts expert Ruby Roundhouse (Gillan).  Their mission, according to NPC Nigel Billingsley (Darby), is to save Jumanji from Russel Van Pelt (Cannavale), who has the ability to control animals.  Can they complete the mission and make it home safely?


In 1981, Chris van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the children's book "Jumanji."  The book focused on a pair of siblings, Judy and Peter, who find the game and then play it at home.  The book received numerous awards when it was first released and was popular enough for van Allsburg to write a sequel "Zathura."

In 1995 Joe Johnston directed the film adaptation of the book.  The film  starring Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt and stuck close to the book.  The film stayed close to the book, but added the characters of Alan and Sarah.  This film is a sequel to the story, with brand new characters.  It also flips the story, in 1995 the game came to the real world... this film takes the players to the game world.

The screenplay was written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinkner is fun and action-packed.  As a whole, it works and draws you into the action.  There were only 2 moments that took me out of the film, and both were unnecessary moments featuring Jack Black's character... they were meant to be funny, but were crass and pointless.

The cast works well together and are all equally entertaining.  Black is convincing as a teenage girl.  Dwayne Johnson deftly walks the line between hero and terrified teen.  Kevin Hart provides the one-liners and shouts frequently.  Karen Gillan uses a convincing American accent and performs some intricate choreography for her dance fighting scenes.  She has the most physical role in the film.  Bobby Cannavale is dark and disturbing as Van Pelt (which is also the name of the villain from the original Jumanji film).

It is an entertaining action film and loves its predecessor.  There are little moments scattered throughout the film for fans (the design of the statues, Seaplane's home, etc).  It works as a whole, except for the 2 scenes I mentioned in the previous paragraph.  It also enjoys the tropes of video games.

They are planning to make a sequel to this film, with Kasdan returning to direct.  The four main actors (Black, Gillan, Hart, and Johnson) returning.  The sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level was released in 2019.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) 119 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language
Director: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Smolder Bravestone
Kevin Hart as Franklin "Mouse" Finbar
Jack Black as Professor Sheldon Oberon
Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse
Rhys Darby as Nigel Billingsley
Bobby Cannavale as Russel Van Pelt
Nick Jonas as Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough

Crooked House (2017)

"Sometimes people don't know what they know."

Business tycoon Aristide Leonides (Gino Picciano) is found dead in his study.  His granddaughter Sophia (Martini) thinks he was murdered.  She asks private investigator Charles Hayward (Irons) to come to the family estate and dig into the death.  He consults with Chief Inspector Taverner (Stamp) of Scotland Yard and decides to take the case.

The entire Leonides family lives on Aristide's estate.  They resent Charles presence, but allow him to ask questions.  Aristide was a commanding presence in his business and family, giving him enemies at work and home.  Only his trophy wife, Brenda (Hendricks), and Sophia seem upset by his death.  His sister-in-law, Lady Edith de Haviland (Close), hated him.  His oldest son Philip (Sands), is a cigar-smoking academic and married to self-absorbed actress Magda (Anderson).  Their children, other than Sophia, did not impress Aristide.  Eustace (Nyman) is brilliant, but limps due to a bout with polio.  Josephine (Kneafsey) loves detective stories and enjoys spying on the family and recording their secrets to use later.  Younger son, Roger (McKay), runs the family business and resents his father's control.  His wife, Clemency (Abbington), is a scientist and hates the family.

Can Charles find the murderer before anyone else is killed?


This film is based off of Agatha Christie's novel "The Crooked House," published in 1949.  The novel was very popular and was reported to be Christie's favorite.  It remains on the list of Christie's best works.  In February 2008 it was adapted to 30-minute radio broadcasts for BBC Radio.

The story moves at a leisurely pace.  It takes the time to introduce and flesh-out the characters and their motivations.  The story is interesting and keeps you guessing, like any good mystery.  Director Gilles Paquet-Brenner keeps the integrity of the story, only making a few changes from the book.  Everything looks beautiful and cast is excellent.  Glenn Close is a standout, but all of the performances are great.  It is an interesting film and makes me want to read the book.

I'm also intrigued about the other 2017 Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder on the Orient Express.

Crooked House (2017) 115 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Starring: Glenn Close as Lady Edith de Haviland
Terence Stamp as Chief Inspector Taverner
Max Irons as Charles Hayward
Stefanie Martini as Sophia Leonides
Julian Sands as Philip Leonides
Honor Kneafsey as Josephine Leonides
Christian McKay as Roger Leonides
Amanda Abbington as Clemency Leonides
Gillian Anderson as Magda Leonides
Christina Hendricks as Brenda Leonides
Preston Nyman as Eustace Leonides
John Heffernan as Laurence Brown

Step Sisters (2017)

Jamilah (Echikunwoke) knows what she wants out of life and goes after it.  She was the president of her sorority, captain of their step team, works for Dean Berman (Brown), and now has her sights set on Harvard Law School.  She needs a letter of recommendation from her parents, Langston (L. Warren Young) and Yvonne (Sheryl Lee Ralph), who are alumni.  They refuse to the write the recommendation, so she turns to the Dean for help.

The hard-partying girls of the Sigma Beta Beta franchise have embarrassed the college.  The Dean agrees to write a glowing recommendation letter, if Jamilah agrees to fix the reputation of the Sigma Beta Beta's.  She reluctantly agrees to turn the girls into a step team... but doesn't want anyone else to know.  The Sigma Beta Beta's fight constantly and don't respect each other.  Their leader, Danielle (Smith), hates the idea, but agrees to the deal.  The only one who is excited about the team is Jamilah's friend Beth (Sher).  Can Jamilah help the Sigma Beta Beta's get back on track and get her letter for Harvard?


Step-dancing or stepping has been a staple of traditionally black fraternities and sororities since the 1900s.  It is still popular in the Greek systems.

Like most dance films, the story isn't great.  The beginning is rough, but it gets better in the second half.  The dances, choreographed by Aakomon Jones, are great: intricate and mesmerizing.  Director Charles Stone III, who also directed Drumline, keeps the main focus on the dance so that you don't miss anything.  The dances are the main reason to watch.

The film was originally supposed to premiere in theaters in 2017, but that fell through and later that year Netflix acquired the distribution rights.

Overall, it is ok but not great.

Step Sisters (2017) 108 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, partying, language and drug references
Director: Charles Stone III
Starring: Megalyn Echikunwoke as Jamilah
Lyndon Smith as Danielle
Eden Sher as Beth
Gage Golightly as Libby
Alessandra Torresani as Amber
Nia Jervier as Saundra
Marque Richardson as Kevin
Robert Curtis Brown as Dean Berman
Matt McGorry as Dane
Naturi Naughton as Aisha
Ashlee Brie Gillum as Cheryl

Persuasion (1995)

"Women without children are the very best preservers of furniture."

Anne Elliot (Root) is misunderstood by her self-absorbed family.  She is reserved and focused on other people, while mending a broken heart.  With her father, Baronet Sir Walter Elliot (Redgrave), facing financial ruin, the family is forced to retrench their estate at Kellynch Hall.  Sir Elliot departs for Bath with his oldest daughter Elizabeth (Nicholls) and her companion Mrs. Clay (Dean), leaving Anne to pack everything to join them.  She is also obligated to visit her younger sister Mary Musgrove (Thompson).

Mary and her husband Charles (Beale) live in the country in close proximity to his family.  Mary is always complaining and regularly at odds with her in-laws, but the Musgrove family loves when Anne visits.  While Anne is staying with the Musgroves, they are joined by Naval Captain Frederick Wentworth (Hinds).  Eight years prior, Captain Wentworth proposed to Anne, but on the advice of family friend Lady Russell (Fleetwood), she turned him down and he left town.  Now, he is wealthy, successful, and looking for a wife.  No one knows about their past relationship and he treats her coolly.  Can Anne find love and happiness again?


"Persuasion" was Jane Austen's final novel.  The novel was published in 1817 and is the most mature and subtle of Austen's works.  It has only been adapted 4 times: a BBC miniseries in 1960, a British TV serial in 1971, this film, and a BBC TV film in 2007.  This film is considered the best adaptation of the novel.

Nick Dear wrote the screenplay for this film, laboring over it for 2 years.  He had the difficult task of bringing a mostly internal story to life.  This was Roger Michell's film debut, previously working in theatre.  He wanted the film to feel authentic and filmed on-location with all-natural lighting.  The cast wore minimal makeup.  Costume designer Alexandra Byrne wanted the costumes to look realistic.  The lighting and costumes help tell the mostly visual story.

Prior to watching this film, I was not familiar with the story.  I was lucky enough to watch the film with a group of friends who love Austen novels and appreciate the little details / moments in these films.  I enjoyed the film and can't wait to read the novel.

Persuasion (1995) 104 minutes
Director: Roger Michell
Starring: Amanda Root as Anne Elliot
Ciaran Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth
Susan Fleetwood as Lady Russell
Corin Redgrave as Sir Walter Elliot
Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Croft
John Woodvine as Admiral Croft
Phoebe Nicholls as Elizabeth Elliot
Samuel West as Mr. Elliot
Sophie Thompson as Mary Musgrove
Judy Cornwell as Mrs. Musgrove
Simon Russell Beale as Charles Musgrove
Felicity Dean as Mrs. Clay
Roger Hammond as Mr. Musgrove
Emma Roberts as Louisa Musgrove
Victoria Hamilton as Henrietta Musgrove

Mr. Wong, Detective

Simon Dayton (Hamilton) believes his life is in danger and asks detective James Wong (Karloff) to investigate.  Just before they are scheduled to meet, Dayton is found dead in his locked office.  The police, led by Captain Sam Street (Withers), were already on site to deal with a disgruntled employee: Carl Roemer (St. Polis), who threatened Dayton with a gun.

Captain Street's main suspect is Roemer, but he agrees to work with Mr. Wong to investigate every possible suspect.  Dayton and his business partners, Theodore Meisel (Gould) and Christian Wilk (Atchley), are in the middle of a big deal and just signed an agreement regarding their shares of the company.  Mr. Wong finds glass shards of glass in the room and suspects that it has something to do with Dayton's death.  Can Mr. Wong find the murderer before anyone else is hurt?


The film is based on the Hugh Wiley's "James Lee Wong" Series in Collier's Magazine.  Wiley wrote 12 short stories for Collier's Magazine from 1934 to 1938.  Monogram Pictures produced 6 films about Mr. Wong: Mr. Wong, Detective in 1938, The Mystery of Mr. Wong in 1939, Mr. Wong in Chinatown in 1939, The Fatal Hour in 1940, Doomed to Die in 1940, and Phantom of Chinatown in 1940.  William Nigh directed the first five films, with Boris Karloff as the title role.

The film is entertaining and Karloff is good in the role.  The rest of the cast is ok, but none are as good as Karloff.  Mr. Wong is a good character, and I am intrigued to see where the series takes the character next.

Mr. Wong, Detective (1938) 69 minutes
Director: William Nigh
Starring: Boris Karloff as Mr. James Lee Wong
Grant Withers as Captain Sam Street
Maxine Jennings as Myra Ross
Evelyn Brent as Olga Petroff / Countess Dubois
George Lloyd as Detective Lt. Devlin
Lucien Prival as Baron Von Krantz
John St. Polis as Carl Roemer
William Gould as Theodore Meisel
Hooper Atchley as Christian Wilk
John Hamilton as Simon Dayton

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

"My dear chap, I never would have dreamt of depriving you of your moment of triumph.  Alas, a moment was all I could spare."

During the French Revolution, an Englishman known as the Scarlet Pimpernel is rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine.  The Scarlet Pimpernel is actually British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Andrews) and his friends, who use careful planning and makeup to deceive the French.  Blakeney plays the fool to avoid suspicion.

The French leaders, under Robespierre (Morant), want to catch and destroy the Scarlet Pimpernel.  Robespierre orders Paul Chauvelin (McKellen) to find the Pimpernel.  Chauvelin wants to use this task to solidify his position of power.  Chauvelin is dating actress Marguerite St. Just (Seymour), who also catches Blakeney's eye.  Blakeney reveals his true identity to Marguertie's brother, Armand St. Just (Jamieson), and asks him to work undercover to spy for the Pimpernel.

Can Blakeney maintain the charade while he falls for and courts Marguerite, and still stay a step ahead of Chauvelin?


This film is based on Baroness Orczy's novels "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Eldorado".  Orczy wrote 15 novels about the Scarlet Pimpernel over the course of 30+ years.  The first novel in the series, "The Scarlet Pimpernel", was written in 1905.  "Eldorado" is the 4th book in the series and was written in 1913.  Both books serve as the story for most film / TV versions of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Filmmakers started adapting the stories to film in 1919 with The Elusive Pimpernel (based on the novel of the same name).  The first novel was adapted to film in 1934, The Scarlet Pimpernel, under the direction of Harold Young and starring Leslie Howard as the title character.

I was first introduced to the character of the Scarlet Pimpernel through the 1997 Broadway show "The Scarlet Pimpernel", starring Douglas Sills.  The show was nominated for 3 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

A dear friend recommended this film, which she claimed was the best version of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  I had reservations when the film began, but they quickly disappeared.  The story, written by William Bast, is great and keeps the action and plot moving forward and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.  The setting and costumes are great, particularly the gowns worn by Jane Seymour's Marguerite.  The duel at the end is also well-done.

The cast is also wonderful.  Anthony Andrews is superb as Percy.  He captures your attention / fascination from the beginning and makes it look easy to alternate between Sir Percy Blakeney's personas: diving headfirst into playing the fool or seriously tackling the next obstacle.  He is funny and charming and you understand why his friends are willing to risk their lives and follow him.  Ian McKellen is a great choice for Paul Chauvelin.  He is passionate and menacing.  Jane Seymour doesn't get to have as much fun as her male co-stars, but she is good in the role.

I highly recommend this film, which gets better with each viewing.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) 142 minutes
Director: Clive Donner
Starring: Anthony Andrews as Sir Percy Blakeney / The Scarlet Pimpernel
Jane Seymour as Marguerite St. Just
Ian McKellen as Paul Chauvelin
James Villiers as Baron de Batz
Malcolm Jamieson as Armand St. Just
Eleanor David as Louise
Richard Morant as Robespierre
Dominic Jephcott as Sir Andrew Ffoulkes
Christopher Villiers as Lord Anthony Dewhurst
Denis Lill as Count de Tournay
Ann Firbank as Countess de Tournay
Tracey Childs as Suzanne de Tournay
Julian Fellowes Prince of Wales

Oscar Picks 2018

Once again it's time to predict the Oscar winners.  This is my 12th set of predictions.  Last year I saw 10 of the nominated film, and correctly predicted 7 of 8 categories (I don't predict all of them).  This year I saw 7 films (for the full list of nominees, go to the Academy Awards website):

Baby Driver
The Big Sick
The Boss Baby
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Marshall
Victoria & Abdul

Baby Driver is nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing
The Big Sick is nominated for Best Original Screenplay

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is nominated for Best Visual Effects

Kong: Skull Island is nominated for Best Visual Effects
Marshall is nominated for Best Original Song ("Stand Up for Something")

Alright, let's get to the main event:

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All the Money In the World

*Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Sam Rockwell

I haven't seen any of these films, but Rockwell has been winning all awards.  If he doesn't win, I expect Willem Dafoe to take home the prize.

Best Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

*Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Allison Janney
Allison Janney is a fantastic actress, and based on the reviews I have read she is phenomenal in this role.  If she doesn't win, then Laurie Metcalf will probably win.

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

*Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Gary Oldman

Daniel Day-Lewis is planning to retire after the Phantom Thread, so the Academy may choose to award his final film.  But the buzz calls in favor of Gary Oldman.

Best Actress

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

*Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

Saoirse Ronan

I don't know who will win, but I've heard good things about Ronan's performance.

Best Director

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

*Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Jordan Peele or Christopher Nolan

Both Peele and Nolan directed (and wrote) memorable and buzz-worthy films.  I expect to see one of them walk away with the prize.

Best Animated Film

The Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

*Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

Coco

Coco will probably win.  The other films should just be happy to be nominated.

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

*The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Dunkirk or Get Out

The prize will probably go to The Shape of Water, but I'm calling it for Dunkirk or Get Out.

*EDIT: 5 of 7
I'm counting Best Picture, since I expected The Shape of Water to win.  Once again I didn't watch the show, but I read about the highlights.  I'm still planning to watch a few of the nominees.