Mistletoe and Menorahs

Christy (Jakle) loves Christmas.  She loves the traditions and goes all-out each year.  This dedication also applies to her job in sales at a toy company.  She is up for a promotion and needs to land a big account.  Her love of the holidays impresses client David Berger (Shore), who invites her to his annual holiday party.  Christy is thrilled by the invitation, until she learns that it is a Hanukkah party.  She needs to become a Hanukkah expert in a week.

Her best friend Samantha (Lee) offers a solution, her son's teacher Jonathan Silver (Epstein).  Jonathan celebrates Hanukkah, but wants to learn about Christmas to impress his girlfriend Heather's (Kathryn Kohut).  Despite a shaky start they agree to team up: Jonathan can teach Christy about Hanukkah, and she can teach him about Christmas.  They meet each day to share the history, culture, food, and traditions of the seasons.  But can all their hard work pay-off in time?  And will their respective relationships survive?

This is a Lifetime holiday film.

The Good:

The film takes both Hanukkah and Christmas seriously, devoting equal amounts of time to explaining the holiday traditions.  With Hanukkah, it is the history and why things are important.  It works without feeling overly preachy.  The leads work well on their own and together.  Kelley Jakle has a beautiful voice and gets to showcase it at the party.  Jake Epstein also has the opportunity to sing in the film and does so with gusto.

The Bad:

Not overly memorable.  Some of the side characters (the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the "villain", and the grandma) don't have much personality.  They aren't bad, just boring.

Other Comments:

-Originally titled "A Merry Holiday", but I think the official title "Mistletoe & Menorahs" fits better with this story - both mistletoe and Menorahs are plot points.

-It's a Lifetime Christmas Movie, so you know what to expect.  OK, but not great.

Mistletoe & Menorahs (2019) 85 minutes

Director: Max McGuire
Starring: Kelley Jakle as Christy Dickinson

Jake Epstein as Jonathan Silver

Cory Lee as Samantha Ames

Jon McLaren as Peter Carlson

Xavier Sotelo as Pat Stone

Michael Gordin Shore as David Berger

Damien Doepping as Edgar

Mistletoe in Montana

The Cartwright family run a ranch in Montana.  Families stay at their cabin for an authentic ranch experience.  Merry (Hart) loves her life on the ranch, but also wants to share that part of her life with someone else.  Merry and her father, Stan (Sheridan), run the ranch alongside cook Jasper (Marra), Freddy (Terry), and Laura (Larracuente).

The week of Christmas, the Aguilar family comes to the ranch: tech genius Mark (Henry), his phone-obsessed daughter Becca (Butler), son Timmy (Hunter) and nanny Debbie (Bronwyn).  As the family embraces the quiet life on the ranch, sparks fly between Mark and Merry.  Are they willing to take a chance at love?

This is a Lifetime Original Christmas movie.  This is Melissa Joan Hart's 8th made-for-TV Christmas film, following: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007, ABC Family), The Santa Con (2014, Lifetime), Broadcasting Christmas (2016, Hallmark), A Very Merry Toy Store (2017, Lifetime), A Very Nutty Christmas (2018, Lifetime), Christmas Reservations (2019, Lifetime), and Dear Christmas (2020, Lifetime).

The Good:

Duane Henry and Melissa Joan Hart are a good pairing: both are charismatic and appealing and work well together.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Michael Grant Terry (who I loved as Wendell in Bones) and I enjoyed the other side characters.  The kids were ok.

The Bad:

The film is set in Montana in December, but there is minimal snow.  It doesn't seem to be too cold there: eat around a campfire, jackets are not zipped, the scene in the barn during the "blizzard".  The costuming was a little over-the-top - pretty, but do people actually dress like that every day?

Other Comments:

-Everything looks very pretty

-It's a Lifetime movie, so you know what you're getting: the plot is predictable, but not cloying.

-The side character romances also work... essentially everyone is paired up, other than Jamey Sheridan and the kids.  The couples have good chemistry.

-Enjoyable, but not great.

Mistletoe in Montana (2021) 83 minutes

Director: Kellie Martin

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart as Merry Cartwright

Duane Henry as Mark Aguilar

Jamey Sheridan as Stan Cartwright

Sam Marra as Jasper Yellow Springs

Harley Bronwyn as Debbie Smith

Michael Grant Terry as Freddy James

Danielle Larracuente as Laura Jones

Hero Hunter as Timmy Aguillar

Malian Butler as Becca Aguilar

The Lost City

"How do they keep finding us?"

"You're basically a walking disco ball."

Loretta Sage (Bullock) is the author of a popular romance series.  After the death of her husband 5 years ago, she became a recluse, avoiding life and her books.  She reluctantly finishes the latest book and agrees to a publicity tour, arranged by her publicist, Beth (Randolph).  Also on the tour is Alan (Tatum), the cover model on all of her books. Fans love Alan, but are unimpressed with Loretta.

Loretta is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Radcliffe).  Abigail is seeking the lost city and crown of fire that was referenced in Loretta's latest novel.  He believes Loretta is the only one who can help him find the treasure, as she understands the ancient language.  Time is not on their side, as the city is located on an island with an active volcano that will destroy the site.  He flies her to the island and forces her to translate the clue.

Meanwhile, Alan feels responsible for not protecting Loretta and sets out to find and save her.  He manages to rescue Loretta, with the help of a tracker, Jack (Pitt). But the rescue does not go as planned, leaving Alan and Loretta stranded on the island with no phones, no vehicle, no weapons, no map, and no clue how to survive in the wild.  Can they survive a real adventure and find the crown?

A loose remake of the 1984 film Romancing the Stone.

The Good:

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have good chemistry.  Their characters can carry scenes on their own, but are best when they are together.  Daniel Radcliffe is a solid villain, and easy to cheer against.  The Brad Pitt scenes are also a highlight.

The Bad:

The side characters don't have much to do and are not fully realized characters.  The leeches scene... they go for the cheap laugh and take it to far.

Other Comments:

-As stated above, the basic premise (romance author, lost in the jungle, goes a reluctant adventure in the jungle) is very similar to Romancing the Stone

-Oscar Nuñez has a small, but memorable role as a pilot who helps Beth.

-I didn't enjoy this film as much as expected.  The main cast is enjoyable and the story is interesting, but something is missing: it needs more than the charisma of the stars.

The Lost City (2022) 112 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language

Director: Aaron Nee and Adam Nee

Starring: Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage

Channing Tatum as Alan

Daniel Radcliffe as Abigail Fairfax

Da'Vine Randolph as Beth Hatten

Brad Pitt as Jack Trainer

Oscar Nuñez as Oscar

Patti Harrison as Allison

Jungle Cruise

"If you believe in legends, you should believe in curses too."

In 1916, Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt) is a scientist seeking the Tears of the Moon, a tree whose petals have magical powers to cure illnesses/injuries/curses.  The tree is considered a myth, sensationalized by the legend of Spanish conquistador Don Aguirre (Ramirez).  Aguirre and his men sought the tree and were cursed by the Puka Michuna tribe to become immortal, but bound to the Amazon River.  Lily's brother MacGregor (Whitehall) presents the research before the Royal Society, in hopes of finding the tree and using it's magical healing properties toward the war efforts.  The Royal Society refuses, refusing to acknowledge Lily or condone her pursuit of a myth.  Undeterred, Lily and MacGregor travel to Brazil with a stolen artifact.

Frank Wolff (Johnson) is the skipper on a cheap jungle cruise in Brazil.  He cons tourists, with a combination of terrible puns and fake danger.  He also attempts to stay a step ahead of harbormaster Nilo Nemolato (Giamatti), who he owes a sizable sum.  Lily and MacGregor hire Frank to take them down the Amazon River.  They are pursued by Prince Joachim (Plemons) who seeks the tree for Germany.

Prince Joachim is willing to do anything to gain his prize.  He finds and forms an alliance with the conquistadors.  Can Lily, MacGregor, and Frank survive the dangers of the adventure and find the Tears of the Moon before their foes?

Based on the Disney ride, also called Jungle Cruise.  The film has several references to the ride, including calling the tour guide "Skipper", the puns, the "backside of water", etc.

The Good:

It is an enjoyable, family-friendly adventure.  The story moves at a brisk pace, but never feels rushed.  Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt have good chemistry and easily embody their characters.  The story strikes a balance between comedy and adventure.  Jack Whitehall's MacGregor is the consistent comic relief.

The Bad:

The CGI on Proxima.  But as a whole, not much to complain about.

Other Comments:

-The film is also inspired by the 1951 film The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, which was Walt Disney's favorite film and the inspiration for the ride.  Most notably in Frank's attire, Lily's pants and name (Hepburn's middle name was Houghton).

-Feels reminiscent of The Mummy: female expert/adventurer and her charismatic but inept brother, reluctantly team up with the only guide who knows the terrain.  There is a cursed villain and adventure mixed with humor.  An added connection, Dwayne Johnson appeared in The Mummy Returns.

-Jesse Plemons' villain is over the top, but it works.

-A sequel is planned, but there are no specific details at this time.

Jungle Cruise (2021) 128 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff

Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton

Edgar Ramirez as Aguirre

Jack Whitehall as MacGregor Houghton

Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim

Paul Giamatti as Nilo Nemolato

Veronica Falcon as Trader Sam

Ticket to Paradise (2022)

"You know, for once you could back me up."

"I could.  But then I'd be wrong too."

David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) Cotton have been divorced for 20 years.  They hate each other and lead separate lives.  They are reunited at daughter Lily's (Dever) law school graduation and happily return to their own lives.

After graduation, Lily and her best friend Wren Butler (Lourd), travel to Bali for vacation.  Thirty seven days later, Lily announces that she is getting married and remaining in Bali.  Her fiancé is local seaweed farmer Gede (Bouttier).  David and Georgia travel to Bali, to talk Lily into returning home.

Gede's entire family is excited about the wedding.  David and Georgia give their blessing to Lily, while secretly agreeing to set aside their differences to sabotage the wedding.  Adding to the chaos, is the arrival of Georgia's young pilot boyfriend, Paul (Bravo), who has his own plans for the trip.  Can they enjoy the most beautiful place in the world and save their daughter?

This romantic comedy reunites George Clooney and Julia Roberts for their fifth collaboration, following 2001's Ocean's 11, 2002's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, 2004's Ocean's 12, and 2016's Money Monster.

The Good:

The film excels on the chemistry between it's leads and Clooney and Roberts do not disappoint.  The beer pong scene is a standout and got the biggest laugh from my theater.  They embrace some physical comedy, without veering into screwball comedy.

French actor Lucas Bravo has the thankless job of being both eye-candy and punching bag.  He does both well.  The rest of the cast also works well together and adds to the story.

The Bad:

No real complaints

Other Comments:

-The film is set in Bali, Indonesia, but was filmed in Queensland, Australia

-The scenery is beautiful

-The comedy works, without going for the cheap and easy laughs.

-A mindless, enjoyable film.  You know (or can speculate with some degree of accuracy) the outcome, but it is a fun ride.

Ticket to Paradise (2022) 104 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and brief suggestive material.

Director: Ol Parker

Starring: George Clooney as David Cotton

Julia Roberts as Georgia Cotton

Kaitlyn Dever as Lily Cotton

Billie Lourd as Wren Butler

Maxime Bouttier as Gede

Lucas Bravo as Paul

TV: Community

 

Disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger (McHale) is forced to enroll in Greendale Community College to complete his bachelor's degree.  Greendale is filled with eccentric teachers and students, and ridiculous classes.  In order to pass sadistic Spanish teacher Ben Chang's (Jeong) class, Winger forms a study group.  The group includes hypocritical activist Britta Perry (Jacobs), TV and film savant Abed Nadir (Pudi), cloying single mom Shirley Bennett (Brown), overachiever Annie Edison (Brie), star athlete Troy Barnes (Glover), and 10+ year Greendale student Pierce Hawthorne (Chase).

Despite their differences, the group form a family.  But can they survive the quirks of life at Greendale long enough to get their degrees?

During it's 6 seasons, Community had a cult following.  It embraced meta humor and pop culture references (some obvious, some thinly-veiled).

The Good:

The main cast have good chemistry.  The supporting characters are memorable, without taking the focus from the leads or main storylines.  The writers also do not take the obvious or easy path with the storylines.  The most memorable episodes take simple plots to the extreme, such as the paintball episodes, floor is lava, etc.

They also have fun with world building and call-backs to prior seasons.

The Bad:

There are some iffy episodes.  Season 4, aka the "gas leak season," is not as good as the other seasons... but it is still entertaining.

Other Comments:

-Seasons 1-5 aired on NBC and then moved to Yahoo! Screen for season 6

-Creator Dan Harmon ran the show in seasons 1-3 and returned (along with writers Chris McKenna and Dino Stamatopoulos) in seasons 5-6.

-David Guarascio and Moses Port helmed the show in season 4.  Subsequently this season, which is different from the others, is called the "gas leak year" in the show,

-The majority of the cast appeared in all seasons of the show.  However, 3 characters left early: Chevy Chase at the end of season 4, Donald Glover during season 5, and Yvette Nicole Brown at the end of  season 5

-My favorite episode is Season 3 episode 17 "Basic Lupine Urology", which is a smart "Law and Order" parody

-The show, and fans, touted the hashtag "Six Seasons and a Movie", which will soon come true: Peacock has ordered the film.  Dan Harmon and the majority of the cast will return for the film.

Community (2009-2015)

Creator: Dan Harmon

Joel McHale as Jeff Winger

Gillian Jacobs as Britta Perry

Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir

Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett

Alison Brie as Annie Edison

Donald Glover as Troy Barnes

Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne

Ken Jeong as Ben Chang

Jim Rash as Dean Pelton

Dino Stamatopoulos as Alex "Star-Burns" Osbourne

John Oliver as Professor Ian Duncan

Richard Erdman as Leonard

Luke Youngblood as Magnitude

Erik Charles Nielsen as Garrett

TV: Christy

In 1912, Christy Huddleston (Martin) moves from her home in the city, to live in the small community of Cutter Gap and serve as the schoolteacher. She was inspired by the stories from Quaker Alice Henderson (Daly). But life in the mountains is harder than Christy expects. The people do not trust her and are unwilling to accept help or charity.

As she tries to find a way to fit into the community, she connects with the other outsiders. She lives in the mission, alongside Miss Alice, the unmarried Reverend David Grantland (Batinkoff), and his spinster sister Ida (Annabella Price). She also impresses Dr. Neil MacNeill (Finlay-McLennan), who was born in town, but left to study medicine at a prestigious university. David and Dr. MacNeill are polar opposites, but share an interest in Christy. And she is captivated by both men.

Life is hard, but she quickly bonds with the children. Can she find her place in Cutter Gap and make a difference?

Based on the 1967 novel, Christy, by Catherine Marshall.

The Good:

Kellie Martin is great as Christy, both on screen and via the voiceovers. Tyne Daly is great as the voice of reason. The love interests have personalities and are interesting. The supporting cast is great as well.

The show strives for historical accuracy, without overdoing it.  There is also a clear message throughout the series about the people: their way of life will change as progress comes to Cutter Gap.  But it does not pity or mock their way of life.  The land itself - the woods, streams, and mountains - are like another character and are featured prominently throughout each episode.

They also do a good job of showing that no one is always right: Christy is right sometimes, the Reverend is right sometimes, etc.  The characters learn and grow.

The show is family-friendly and clean.

The Bad: 

The final episode ends on a cliffhanger. I wish there was a third season to finish the unresolved stories: who does Christy choose, does the town accept Daniel, etc.

Other Comments:

-The novel was inspired by Marshall's mother, Lenora, who was a schoolteacher in Appalachia.

-Won 1 Primetime Emmy Award in 1996, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Tyne Daly.

-Series ended on a cliffhanger.  It was resolved in 3 subsequent made-for-TV movies: Christy: A Return to Cutter Gap, Christy: A Change of Seasons, and Christy: A New Beginning.  Finlay-McLennan is the only main cast member to appear in the films.

-I loved this show when it originally aired and I still love it now!

Christy (1994-1995) 45-48 minutes

Creator: Patricia Green

Starring: Kellie Martin as Christy Huddleston

Randall Batinkoff as Reverend David Grantland

Stewart Finlay-McLennan as Dr. Neil MacNeill

Tyne Daly as Alice Henderson

Emily Schulman as Ruby Mae Morrison

Tess Harper as Fairlight Spencer

LeVar Burton is Daniel Scott

Bruce McKinnon as Jeb Spencer

Clay Jeter as Creed Allen

Andy Nicholas as Little Burl Allen

Kyle Hudgens as Sam Houston Holcombe

Alyssa Hmielewski as Mountie O'Teale

Frank Hoyt Taylor as Uncle Bogg

Jenny Krochmal as Zady Spencer

Jack Landry as Rob Allen

Uncharted (2022)

"Can't put a price on that."

"Yes you can. Four or five billion dollars."

Nathan Drake (Holland) makes ends meet by working as a bartender and pickpocket.  One day he meets Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Wahlberg), who claims to know Nathan's brother, Sam.  Sam and Nathan were raised in an orphanage until Sam ran away. Nathan has not seen or heard from his brother in years.

Sully offers Nathan a job: steal a golden cross from an auction.  The cross is a key will lead them to Magellan's treasure.  Their heist is impeded by Santiago Moncada's (Banderas) mercenaries, who also seek the treasure.  They manage to successfully steal the cross and reluctantly join forces with Chloe Frazer (Ali) who has the other cross.

They follow clues found in the journal of Juan Sebastian Elcano's, Magellan's navigator, to the location of the treasure.  Moncada's mercenaries, led by Jo Braddock (Gabrielle), are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the treasure first.  They pursue Nathan, Sully, and Chloe. Can Nathan find the treasure, evade Moncada's threats, and learn the truth about his brother?

Based on Sony's Uncharted video game franchise.  Since it's release in 2007, there have been 8 games in the franchise.

The Good:

The adventure kicks off from the opening moments: with a dramatic fall and action sequence that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  It is a solid action film with impressive stunts.  The treasure is based on history and feels like it has an actual purpose beyond just "ridiculous wealth".  It feels National Treasure, but in the Caribbean (seriously, the locations are beautiful).  Tom Holland is a charismatic lead and does well in the role.  Mark Wahlberg is also entertaining as the mentor character.  Holland and Wahlberg have decent chemistry and work well together.  Antonio Banderas is a decent villain / obstacle.  As a whole, it was a mindless action flick, but I was thoroughly entertained.

The Bad:

It drags a little in places.  The female characters are not memorable, despite their semi-prominent roles: Sophia Ali as the potential love interest and Tati Gabrielle as one of the villains.

Other Comments:

-There are 2 scenes during the credits. Both setup potential sequels.  If they made a sequel, I would definitely check it out.

- Nolan North, who portrayed Nathan in the game, has a cameo on the beach.

-I know next to nothing about the videogame, so I do not know how it holds up.

Uncharted (2022) 116 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for violence/action and language

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Tom Holland as Nathan Drake

Mark Wahlberg as Victor "Sully" Sullivan

Antonio Banderas as Santiago Moncada

Sophia Ali as Chloe Frazer

Tati Gabrielle as Jo Braddock

Rudy Pankow as Sam Drake

Manuel de Blas as Armando Moncada

Oscar Picks 2022

This is my 16th year of predicting the Oscar winners.  Last year I saw 3 of the nominated films and correctly predicted 4 of 7 categories (I don't predict them all).  This year I saw 10* films (for the full list of nominees, go to the Academy Awards website):

Attica

Dune

Encanto

Free Guy

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Nightmare Alley

Raya and the Last Dragon

Robin Robin

Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

West Side Story

Attica is nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Free Guy is nominated for Best Visual Effects.

Robin Robin (pictured above) is nominated for Best Animated Short Film

Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is nominated for Best Documentary Feature

*9 feature-length films and 1 short film.

Best Supporting Actor

Ciaran Hinds, Belfast

Troy Kotsur, CODA

Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog

J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

My Pick: Troy Kotsur

Kotsur seems to have the buzz in this category.  If not Kotsur, it will be Smit-McPhee, who the frontrunner.

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Judi Dench, Belfast

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

My Pick: Ariana DeBose

DeBose has been sweeping the award shows.  She steals the film and Rita Moreno previously won this award for her performance as the same character in the 1961 West Side Story film.

Best Actor

Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Andrew Garfield, tick, tick... Boom!

Will Smith, King Richard

Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

My Pick: Will Smith

This is Smith's 3rd nomination, and it feels like his time.  Cumberbatch could steal the win and never count out Washington, but it seems like Smith is poised for the win.

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos

Kristen Stewart, Spencer

My Pick: Olivia Colman or Penelope Cruz

This is a tight race - Chastain, Kidman, and Stewart are all portraying real people... but none of the films are successes.  Ultimately, I think it will come down to past winners Colman or Cruz.

Best Director

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car

Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

My Pick: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Campion seems to be the front-runner, up until she angered the internet.  She could still, potentially take the title... but I'm going to make a wild guess and call it for Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Best Animated Film

Encanto

Flee

Luca

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Raya and the Last Dragon

My Pick: Encanto

Encanto is a beautiful film, with catchy songs (including a nomination for "Dos Oruguitas" as Best Original Song), and it was made by Disney.  This seems like a no-brainer.  However, if any film has a chance to top it, it would be The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which has a unique vision and the backing of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Best Picture

Belfast

CODA

Don't Look Up

Drive My Car

Dune

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story

My Pick: The Power of the Dog or CODA

The Power of the Dog is the big, obvious choice.  This Netflix film has the most nominations (12) and lots of marketing.  However, CODA seems to be on the upswing.

Dune will sweep the visual and sound categories, but it won't win here.  Nightmare Alley is too weird.  Belfast, Drive My Car, and King Richard aren't big enough hits.  Licorice Pizza and Don't Look Up aren't big enough.  I love West Side Story, but 

I don't expect it to win. So it will come down to The Power of the Dog or CODA.

EDIT: 5 of 7, not bad.

Marry Me

Kat Valdez (Lopez) and her fiance Bastian (Maluma) wrote the hit song "Marry Me".  They decide to perform the song in concert and then get married live.  Over 20 million people are expected to stream the concert, in addition to the sold-out event.  During the concert, news breaks that Bastian cheated on Kat.  She is devastated.

Charlie Gilbert (Wilson) is a math teacher who was dragged to the concert by his friend Parker (Silverman) and daughter Lou (Coleman).  When Kat emerges on the stage in her wedding dress, Charlie is holding Parker's "Marry Me" sign.  As Kat talks to the audience, she sees Charlie with the sign and decides to try something different.  She calls Charlie to the stage and they get married.

In the aftermath, everyone is questioning Kat's sanity.  Her decision is mocked by the media, who call out her previous failed marriages.  To save face, Kat and her team want the marriage to last for a few months.  Her manager, Colin (Bradley), offers to make a sizable donation to Charlie's school, if he agrees to attend some interviews and public appearances as Kat's husband.  He agrees, as long as his commitment to Lou and his students are not impacted.

Kat's life is tightly scheduled.  Every day she is surrounded by Colin, her publicist Melissa (Buteau), her videographer Kofi (Khalil Middleton), and others.  She shills products, live-streams her life, and regularly attends events.  Charlie is focused on his students and strengthening his bond with Lou.  He has a low-tech phone, isn't familiar with Kat's music, and uncomfortable with the publicity.  Can they connect despite their differences?

The film is based on the graphic novel series "Marry Me" by Bobby Crosby.

The Good:

This film feels like a rom com from the 90s-00s, when both Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.  It is predictable, but relies on the charm of it's leads.  The side characters are funny, especially Stephen Wallem's teacher Mr. Pitts.  The film, bolstered by the catchy songs, is entertaining and enjoyable.

The Bad:

The song "Church".

Other Comments:

-The film features brand new songs performed by Jennifer Lopez and/or Maluma.  Maluma also has a writing credit on all of the songs he performs.

-"On My Way" is a stand-out.  It's not as flashy as the other songs, but it builds both the emotion and the volume with time.

-A solid rom-com that holds your attention and is an enjoyable ride.

Marry Me (2022) 112 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for some language and suggestive material

Director: Kat Coiro

Starring: Jennifer Lopez as Kat Valdez

Owen Wilson as Charlie Gilbert

Maluma as Bastian

John Bradley as Colin Calloway

Sarah Silverman as Parker Debbs

Chloe Coleman as Lou Gilbert

Michelle Buteau as Melissa

Stephen Wallem as Jonathan Pitts

Encanto

"Sometimes family weirdos get a bad rap."

The Madrigal family lives in the sentient Casita that is powered by a magic candle.  The candle also gifts the Madrigals with magical abilities:

• Pepa (Gaitan), Abuela's daughter, can control the weather.  Her husband is fun-loving Felix (Castillo).
• Julieta (Cepeda), Abuela's daughter, can heal people with food.  Her husband is accident-prone Agustin (Valderrama)
• Bruno (Leguizamo), Abuela's son, has the ability to to see the future.  He is estranged from the family.
• Isabela (Guerrero), Julieta's daughter, creates beautiful flowers
• Dolores (Adassa), Pepa's daughter, has incredible hearing
• Luisa (Darrow), Julieta's daughter, has superhuman strength
• Camilo (Feliz), Pepa's son, is a shapeshifter

The family, run by Abuela (Botero), uses their gifts to help the village.  Mirabel (Beatriz), Julieta's youngest daughter, is the only Madrigal without a gift.

On the day of Pepa's youngest son Antonio's (Cabot-Conyers) gift ceremony, Mirabel sees cracks in the Casita.  She believes that their magic is fading, but no one else believes her.  Mirabel sets out to find the what is causing the cracks.  But can she save the family, magic, and prove her worth?

This is Disney's 60th animated film.  This is an original story, penned by Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush (who directed the film with Byron Howard).  It is a musical, with songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a score by Germaine Franco.

The Good:

The songs are catchy and memorable.  My favorite is "We Don't Talk About Bruno", but they all are all good.  The film has a musicality, with the rhythm of the characters movements (both in song and in general).  It also has incredible motion.  The characters are interesting and the voice cast does a great job.  It is bright and colorful, while also embracing darker emotions.

The Bad:

No real complaints.

Other Comments:

-I thoroughly enjoyed this film.  I was familiar with some of the songs before watching the film, and that added to my enjoyment.

-Olga Merediz provided Abuela's singing voice.  Merediz and Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel) also appeared in the film In the Heights (based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's award winning Broadway musical).

-Alan Tudyk voices Antonio's toucan.  He has voiced at least one character in every Disney animated film since 2012: Wreck-It Ralph (King Candy), Frozen (Duke of Weselton), Big Hero 6 (Alistair Krei), Zootopia (Duke of Weaselton), Moana (Hei Hei), Ralph Breaks the Internet (Knows More), Frozen II  (multiple), and Raya and the Last Dragon (Tuk Tuk).

-Nominated for the 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated feature and Best Original Song (for "Dos Oruguitas").

-"Dos Oruguitas" is performed by Columbian singer/songwriter Sebastian Yatra.  Yatra also performs the English language version "Two Oruguitas" during the end credits.

-The film also features the wordless short "Far From the Tree"

Encanto (2021) 102 minutes

Director: Jared Bush & Byron Howard

Starring: Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal

Maria Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma Madrigal

John Leguizamo as Bruno Madrigal

Mauro Castillo as Felix Madrigal

Jessica Darrow as Luisa Madrigal

Angie Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal

Carolina Gaitan as Pepa Madrigal

Diane Guerrero as Isabela Madrigal

Wilmer Valderrama as Agustin Madrigal

Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal

Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio Madrigal

Adassa as Dolores Madrigal

Raya and the Last Dragon

"Okay. I can see how this makes me look like a liar."

"Actually, I think it was the lying that makes you look like a liar."

Five hundred years ago, the peaceful kingdom of Kumandra is plagued by the evil Druun.  Druun are dark spirits that turn their victims to stone.  The kingdom is saved when Sisu (Awkwafina), the last dragon, creates a magical gem that destroys the Druun.  It also revives the people, but the dragons remain petrified.  Without the dragons and their magic, the kingdom divides into 5 tribes: Heart, Fang, Tail, Talon, and Spine.  Each tribe wants to control Sisu's gem, leading to distrust between the tribes.

Heart, under the leadership of Chief Benga (Kim), protects the gem.  Benga trains his daughter, Princess Raya (Tran) to be a guardian of the gem, while also dreaming of a future where the tribes are reunited.  He invites the other tribes to a banquet, to begin repairing relationships.  Raya befriends Namaari (Chan), the daughter of the Fang Chief, Virana (Oh).  But she is betrayed and the tribes break the gem into 5 pieces.  As the tribes grab pieces of the gem, the Druun return and wreak havoc on the kingdom.  Benga entrusts Raya with a piece of the gem, before sacrificing himself to save her.

Six years later, Raya and her pet Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk) are trying to find Sisu, who is rumored to still be in the kingdom.  Their search leads to an old shipwreck, where Raya is able to summon Sisu.  After Sisu is able to access new magic by touching Raya's piece of the gem, they decide to collect the pieces and restore the gem.  As they travel through the kingdom, their progress is followed by Namaari, who is still at odds with Raya.  Can they restore the gem and the kingdom before the Druun destroy their world?

This is the 59th Disney animated film.  It is an original story, inspired by the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Phillippines, and Laos.

The Good:

The film does a good job fleshing out the kingdom of Kumandra and distinguishing the differences between the tribes.  The main characters are a good mix of emotion and funny.  The action sequences are well-done and memorable.  The cast is great and capture the range of emotions that the story requires.

The Bad:

No real complaints.

Other Comments:

-I thoroughly enjoyed Little Noi and the Ongis.

-Nominated for the 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) 107 minutes

Director: Don Hall & Carlos Lopez Estrada

Starring: Kelly Marie Tran as Raya

Awkwafina as Sisu

Gemma Chan as Namaari

Izaac Wang as Boun

Daniel Dae Kim as Chief Benga

Benedict Wong as Tong

Sandra Oh as Chief Virana

Thalia Tran as Little Noi

In the Heights

It's a hot week in Washington Heights and the power goes out. Usnavi (Ramos) runs a Bodega in the heart of the block. He is the go-to location for morning coffee or other items at a reasonable price.  The block is disappearing as rent goes up and local businesses are replaced by expensive new shops.

Everyone in the Heights has big dreams.  Usnavi wants to return to Dominican Republic and reopen his father's business. His cousin Sonny (Diaz) dreams of going to college.  Nina (Grace) made it out of the Heights and all the way to Stanford, but she was unable to pay tuition and returned home in disgrace.  Vanessa (Barrera) works at Daniela's (Rubin-Vega) salon, but dreams of becoming a designer.  Benny (Hawkins) wants to be a successful business man, but works for Nina's dad.  When they learn that Usnavi's Bodega sold a lottery ticket for $96,000, can the money make their dreams come true?

The film adaptation of the 2008 Broadway show "In the Heights". The show was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics) and Quiara Alegria Hudes (book) and won 4 Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations).

The screenplay, written by Hudes, is slightly different from the show: some songs are removed and 2 of the storylines are updated to reflect the times.  Miranda served as a producer for the film.

The Good:

The songs are great.  There are several big production numbers, culminating in the songs "96,000" and "Carnaval del Barrio" that feature most of the main characters.  Olga Merediz is wonderful as Abuela Claudia.  I also enjoyed Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny.  

The Bad:

The film is too long and drags in places.  Usnavi narrating the story to a group of children doesn't work... it is a nice idea, but stops the plot and adds unnecessary characters and time to the film.

Other Comments:

-Original Broadway cast members appear in the film: Merediz reprised her role as Abuela Claudia, Miranda (original Usnavi) is the piragua guy, Christopher Jackson (original Benny) is the Mr. Softee Driver, Seth Stewart (original Graffiti Pete) has a cameo as the club bartender, Javier Munoz (original Usnavi standby and Usnavi on national tour) has a cameo, and Doreen Montalvo (Ensemble and Abuela Claudia understudy) has a cameo.

-The cast includes several Broadway stars, including Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela and Patrick Page plays Pike Phillips.

-Overall, I enjoyed the film, but definitely got distracted during the slower moments.

In the Heights (2021) 143 minutes 

Rating: PG-13 for some language and suggestive references 

Director: Jon M. Chu

Starring: Anthony Ramos as Usnavi de la Vega

Melissa Barrera as Vanessa Morales

Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario

Corey Hawkins as Benny

Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia 

Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario

Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny de la Vega

Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela

Stephanie Beatriz as Carla

Dascha Polanco as Cuca 

Noah Catala as Graffiti Pete