Downton Abbey (2019)

"After all these years you still astonish me."

"Oh good, I'm glad I'm a revelation and not a disappointment."

In 1927, excitement comes to Downton Abbey with news that the king and queen will be visiting the estate during the royal tour.  King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) will stay at Downton Abbey, after a royal parade through town and a dinner.  The staff are thrilled to have royalty in their house, other than Daisy (McShera), and bring back Mr. Molesley (Doyle) to help.  But their dreams are dashed when they learn that the royal servants will handle all aspects of the visit.  The royal butler, Mr. Wilson (David Haig), takes control of the house, causing Lady Mary Talbot (Dockery) to ask Mr. Carson (Carter) to come back and oversee the royal visit.

The Dowager Countess of Grantham (Smith) is gearing up for a fight with Lady Bagshaw (Staunton), the Queen's Lady in Waiting.  Lady Bagshaw is a close cousin who has been feuding with the Dowager for years over who will inherit her estate.  Robert (Bonneville) does not condone the feud and wants the visit to go well.

Everyone is worried about what Tom Branson (Leech) will do, and he is tailed by Major Chetwode (Stephen Campbell Moore).  And the staff are trying to find a way around the royal servants.  Will the royal visit go off without a hitch?


After the Downton Abbey series ended, fans have been asking for more.  The cast and creator Julian Fellowes were eager to return to the story / characters.

The Good:
Almost all of the original cast are back for the movie.  It feels like a natural progression for the characters and it felt like returning to an old friend.  The new characters are good and add to the story.

The Bad:
There was one side plot that kept halting the main story and was unnecessary.  Without it, the film would have been better.

Other Comments:
-As always, Maggie Smith gets the best lines.  She gets to command the screen and the other characters, and still have time to argue with Penelope Wilton's Isobel.
-I wish Matthew Goode was in more of the film.
-The film ends with potential for a sequel.  Apparently the creator and cast are interested in a potential sequel.

Downton Abbey (2019) 122 minutes
Director: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
Laura Carmichael as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson
Raquel Cassidy as Miss Baxter
Brendan Coyle as Mr. Bates
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Talbot
Kevin Doyle as Mr. Molesley
Michael C. Fox as Andy Parker
Joanna Froggatt as Anna Bates
Matthew Goode as Henry Talbot
Harry Hadden-Paton as Bertie Pelham, Marquess of Hexham
Rob James-Collier as Mr. Barrow
Allen Leech as Tom Branson
Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Carson
Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
Sophie McShera as Daisy
Lesley Nicol as Mrs. Patmore
Douglas Reith as Dickie Grey, Baron Merton
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Penelope Wilton as Isobel Grey, Baroness Merton
Tuppence Middleton as Lucy Smith
Imedla Staunton as Lady Maud Bagshaw

Oscar Picks 2020

This is my 14th year of predicting the Oscar winners.  Last year I saw 5 of the nominated film and correctly predicted 5 of 7 categories (I don't predict them all).  This year I saw 1 film (for the full list of nominees, go to the Academy Awards website), so I'm going to make some wild guesses:

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is nominated for Best Visual Effects

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Tom Hanks
Brad Pitt has the buzz going into tonight's show, so he will probably win. However, I am more excited about Hanks take on Fred Rogers.


Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Laura Dern
Darn has the buzz and has been collecting awards for her role, so I expect her to win.


Best Actor
Antonio, Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Joaquin Phoenix
I have interest in seeing The Joker, but it seems like he is the frontrunner for this award.


Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy

Renee Zellweger
I honestly don't know what to expect here, but the Academy loves to give awards to people playing real people, so I'm going to call it for her.


Best Director
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Quentin Tarantino or Bong Joon-ho
Tarantino always makes fascinating films, and this one is a hit. Joon-ho also has some buzz (his film is nominated for Best Picture and Best International Feature Film), so he could take home the statue. If anyone else can take the prize, it could be Sam Mendes.


Best Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4
I'm surprised that Frozen 2 was not nominated for this award, so I'm going to call it for the Pixar nomination.


Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

1917
For the camera work alone, I expect this to win.


I hope Knives Out wins for Best Original Screenplay. I expect "Into the Unknown" to win Best Original Song.


Edit: 5 out of 7, which has been my score for the last few years.  I am pleasantly surprised that Parasite took home the prize for both Best International Feature Film and Best Picture.  I don't know why Downton Abbey was not nominated for Best Costume Design, because the costumes are phenomenal (and period accurate, just like they were on the TV show).
I don't know that this changes my desire to see any of the films... but I do plan to watch Frozen 2, Knives Out, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Toy Story 4.

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

"You're not playing with a full deck, are you?"

"Oh, I don't play cards."

The 16th precinct is the worst in the city.  Crime rates are up, thanks to a gang of teenage hooligans led by Zed (Goldthwait).  Chief Henry Hurst (George R. Robertson) threats to fire Captain Pete Lassard (Hesseman) unless he can fix the problem.  He is given 30 days and 6 new officers, but his second-in-command, Lieutenant Captain Mauser (Metrano) vows to destroy the precinct so he can be the new captain.

Lassard's brother, Commandant Eric Lassard (Gaynes), sends his best officers to help: Mahoney (Guttenberg), Hightower (Smith), Tackleberry (Graf), Jones (Winslow), Fackler (Mahler), and Hooks (Ramsey).  Mauser immediately clashes with the group and sabotages everything they do.  Hooks is sent to dispatch, Fackler is paired with a lazy senior cop, Hightower is sent to the streets, Tackleberry is on motorcycle duty with Sergeant Kirkland (Camp), and Mahoney is paired with slob Officer Schtulman (Van Norden) and his dog.

The city is frustrated by the gang and doesn't trust the police.  Can the new officers help save the precinct, or will they be forced to suffer under Mauser?


This is the second film (of 7) in the Police Academy franchise: Police Academy in 1984, Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol in 1987, Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach in 1988, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989, and Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow in 1994.  There were also 2 television shows.  The live-action Police Academy: The Series from 1997-1998 and Police Academy: The Animated Series in 1989.  There have been rumors of an 8th film in the franchise since the early 2000s, but it has yet to materialize.

The Good:
This film brings back 6 of the cadets from the first film, along with an extended cameo by Commandant Lassard.  The things that work from the first film are again used here: Mahoney clashing with leaders, Jones' sound effects, etc.

The Bad:
The returning characters do not have as much to do.  They are still funny, but they have to make room for the new characters.  The new characters are fine, but they don't all work as well as the film things they do.  Bobcat Goldthwait's Zed is ridiculous, but manageable.  Tim Kazurinsky's Carl seems shoehorned in... his interactions with Zed are funny, but they couldn't find a good reason to keep bringing him into the action.  Art Metrano is their main antagonist in the police force, replacing G.W. Bailey's Lieutenant Harris.  He is fine, but Bailey's Harris was a better antagonist.

Other Comments:
-The action moves outside the academy and to an actual police precinct.
-Howard Hesseman makes his only appearance in the series as Lassard's brother and the the leader of the precinct.
-Good, but not great.

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) 87 minutes
Director: Jerry Paris
Starring: Steve Guttenberg as Officer Carey Mahoney
Bubba Smith as Officer Moses Hightower
David Graf as Officer Eugene Tackleberry
Michael Winslow as Officer Larvell Jones
Bruce Mahler as Officer Douglas Fackler
Marion Ramsey as Officer Laverne Hooks
Colleen Camp as Sergeant Kathleen Kirkland
Howard Hesseman as Captain Pete Lassard
Art Metrano as Lieutenant Captain Mauser
Peter Van Norden as Officer Vinnie Schtulman
Lance Kinsey as Sergeant Proctor
George Gaynes as Commandant Eric Lassard
Bob Goldthwait as Zed McGlunk
Tim Kazurinsky as Carl Sweetchuck