Red One (2024)

"Is this something that happens to you a lot?"

"Unexplained piano in the middle of a German highway? No, this is rare."

Santa Claus (Simmons) is kidnapped from the North Pole on Christmas Eve. His security team, led by Callum Drift (Johnson) turn to MORA, Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, for answers. Director Zoe Harlow (Liu) shares that their location was revealed by Jack O'Malley (Evans). O'Malley is a mercenary who can find anyone for a price. He is also on the naughty list.

O'Malley is hired by MORA to help locate Santa. He is forced to work with Callum, despite their protests. O'Malley is also reluctantly trying to be a good dad to his son Dylan (Kimmel). Can Callum and O'Malley set aside their differences to rescue Santa and save Christmas?

A new Christmas movie that pulls in lots of Christmas folklore and action.

The Good:

The pairing of Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans works well. The action sequences also work well.

The Bad:

Not necessarily bad, but this is a darker take on Christmas. Includes Krampus and Christmas witch Gryla. The snowmen were creepy. I did not love the scene at Krampus' party.

Has too many ideas and not enough time to fully flesh things out. It also drastically changes tone throughout. Maybe if this was a TV miniseries or 2 films it would be better.

Other Comments:

-Based on the trailers, I expected a comedy. However, it is an action movie with some comedic moments. 

-The story is an original concept from co-producer Hiram Garcia. The screenplay was written by Chris Morgan (who wrote many of the Fast and Furious films).

-Not bad, but also not going on my annual Christmas movie watch list. 

Red One (2024) 123 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for action, some violence, and language.

Director: Jake Kasdan

Starring: Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift

Chris Evans as Jack O'Malley

Lucy Liu as Zoe Harlow

J. K. Simmons as Santa Claus

Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus

Kristofer Hivju as Krampus

Kiernan Shipka as Grýla

Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Olivia

Wesley Kimmel as Dylan

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)

"That's a pageant I'd like to see!"

The Herdmans are the worst kids in town. They smoke, steal, curse, and ignore authority. No one wants to deal with them, including adults. Imogene (Schneider) is the toughest, Gladys (Heiman) hits everyone, and the boys, Ralph (Nelligan), Ollie (Moore), Claude (Lamb), and Leroy (Wood), beat up anyone that gets in their way.

The town of Emmanuel is known for it's annual Christmas pageant. This year they are celebrating the 75th anniversary and advertising everywhere. The usual director breaks both her legs, so Grace Bradley (Greer) volunteers to take over. She has copious notes and history, but that all goes away when thr Herdman family volunteers for all the lead roles: Imogene as Mary, Ralph as Joseph, Gladys as the angel, and the rest of the boys as wise men.

The Herdmans don't know the story and want to change it to add in violence and vengeance. Grace insists it will be the best pageant ever, but everyone else, including her husband Bob (Holmes) and children Beth (Wright) and Charlie (Billingsley-Rodriguez), think the Herdmans will ruin the pageant. They all want Grace to kick them out of the show, but no one is willing to stand up to them. Will the pageant survive the Herdmans?

Based on the 1972 book "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson. 

The Good:

The story is faithful to the book, while expanding on some elements. Judy Greer is great as Grace. The role of Bob is expanded here and Pete Holmes makes it work. He is funny (he said the quote above) and supportive. The kids are all good as well, with Gladys as a standout, because we all know a kid like Gladys.

It is funny, with heart and a tearful finale.

The Bad:

No real complaints.

Other Comments:

-The story was previously adapted for film in 1983.

-I love the book and the 1983 film (which I try to watch every year), so I was excited about this film. I was not disappointed.  It is funny and serious and moving and the kids are great. I definitely want to see this film again!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024) 95 minutes 

Director: Dallas Jenkins 

Starring: Judy Greer as Grace Bradley

Pete Holmes as Bob Bradley

Molly Belle Wright as Beth Bradley

Lauren Graham as Narrator

Beatrice Schneider as Imogene Herdman

Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez as Charlie Bradley

Matthew Lamb as Claude Herdman

Essek Moore as Ollie Herdman

Kirk B.R. Woller as Reverend Hopkins

Ewan Wood as Leroy Herdman

Mason D. Nelligan as Ralph Herdman

Kynlee Heiman as Gladys Herdman

The Noel Diary

"You know that saying "Time heals all wounds"?"

"Hmm."

"It doesn't."

Jake Turner (Hartley) is a best selling author. He enjoys the success, but prefers to be alone, with only his dog Ava for company. As he settles in for a quiet Christmas, he learns that his mother died and left him the house.

Jake is reluctant to return to his childhood home and memories. But he is interrupted by Rachel Campbell (Doss) who is looking for information about her mother. Jake and Rachel tackle cleaning out the house and while looking for answers. Can they find the closure they both need and open up to something new?

This is a Netflix Christmas movie, based on the novel "The Noel Diary" by Richard Paul Evans.

The Good:

This is not your typical Christmas film. It isn't afraid to tackle grief and past trauma, while still moving forward the romance and story. The story is not overly predictable, but also gives audiences what they expect. 

The leads are good and have a believable chemistry. 

The Bad:

It drags a bit, but also doesn't feel long enough. 

Other Comments:

-The dog, Ava, is an Australian Shepherd. Ava is my favorite character. 

-Enjoyable, I would watch this again.

The Noel Diary (2022) 100 minutes 

Director: Charles Shyer

Starring: Justin Hartley as Jake Turner

Barrett Doss as Rachel Campbell

Essence Atkins as Noel Ellis

Bonnie Bedelia as Ellie Foster

James Remar as Scott Turner

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

"As I've suspected, you've broken your funny bone!"

Mailman Special Delivery "S.D." Kluger (Astaire) is delivering letters to the North Pole. Many of the letters ask questions about Santa Claus and other Christmas traditions. S.D. tells the story of Santa's origin.

Kris (Rooney) was raised by the Kringle family, who teach him to make toys for children. The Kringle family long to share their toys with children, but cannot cross the mountain and the Winter Warlock (Wynn). As a young man, Kris makes the trip and delivers toys to the children of Sombertown. However, the Burgermeister Meisterburger (Frees) who runs the town has outlawed toys. Can Kris change Meisterburger and Sombertown?

This film is a stop-motion Rankin-Bass Christmas classic. 

The Good:

As usual, the voice cast is excellent. Fred Astaire is a good Narrator and gets to sing the title song. Keenan Wynn is good as Winter Warlock. Rankin-Bass regular Paul Frees gets to ham it up in multiple roles. Mickey Rooney is a decent Santa. He would continue to voice Kris Kringle/Santa Claus in 3 subsequent Rankin-Bass Christmas movies: The Year Without a Santa Claus in 1974, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July in 1980, and A Miser Brothers' Christmas in 2008.

The Bad:

Some parts and songs did not age well. "Be Prepare to Pay" is cringey, but catchy. And "My World is Beginning Today" is very fated.

Other Comments:

-The best song, outside of the title song, is "Put One Foot in Front of the Other".

-It's good and has become a Christmas classic that plays on TV and streaming services every year.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) 51 minutes

Director: Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass

Starring: Fred Astaire as Special Delivery "S.D." Kluger

Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle

Keenan Wynn as Winter Warlock

Robie Lester as Miss Jessica

Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsley, Topper, and more

Joan Gardner as Tanta Kringle

The Santa Stakeout

Detectives Tanya Morris (Mowry-Housley) and Ryan Anderson (Campbell) disagree about everything. She is detail oriented and loves the holidays, while he follows gut instincts and avoids the holidays. A string of robberies a week before Christmas forces them to work together on a case. 

Their prime suspect, Francis Miller (Pantoliano), is a popular Santa who was working at all of the robbery locations. They rent the house next door and pose as newlyweds. To get close to Miller, they join his Christmas Committee. As they spend time together and with Miller they start to rethink everything. Could they be wrong about Miller and each other?

This is a Hallmark Christmas movie.

The Good:

The chemistry between Tamera Mowry-Housley and Hallmark regular Paul Campbell is good, as is their banter. Thr acting is good, especially for a Hallmark movie. The story embraces the Christmas spirit with a little mystery thrown in. Joe Pantoliano rides the line between suspicious and kind with ease.

The Bad:

The rest of the Christmas Committee is very one note. It's hard to remember their names and don't have distinct personalities. The story moves slow in places.

Other Comments:

-It's fine, but definitely not the best. A

Mowry-Housley, Campbell, and Pantoliano have all made better films.

The Santa Stakeout (2021) 84 minutes

Director: Peter Benson

Starring: Tamera Mowry-Housley as Detective Tanya Morris

Paul Campbell as Detective Ryan Anderson 

Joe Pantoliano as Francis Miller

Peter Bryant as Captain Fletcher

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

"Now give me that hat or else."

"Or else what?"

"Oh, well, don't bother me with details, give me that hat!"

The first snow of the season falls on Christmas Eve. Karen (Foray) and her friends build a snowman that they name Frosty. When magician Professor Hinkle's (De Wolfe) hat lands on his head, Frosty (Vernon) comes to life.

The kids and Frosty have fun until the temperatures start to rise. Karen decides to take him to the North Pole, the only place where he won't melt. Professor Hinkle wants his hat back and chases after them. Can they find a way to keep Karen warm and Frosty warm, while avoiding Professor Hinkle?

Based on the 1950s song "Frosty the Snowman ", written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson.

The Good:

The writer, Romeo Muller, adapted and expanded the song to fit into a TV special. Unlike previous Rankin-Bass specials, this embraces traditional 2D animation. They wanted it to look like a Christmas card, which works and brings heart to the story.

The characters are voiced by comedians. Jimmy Durante is a great choice as the Narrator. Jackie Vernon is warm and child-like as Frosty. Billy De Wolfe is ridiculous and pure mustache-twirling villain as Professor Hinkle.

The Bad:

It's a little short, which works for a TV special, but it could be longer. The kids that are not Karen are not necessary. They are cute, but don't have names are any memorable personalities. 

Other Comments:

-This was Durante's final film. It is also an iconic role that introduced his voice to a whole new audience. 

-Frosty was so popular that Rankin-Bass made two subsequent films with Frosty. Frosty's Winter Wonderland, the 1976 sequel brought back Vernon in the title role and Muller as the writer. Vernon again voiced the character in Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July in 1979.

Frosty the Snowman (1969) 25 minutes

Directors: Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass 

Starring: Jimmy Durante as Narrator

Jackie Vernon as Frosty

Billy De Wolfe as Professor Hinkle

June Foray as Karen

Paul Frees as The Traffic Cop, The Ticket Taker, Hocus Pocus, and Santa Claus

Haunted Mansion (2023)

"I'm too old to die!"

Gabbie (Dawson), a former doctor, is looking for a fresh start with her son, Travis (Dillon). She buys an old mansion in New Orleans. She sees potential in the crumbling mansion, until she encounters the ghosts that haunt it.

She turns to Father Kent (Wilson) for an exorcism and former astrophysicist Ben Matthias (Stanfield) for photographic proof. Ben is a skeptic who is deep in grief, and only agrees to help for the paycheck. When they are all haunted and forced to live in the mansion, they bring in medium Harriet (Haddish) and college professor and historian Bruce (DeVito). Can they work together to get rid of the ghosts before anyone else dies in the mansion?

Based on the Disneyland and Disney World Haunted Mansion ride. The ride first premiered at the park in 1969.

The Good:

The people making this film (director Justin Simien, writer Katie Dippold, set design, etc) clearly enjoy the Haunted Mansion ride and made sure that the film included iconic moments.

The story has a darker tone than the other versions, but still tries to inject the story with some humor through Danny DeVito, and sarcasm through Owen Wilson. LaKeith Stanfield is a strong lead and proves that he is a talented actor. The film looks great.

The Bad:

It's too long. Did they need a big name for the Hatbox Ghost? I'm not a fan of Jared Leto, but he feels wasted here. Rosario Dawson doesn't have much to do, she's fine, but not memorable. 

Other Comments:

-Disney made 2 previous films about the ride: The Haunted Mansion in 2003 with Eddie Murphy and Muppets Haunted Mansion in 2021.

-I like Jamie Lee Curtis, but I don't love her as Madame Leota. 

-I enjoyed the film, but have no interest in ever seeing it again. Maybe if it was funnier or had less characters or less plot...

Haunted Mansion (2023) 123 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements and scary action.

Director: Justin Simien

Starring: LaKeith Stanfield as Ben Matthias

Tiffany Haddish as Harriet

Owen Wilson as Father Kent

Danny DeVito as Bruce Davis

Rosario Dawson as Gabbie

Chase W. Dillon as Travis

Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota

Jared Leto as Alistair Crump, The Hatbox Ghost

A Very Merry Toy Store

"If I'm so bad at poker, how come everybody in town wants to play with me?"

Connie Forrester (Hart) and Will DiNova (Lopez) are rival toy store owners, with stores a block apart. Connie is a widow with a son T.J. (Mann), who works with her brother Randy (Amboyer), and lives with her widowed mother Pam (Broderick). She is struggling to pay back a loan to save the business. Will is divorced and trying to buy back his family home. He needs a good month to make the deposit.

Their rivalry is set aside when Roy's Toys, a toy megastore, opens a new location nearby. The more time they spend together, sparks begin to fly. Meanwhile, the diner owner Joe (Dennehy) asks Pam for piano lessons. T.J. is focused on the upcoming bobsled race at the winter carnival. Can they out maneuver Roy Barnes (Gardell), save their stores, and take a chance at love?

This is a Lifetime Original Christmas movie. This is Melissa Joan Hart's 4th (of 8, so far) made-for-TV Christmas film, following: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007, ABC Family), The Santa Con (2014, Lifetime), Broadcasting Christmas (2016, Hallmark). Followed by A Very Nutty Christmas (2018, Lifetime), Christmas Reservations (2019, Lifetime), Dear Christmas (2020, Lifetime, and Mistletoe in Montana (2021).

The Good:

Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez have good chemistry. They previously worked together in another Christmas film, Holiday in Handcuffs.

The Bad:

Too many subplots: Joe's piano lessons, Francine's romantic pursuit, the bobsled race, etc.

Other Comments:

-Hart and Beth Broderick previously worked together in the 1996 TV show Sabrina the Teenaged Witch.

-The director, Paula Hart, is star Melissa Joan Hart's mother.

-Tara Strong is a well-known voice actress. She doesn't have much to do here, other than chasing after Randy.

-Not bad, but also not memorable. 

A Very Merry Toy Store (2017) 90 minutes
Director: Paula Hart
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart as Connie Forrester
Mario Lopez as Will DiNova
Dan Amboyer as Randy Forrester

Cameron Mann as T.J.
Beth Broderick as Pam Forrester
Brian Dennehy as Joe Haggarty
Tara Strong as Francine

Billy Gardell as Roy Barnes

Mario Cantone as Mayor Stevens

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

"What's that sound?"

"It's the wind. It's speaking to us."

"What's it saying?"

"I don't know. I don't speak wind."

Changes are coming to the herd. Mammoths Manny (Romano) and Ellie (Latifah) are expecting a baby. Manny is overprotective and wants everything to be safe, while Ellie just wants a healthy baby. The rest of the herd has mixed feelings about what will happen once the baby is born. Diego (Leary) wants adventure and plans to leave the herd. Sid (Leguizamo) wants to start his own family. One day he falls into an ice cave in the ground and finds 3 eggs, that he decides to adopt.

The next day the eggs hatch and reveal baby dinosaurs, who believe Sid is their mom. He is overjoyed, until Momma T-rex arrives. She picks up Sid and the babies and heads back to the ice cave. The rest of the herd, including Ellie's possum brothers Crash (Scott) and Eddie (Peck), set out to rescue Sid.

Through the ice cave they stumble into a another world, filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. They are rescued by a one-eyed weasel named Buck (Pegg). Can they find Sid, stay away from the fearsome beast Rudy, and get home again before the baby is born.

This film is the third film in the Ice Age franchise, following Ice Age (2002) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), and followed by Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

The Good:

The original cast returns for another adventure. The story still highlights the differences between the herd members and how they come together to be a family. 

Simon Pegg is a fun addition to the cast as Buck. 

Dinosaurs. They came up with a interesting way to being dinosaurs into the world, without keeping them around or changing the time frame.

The Bad:

Rudy might be too scary for young audiences. It feels weird to say, but Scrat's love story is too much. Scrat and Scratte's rivalry is entertaining, but the relationship slows down the reat of the film.

Other Comments:

-This is my favorite film on the franchise.

-Buck's story with Rudy is similar to "Moby Dick".

-Legendary voice actors Frank Welker voices the dinosaurs: Momma and Rudy, in a uncredited part.

-Buck was given a spin-off film in 2022 The Ice Age Addventures of Buck Wild.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) 94 minutes

Director: Carlos Saldanha 

Starring: Ray Romano as Manny

John Leguizamo as Sid

Denis Leary as Diego

Simon Pegg as Buck

Queen Latifah as Ellie

Seann William Scott as Crash

Josh Peck as Eddie

Chris Wedge as Scrat

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

"So, you think she's the girl for me?"

"Oh, yeah, she's tons of fun, and you're no fun at all. She "completes" you."

Manny (Romano) the mammoth, Sid (Leguizamo) the sloth, and Diego (Leary) the sabertooth tiger are an odd herd. When they learn that the ice is melting and the valley they live in will flood, the join the rest of the animals to find safety. The Lone Gunslinger Vulture (Arnett) tells them of a boat on the other side of the valley that will save them, if they can get there in 3 days.

Most of the animals believe Manny is the last mammoth. He is skeptical, but also fears they are right. Then they stumble onto Ellie (Latifah) a mammoth who thinks and acts like a possum. Sid invites Ellie and her mischievous possum brothers Crash (Scott) and Eddie (Peck) to join their group. Will the herd survive the trip and convince Ellie that she is a mammoth?

This film is the sequel to 2002 Ice Age film. The main characters from that film (Manny, Sid, Diego, and Scrat) return, with the same cast. They also appear in all of the subsequent films in the franchise: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

The Good:

The voice cast is great. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Leary are great as the unlikely herd. The new characters are welcome additions: Queen Latifah's Ellie is a new foil/contrast for the reluctant Manny and Sean William Scott and Josh Peck add some more humor as Crash and Eddie. 

The vultures add the dark humor. Will Arnett takes the lead, in a charismatic and menacing way. The actual villains of the film are nature and the silent prehistoric creatures. 

The Bad:

Lacks the emotional impact of the previous film.

Other Comments:

-The vultures rendition of "Food, Glorious Food" from the musical "Oliver" is an unexpected joy and makes me laugh every time. 

-Produced by Blue Sky Studios.

-Not my favorite animated franchise, but still enjoyable.

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) 91 minutes

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Starring: Ray Romano as Manny

John Leguizamo as Sid

Denis Leary as Diego

Queen Latifah as Ellie

Seann William Scott as Crash

Josh Peck as Eddie

Will Arnett as Lone Gunslinger Vulture

Jay Leno as Fast Tony

Chris Wedge as Scrat

Fate of the Furious

"Why are they shooting at me?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're in an orange Lamborghini!"

Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his team are living normal lives. One day he is approached by a hacker named Cipher (Theron), who forces him to turn against his team and work for her.

Meanwhile, DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) is given an off-the-books assignment. If he fails, he will go to prison. He needs to put together a team that he trusts, so he calls Dom for help. Dom, Letty (Rodriguez), Roman (Gibson), Tej (Bridges), and Ramsey (Emmanuel) go to Berlin for the heist. They are shocked and devastated when Dom betrays them.

Mr. Nobody (Russell) and his junior agent, Little Nobody (Eadtwood) break Hobbs and Deckhard Shaw (Statham) out of prison. They reluctantly team up to find Dom and Cipher. Can the team take down one of their own?

This is the eighth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, following: The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast and Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). To date there are 2 subsequent films: F9 (2021) and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

This is director F. Gary Gray's first (and, to date, only) entry in the Fast and Furious franchise. Chris Morgan returned as the writer.

Jason Statham on the plane with the baby. Any interaction between Statham and Dwayne Johnson is great, good chemistry and the fights feel evenly matched.

Helen Mirren. Mirren wanted to be a part of the franchise, in any. And she makes an impact with her limited screen time. 

The Bad:

I know I shouldn't expect realism here, but the zombie cars and the submarine/torpedoes were ridiculous. Memorable, but ridiculous.

Other Comments:

-The stakes feel bigger with this film. Once again it is about fast cars and crazy stunts, but the villain isn't messing around. Charlize is a stone-cold villain that is easy to hate.

-Includes brief cameos from previous characters from the franchise 

-The ice race was memorable. 

-Audiences liked the teamup of Johnson's Hobbs and Stratham's Shaw, and they were given a spin-off film.

The Fate of the Furious (2017) 136 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for prolonged sequences of violence and destruction, suggestive content, and language

Director: F. Gary Gray

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs

Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

Scott Eastwood as Little Nobody

Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey

Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves

Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody

Charlize Theron as Cipher

Kristofer Hivju as Connor Rhodes

The Invisible Man Returns

"Orders to shoot on sight... I thought he said the bloke was invisible."

Geoffrey Radcliffe (Price) is sentenced to death for the murder of his brother, Michael. As a last resort, his fiance Helen Manson (Grey), and friend Dr. Frank Griffin (Sutton) 

Dr. Frank Griffin's (Sutton) late brother make a risky decison: restore Griffin's late brother's experiment in invisibility to save Geoffrey.

Helen finds a safe place to hide with Geoffrey. Frank works round the clock to find a way make Geoffrey visible again, before the drugs make him insane. Geoffrey also wants to find his brother's murderer and clear his name. With his cousin Richard Cobb (Hardwicke) and Inspector Sampson (Kellaway) in pursuit, will Geoffrey succumb to madness or will he save the day?

Sequel to the 1933 The Invisible Man.

The Good:

John Sutton, always love him. The effects are impressive, especially for the 1940s. It is a solid cast.

The Bad:

This was one of Vincent Price's earliest roles. While he seems like an obvious choice for this character, his madness scenes are a bit much.

 

Other Comments:

-Nominated for the Oscar for Best Special Effects in 1940.

-Tries too hard to duplicate the original and H.G. Wells 1897 novel. It isn't terrible, but it also isn't as good as the first film. 

-Universal made 4 more films in the Invisible Man series: The Invisible Woman, Invisible Agent, The Invisible Man's Revenge,  and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.

The Invisible Man Returns (1940) minutes

Director: Joe May

Starring: Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Richard Cobb

Vincent Price as Geoffrey Radcliffe

Nan Grey as Helen Manson

John Sutton as Dr. Frank Griffin

Cecil Kellaway as Inspector Sampson

Alan Napier as Willie Spears

Hello Down There

Fred Miller (Randall) has a vision for the home of the future: a completely self-sufficient underwater house. He builds a working model, 3 miles off the coast and 90 feet below the surface. His boss, T.R. Hollister (Backus), believes it is a waste of money and wants the project scrapped. However, if Fred and his family can live in the house for 30 days, he will allow the model to remain and Fred can keep his job.

Fred convinces his wife Vivian (Leigh), an author who is afraid of water, to give it a try. Their children, Lorrie (Cole) and Tommie (Tigerman), are in a band and are eagerly awaiting word about a potential record deal with eccentric millionaire Nate Ashbury (McDowall). They only agree to join the experiment if the rest of their band, Lorrie's boyfriend Harold (Dreyfus) and his drummer brother Marvin (Wagner), can come along so they can record a bew demo for Ashbury. But they have to keep the house, called green onion, a secret.

Meanwhile, Fred's rival, Mel Cheever (Berry), also has an underwater model: HOD that dredges the ocean floor for precious metals. Hollister loves the idea and sends Cheever to prove it works. If he is successful, he will get Fred's job. And the Navy is stumped by the sonar readings when the band performs, suspecting advanced technology from . Can the family survive a month underwater, with sabotage, sharks, and a hurricane?

A light and silly family film (rated G) that doesn't take itself too seriously or ask too much of it's audience.

The Good:

The underwater scenes, directed by Ricou Browning, are beautiful.

The songs, by Jeff Barry, are catchy and infectious: "I Can Love You" and "Glub" are standouts and play a few times during the film.

It is a great cast, including a you Richard Dreyfuss as Harold, the lead singer of the group. Nobody does pompous like Jim Backus, and he is great here. Roddy McDowall is over the top as Nate Ashbury,  and is just the right amount of crazy here. Ken Berry is good at slapstick and big reactions, which he puts to good use as Cheever. Comic actors Harvey Lembeck and Arnold Stang have small but memorable roles as the Navy sonarman and Cheever's assistant Jonah, respectively.

The dolphins, named Duke and Duchess in the film, and seal, named Gladys in the film, steal the show, both getting laughs and saving the day.

The Bad:

The acting is campy and the story ridiculous, it's not a deal-breaker (and works), as long as you don'texpect too much. Janet Leigh is reduced to screaming and reacting. The song "Just One More Chance", performed by Tony Randall, is cringey.

Other Comments:

-Cameo by Merv Griffin, as himself.

-Kay Cole, who plays Lorrie, went on to originate the role of Maggie in the original Broadway production of "A Chorus Line."

-Jim Backus' wife, Henny Backus, has a small role as Mrs. Webster. 

-This film is mindless fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's toe-tapping soundtrack.

Hello Down There (1967) 97 minutes

Director: Jack Arnold

Starring: Tony Randall as Fred Miller

Janet Leigh as Vivian Miller

Roddy McDowall as Nate Ashbury

Jim Backus as T.R. Hollister

Ken Berry as Mel Cheever

Charlotte Rae as Myrtle Ruth

Kay Cole as Lorrie Miller

Richard Dreyfuss as Harold Webster

Lou Wagner as Marvin Webster

Gary Tigerman as Tommie

Arnold Stang as Jonah

Harvey Lembeck as Sonarman

Merv Griffin as Himself

Death on the Nile (1978)

"The truth, yes. The truth. It's so difficult to tell."

American heiress Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle (Chiles) and her new husband Simon (MacCorkindale) are on their honeymoon. They are being stalked by Jacqueline de Bellefort (Farrow), who was Simon's ex-girlfriend and Linnet's former friend. She is bitter and feels betrayed by the couple. To escape Jacqueline, they board the S.S. Karnak to travel down the Nile.

They are dismayed to learn that Jacqueline is also a passenger and they are stuck together. Also onboard is famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Ustinov). During the trip Linnet is murdered and the only suspects are the other passengers: romance novelist Salome Otterbourne (Lansbury), her daughter Rosalie (Hussey), American socialite Mrs. Van Schuyler (Davis), her maid Miss Bowers (Smith), Communist Jim Ferguson (Finch), Dr. Bessner (Warden), Linnet's American trustee Andrew Pennington (Kennedy), and her maid Louise (Birkin). 

Poirot investigates the murder, alongside his old friend Colonel Race (Niven). Everyone has a motive and secrets. Can they find the guilty party and prevent additional murders before reaching their destination?

This film is based on Agatha Christie's 1937 novel "Death on the Nile." This is the 18th of 45 stories (16th novel) featuring Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

The Good:

The cast is excellent. This is Peter Ustinov's first (of 6) appearance as Hercule Poirot and he does a good job. And I enjoy his dynamic with David Niven. Angela Lansbury is wonderfully over the top as Salome. And Bette Davis and Maggie Smith are funny, especially as sparring partners. 

The Bad:

I don't love Linnet and Jacqueline. I'm not sure if it's the characters or the actresses.

Other Comments:

-In the film, Poirot references the film Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

-Won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Anthony Powell) in 1978.

-Kenneth Branagh also adapted this film in 2022, as his 2nd Poirot film (following Murder on the Orient Express 2017

Death on the Nile (1978) 140 minutes

Director: John Guillermim

Starring: Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot

Lois Chiles as Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle

Mia Farrow as Jacqueline de Bellefort

Simon MacCorkindale as Simon Doyle

David Niven as Colonel Race

Bette Davis as Marie Van Schuyler

Maggie Smith as Miss Bowers

Angela Lansbury as Salome Otterbourne

Olivia Hussey as Rosalie Otterbourne

Jon Finch as James Ferguson

Jack Warden as Dr. Ludwig Bessner

Jane Birkin as Louise Bourget

George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington

Love, Gilda

"Because I am not a perfect example of my gender, I decided to be funny about what I didn't have instead of worrying about it. "

Gilda Radner was an iconic comedienne. As a cast member on the first 5 seasons (1975-1980) of TV's Saturday Night Live, she exuded joy and a willingness to do anything for a laugh. Audiences fell in love with her hearing-impaired Emily Litella, gross Roseanne Roseannadanna, nerdy Lisa Loopner, and other characters. She embraced physical comedy, but also easily performed as herself.

While she made the world laugh, her personal life was filled with struggles, including looking for love and her post-SNL career. Her biggest struggle was a public battle with cancer, which she ultimately lost in 1989.

An intimate look into the life of Gilda Radner.

The Good:

The film features excerpts from her diaries (sometimes narrated by Radner), as well as personal photos and video clips. And interviews with the people that knew and loved her best. Director Lisa D'Apolito tells the story of Gilda's life, starting with her childhood and family. It mixes the Gilda audiences knew, with her personal life; it is funny, heartbreaking, and serious.

The Bad:

It feels too short (much like Radner's life).

Other Comments:

-Gilda's famous fans (including SNL alums Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Cecily Strong) read her diary entries and told about the impact Radner had on their careers.

-Her brother and best friend also share memories, including photo albums.

-In 1989, she wrote an autobiography "It's Always Something" (the catchphrase of her character Roseanne Roseannadanna) about her life and struggle with cancer. The book is fascinating, a mixture of humor and heartbreak.

-On SNL, she regularly worked with writer Alan Zweibel. Zweibel and his wife Robin were producers of the film. He also wrote a book about and for her, "Bunny Bunny".

-Radner is my favorite SNL cast member. In addition to watching her on the show, I read her autobiography and Zweibel's "Laugh Lines" (which talks about her briefly). As a fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Love, Gilda (2018) 88 minutes

Director: Lisa D'Apolito

Starring: Andrew Alexander

Anne Beatts

Chevy Chase

Bill Hader

Janis Hirsch

Melissa McCarthy

Lorne Michaels

Laraine Newman

Amy Poehler

Michael Radner

Maya Rudolph

Stephen Schwartz

Paul Shaffer

Martin Short

Rosie Shuster

Cecily Strong

Jordan Walker-Pearlman 

Alan Zweibel

TV: Total Drama

"I have to be anywhere but here."

A group of Canadian teenagers compete in the reality show Total Drama. The host, Chris McLean (Potenza), is self absorbed and takes pleasure in the campers suffering. Chef Hatchet (Bennett) makes the inedible food and terrifies the campers. The producers enjoy tormenting the contestants and the unpaid interns who have to test the challenges. And the bears and sharks want revenge.

Each season has a unique title and situation/rules for the contestants:

• Season 1: Total Drama Island - 22 teens at Camp Wawanakwa, a summer camp on an island in Ontario.
• Season 2: Total Drama Action - most of the original cast return to compete at an abandoned movie studio in movie-related challenges. 
• Season 3: Total Drama World Tour - 2 new contestants join 14 returning cast members on a musical flight around the world.
• Season 4: Total Drama Revenge of the Island - brand new cast goes back to the island and Camp Wawanakwa, where everything has a radioactive new look.
• Season 5A: Total Drama All Stars - fan favorites from the previous seasons return to Camp Wawanakwa to compete as Heroes or Villains.
• Season 5B: Total Drama Pahkitew Island - 14 new teens compete on a new island, Pahkitew Island.

There is also an entertainment show that covers the competiton, Celebrity Manhunt, and a behind-the-scenes show, Aftermath.

The show is an animated take on reality competitions, like Survivor, Fear Factor, etc.

The Good:

Every season is a little different, but the overall concept is the same: teens competing for cash while trying to survive the wild challenges devised by Chris, Chef, and the producers. The characters grow and change over the course of the season. If they appear in multiple seasons, you learn new things about the character and some get to change your perception (redemptionfor some villains and downfalls for some heroes).

The Bad:

Some of the characters are grating and do not get better (Izzie, Beth, Zeke, Sierra, Staci, Sugar, Leonard, etc). Some of the humor is juvenile (lots of fart jokes).

Other Comments:

-Other than the hosts, only 6 characters appear in 4 seasons: Courtney, Duncan, Gwen Heather, Lindsay, and Owen.

-Gwen and Duncan are my favorite characters (Seasons 1-3, 5A).

-There was 2 versions of the finale (with different winners) each season - the winner you see is based on the country where you live.

-The show was popular enough to have spin-offs: Total Dramarama (the main characters as 4-year old kids in day care, with Chef as their caretaker) and The Ridonculous Race (a spoof on the Amazing Race).

-A revival of the show was made in 2023, with a brand new cast and new voice actors for Chris and Chef. The new show is essentially season 6 and is again titled "Total Drama Island".

Total Drama (2007-2014)

Creator: Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis

Starring: Christian Potenza as Chris McLean

Clé Bennett as Chef Hatchet, DJ, Beardo, Leonard

Emilie-Claire Barlow as Courtney

Katie Crown as Izzy

Novie Edwards as Leshawna

Megan Fahlenbock as Gwen

Kristin Fairlie as Bridgette

Brian Froud as Harold

Scott McCord as Owen, Trent

Stephanie Anne Mills as Katie, Lindsay

Drew Nelson as Duncan

Peter Oldring as Cody, Ezekiel, and Tyler

Dan Petronijevic as Geoff

Rachel Wilson as Heather

Man's Favorite Sport?

"Did you take a special course in blackmail, or is it just a natural talent?"

Roger Willoughby (Hudson) is the fishing expert at Abercrombie and Fitch. He is well respected and literally wrote the book on fishing. His expertise is sought by many. But he has a secret: he doesn't know how to fish.

The annual Lake Wakapoogee fishing tournament is coming up. The tournament organizers, Abigail Page (Prentiss) and the lodge owner's daughter Isolde "Easy" Mueller (Perschy), want Willoughby to enter the tournament. His boss, Mr. Cadwalader (McGiver) agrees that it is a good idea and provides all of the gear.

Willoughby reluctantly tells Abigail and Easy the truth and they offer to teach him to fish. Can Willoughby survive the lessons, fool everyone, and keep his job?

Based on "The Girl Who Almost Got Away" by Pat Frank.

The Good:

This film is an homage to the screwball comedies of the 1930s. It embraces the slapstick (at least in the case of Rock Hudson's character). Paula Prentiss is funny as Abigail and has decent chemistry with Hudson.

The Bad:

Director Howard Hawks wrote the character of Roger Willoughby for Cary Grant, who starred in several of Hawks' earlier comedies. Grant turned down the role, citing the age difference with Prentiss, but watching the film it is clear that Grant was the model for the character. Hudson is fine, except for the physical comedy.

Other Comments:

-Norman Alden's John Screaming Eagle doesn't age well... as a whole, his character is focused on conning guests at the lodge, but some aspects of his character are cringy now.

-There is a bear riding a motorbike - yes it's ridiculous, but it's also funny.

-The side characters are fine, they work well in the story and don't overshadow the stars.

-Enjoyable, with some solid laughs, but not Hawks best.

Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) 120 minutes

Director: Howard Hawks

Starring: Rock Hudson as Roger Willoughby

Paula Prentiss as Abigail Page

Maria Perschy as Isolde "Easy" Mueller

John McGiver as Cadwalader

Charlene Holt as Tex

Roscoe Karns as Major Phipps

Norman Alden as John Screaming Eagle

Forrest Lewis as Skaggs

Regis Toomey as Bagley

Furious 7

"This time it ain't just about being fast."

Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and team are being targeted by a vengeful British super-spy, Deckhard Shaw (Statham). Deckard is the older brother of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) and wants to hurt the crew that hurt his brother. He breaks into DSS to steal information about the team, puts Luke Hobbs (Johnson) in the hospital, and murders another member of the team. At the funeral, the team vows that they won't go to anymore funerals for their family. 

Covert ops leader Mr. Nobody (Russell) offers to help them find Deckhard, in exchange for rescuing hacker Ramsey (Emmanuel) from Nigerian terrorist Mose Jakande (Hounsou). Ramsey created a computer program called God's Eye, that can track any individual. They plan a tricky heist to find Ramsey, but Deckhard is a wildcard. Can they fulfill the mission and stop another member of the Shaw family?

This is the 7th film in the Fast and Furious franchise following: The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast and Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), and Fast and Furious 6 (2013). To date there are 3 subsequent films: The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

If you enjoy over-the-top stunts, this is the film for you. Somehow they managed to top the action and stunts from the previous films.

The film also leans into sentimental side, giving Paul Walker's Brian a solid happy ending, that clearly wraps up his arch in the franchise.

Jason Statham is an imposing villain, who one character calls a "legit British badass". It is fun watching him go against both Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. He was popular enough character to get a spin-off (alongside Johnson's Hobbs, in Hobbs and Shaw).

The Bad:

The script... it's not terrible, but the story is not particularly memorable. It is just something that happens in between action scenes.

Letty's amnesia is still a thing in this film. It gets old quickly - her frustration and Dom's continuous efforts to force her to remember. 

Other Comments:

-A new director joins the franchise, James Wan (after 4 films in a row directed by Justin Lin). Chris Morgan returns as the writer.

-Includes a brief cameo by Lucas Black from the third film. This ties the third film to the rest of the series and puts thr timing into context.

-This is Paul Walker's film appearance in the franchise, as he died during filming. His brothers and others were stand-ins to complete the film.

-Before the end credits, the film is dedicated to Paul Walker.

-The film also features new song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.

Furious 7 (2015) 137 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem, suggestive content and brief strong language.

Director: James Wan

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

Djimon Hounsou as Mose Jakande

Tony Jaa as Kiet

Ronda Rousey as Kara

Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey

Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody

Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw

Fast and Furious 6

"Who's got a plan B?"

"Plan B? We need a plan C, D, E. We need more alphabet!"

DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) is tracking a crew of mercenaries and professional precision drivers, led by ex-SAS officer Owen Shaw (Evans). All previous efforts to arrest Shaw have been unsuccessful, so Hobbs devises a new plan: use criminals to catch a criminal, so he asks Dominic Toretto (Diesel) for help.

Hobbs has proof that Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), who they believed was dead, is a member of Shaw's crew. To make their family whole again they agree to a deal: they help him get Shaw and they get Letty and full pardons. The team consists of Dom, Hobbs, new father Brian (Walker), Tej (Ludacris), Roman (Gibson), Han (Kang), Gisele (Gadot), and DSS Agent Riley Hicks (Carano).

But Shaw isn't like other adversaries. He has a crew with skills that mirror theirs, he is always thinking ahead, and he isn't afraid to play dirty. With stakes higher than ever, can they stop Shaw and get their lives back?

This is the sixth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, following: The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast and Furious (2009), and Fast Five (2011). To date there are 4 subsequent films: Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

This is the fourth film in the franchise directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. Once again they deliver an action-packed, stunt-heavy film.

I still love Sung Kang's Han and his relationship with Gal Gadot's Gisele. They are entertaining individually and great together. 

Once again the female main characters (there are 5 this time, plus the blonde woman on Shaw's crew) are involved in the action with a role to play, other than eye candy. 

Luke Evans is a solid villain, smart and compelling, while still an obvious threat. I also enjoyed Joe Taslim as henchman Jah. It is a small but memorable role.

The Bad:

Despite having more women, in the end half are dead or off the team. I hate how they handled Dom's relationships in the end (dismissive of one and irrational about the other).

Other Comments:

-Scene during the credits goes back to the third film and Han's race. Which means that this film is chronologically right before the third film. Also sets up the antagonist for the next film.

-They opening credits include brief scenes from all of the previous films.

-Includes cameos from the 4th film: Shea Whigham as Agent Michael Stasiak and John Ortiz as Arturo Braga.

-This was the last film in the franchise released before Paul Walker's death. 

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise. 

The Fast and the Furious 6 (2013) 130 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language 

Director: Justin Lin 

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

Sung Kang as Han Lue

Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar

Luke Evans as Owen Shaw

Gina Carano as Riley Hicks

Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves

Fast Five

"Why you gotta be so negative, man?"

"I ain't negative. I'm positive you're gonna mess it up."

Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Walker), and Mia Toretto (Brewster) are wanted fugitives after breaking Dom out of prison. They team up with old friend Vince (Schulze) in Rio de Janeiro. They join Vince for a car heist, but end up at odds with drug lord Hernan Reyes (de Almeida).

To buy their freedom, they call in old friends to help with a new heist: Roman (Gibson), Han (Kang), Tej (Ludacris), Gisele (Gadot), Leo (Calderón), and Santos (Omar). The plan is to pull one last job to steal all of Reyes' money and then disappear, with a profit of $11 million each.

Reyes puts a bounty on their heads and puts pressure on the local police to catch them. They are also pursued by DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson), who leads an elite task force that hunts down escaped fugitives.  Can they pull off the heist, stop Reyes, and evade Hobbs?

This is the 5th film in the Fast and Furious franchise, following The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), and

Fast and Furious (2009). To date there are 5 subsequent films in the franchise: Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

Perhaps I have gone numb to it, but I actually didn't mind this entry in the franchise. I won't say I loved it, but I also did not hate it. The story is about the heist, with a little racing... while the previous entries were more focused on the cars and races. The heist, stunts, and action keep your attention.

They also wisely brought back popular characters from previous films. It reinforces the family theme that they continually mention in the series. It also gives the audience the chance to see how the characters interact and continues their stories, including a shot at redemption for Vince.

The Bad:

The acting remains weak.

Other Comments:

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise. 

-This is the third film in the franchise to be directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. 

-Dwayne Johnson is a welcome addition to the story. He was well received and appeared in subsequent films. He also got a spin-off film Hobbs and Shaw in 2019. He was brought in because fans wanted to see Diesel vs. Johnson.

-There are now 4 women in the series (Letty, Mia, Gisele, and Elena) and they actually get to be involved in the story, beyond just eye candy. They have names, personalities, and a role to play in the team (it only took 5 films to reach that point).

-Features a scene during the credits that includes a cameo by Eva Mendes reprising her role from 2 Fast 2 Furious. 

Fast and Five (2011) 130 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language.

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

Matt Schulze as Vince

Sung Kang as Han Lue

Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar

Joaquim de Almeida as Hernan Reyes

Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs

Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves

Tego Calderón as Leo

Don Omar as Santos

Fast and Furious (2009)

"You're a lucky man."

"How's that?"

"You're still breathing"

Dominic Toretto (Diesel) has been on the run for 5 years. After pulling a job with his girlfriend Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez), Dom feels the police are on their trail. He leaves everyone behind, until his sister Mia (Brewster) calls with the new that Letty was murdered. Dom is heartbroken and comes home to avenge the woman he loved.

Brian O'Conner (Walker) is now working for the FBI. His team is tracking a deadly drug dealer named Braga. This puts him at odds with Dom who is also looking for Braga. Can they put aside their history to take down Braga and his team?

This is the 4th film in the Fast and Furious franchise, following The Fast and the Furious (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), and 

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). To date there are 6 subsequent films in the franchise: Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

This film reunites some of the team from the original film. The filmmakers (director Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan, returning from the 3rd film) wisely put Vin Diesel's Dom and Paul Walker's Brian at odds and reluctantly working together again.

The heist at the beginning of the film catches your attention right away. It also features a cameo by Sung Kang as Han, which sets this film earlier than #3.

The Bad:

Even with the introduction of a third female cast member, Gal Gadot's Gisele, and the return of both Michelle Rodriguez (briefly) and Jordana Brewster, the women are still mostly eye candy.

The acting is still rough.

Other Comments:

-Short film Los Bandoleros sets up the scene from the beginning of this film and how Dom started working with Han, Leo, and Santos.

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise. 

-Puerto Rican singers Tego Calderón and Don Omar are funny as new characters Leo and Santos, who make the most of their brief appearances. 

Fast and Furious (2009) 107 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references.

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

John Ortiz as Ramon Campos

Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar

Laz Alonso as Fenix Calderon

Sung Kang as Han Lue

Ron Yuan as David Park

Tego Calderón as Leo

Don Omar as Santos

Shea Whigham as Michael Stasiak

Liza Lapira as Sophie Trinh

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

 

"Life's simple, you make choices and you don't look back."

Teenager Sean Boswell (Black) loves streetracing. After racing gets him in trouble again, he is sent to Japan to live with his father (Goodman). His father has simple rules: go to school, get home at a reasonable time, and no racing.

The last rule is broken immediately, when Sean discovers drift racing. Despite warnings from his new friend Twinkie (Bow Wow), Sean clashes with the "drift king" Takashi (Tee), literally destroying a car. The wrecked car belongs to Takashi's business partner Han (Kang), who takes Sean under his wing.

Han, Twinkie, and their friends teach Sean to drift and warn him to stay away from Takashi, who has dangerous connections. But that is difficult as Sean grows closer to Takashi's girlfriend Neela (Kelley). Can Sean master drifting and survive until graduation?

This is the 3rd film in the Fast and the Furious franchise, following The Fast and the Furious (2001) and 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). To date there are 7 subsequent films in the franchise: Fast and Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

Sung Kang steals the show as Han. He is charismatic and the best part of every scene.  

The fishermen commenting on Sean's drifting practice are entertaining, brief but memorable. 

The Bad:

The acting is still rough. Lucas Black is fine as Sean, but he looks too old to be in high school... which is true for most of the "teenage" characters.

Still has a lack of female characters. There are plenty of women on the screen, but they have no purpose other than being part of the scenery in tiny and tight clothes. 

Other Comments:

-This is director Justin Lin's first film in the franchise. The character of Han Lue was originally introduced in Lin's film Better Luck Tomorrow (2002).

-This film feels more like a standalone film, as it has a brand new cast and different style of cars and racing.

-Features a brief cameo by Vin Diesel's Dom 

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise. 

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) 104 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for reckless and illegal behavior involving teens, violence, language and sexual content.

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Lucas Black as Sean Boswell

Bow Wow as Twinkie

Sung Kang as Han Lue

Brian Tee as Takashi "D.K.".

Nathalie Kelley as Neela

Sonny Chiba as Kamata

Leonardo Nam as Morimoto

Brian Goodman as Lieutenant Boswell

2 Fast 2 Furious

"You ready for this?"

"Come on man. Guns, murderers and crooked cops? I was made for this, bro."

Brian O'Conner (Walker) is hiding in Miami, until he is arrested by the FBI. He is offered a deal, go undercover for a combined FBI and Customs Enforcement operation and have his slate wiped clean. Brian accepts, but only if he can select his partner. He chooses childhood friend Roman Pearce (Gibson). They have not spoken in years as Roman blames Brian for his incarceration, but he agrees to the chance for a fresh start.

The FBI and Customs Enforcement are trying to take down drug lord Carter Verone (Hauser). They have Customs Enforcement Agent Monica Fuentes (Mendes) undercover with Verone, but Verone needs drivers for an upcoming job. With the agents tracking their every move, Brian turns to friends Tej (Ludacris) and Suki (Aoki) for help. Can Brian and Roman repair their friendship, while staying a step ahead of Verone and the authorities?

This is the second film in the Fast & Furious franchise, following 2001's The Fast and the Furious (2001). To date there are 8 subsequent films: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast and Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023).

The Good:

The stunts are good. Production values are better.

The Bad:

The acting. It's rough. Also, I complained about the characters in the first film, they are worse here: everyone is very one dimensional, with little to no personality. They try to be funnier, but it doesn't work as well as it could.

Paul Walker is the only main character to return for this film, although they do reference the previous film a few times (this is the only film that does not include Vin Dieselin some capacity). Walker has decent chemistry with Tyrese Gibson, but not enoughbto save the film.

Other Comments:

-Short film Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious directed by Phillip G. Atwell and written by Keith Dinielli is a prequel to this film. It sets up what happened to Brian after the first film and how he ended up in Miami.

-So far I'm still not impressed with the franchise. This film has the lowest rating for the franchise on IMDb.com. Somehow, despite that, they made more sequels.

-Paul Walker was a fan of streetracing and did many of his own stunts in this film.

-Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris appear in future films in the series.

-An 11th and final film is planned for the franchise.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) 108 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for street racing, violence, language and some sensuality

Director: John Singleton

Starring: Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Eva Mendes as Monica Fuentes

Cole Hauser as Carter Verone

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

James Remar as Agent Markham

Devon Aoki as Suki

Thom Barry as Agent Bilkins

Edward Finlay as Agent Dunn

Mark Boone Junior as Detective Whitworth

Mo Gallini as Enrique

Roberto Sanchez as Roberto

MC Jin as Jimmy

The Fast and the Furious

"Let's go for a little ride."

The LAPD and FBI are investigating a series of high speed robberies. They believe the culprits are part of the street racing scene and send LAPD officer Brian O'Conner (Walker) undercover to identify the crew responsible for the heists.

Brian earns the begrudging respect of notorious street racer Dom Toretto (Diesel). He starts working at Dom's garage alongside Hetty (Rodriguez), Leon (Strong), tech wizard Jesse (Lindberg), and volatile Vince (Schulze), while preparing a car for the upcoming Race Wars.  As he growa closer to the group he begins dating Dom's sister, Mia (Brewster) and learns about the rivalry between Dom and Johnny Tran (Yune). All signs point to Dom as the mastermind of the robberies, putting Brian's loyalties to the test. With his career on the line and lives at risk, will Brian turn in his new friends?

Based on the Vibe magazine article "Racer X" by Ken Li, this is the film that launched the Fast & Furious franchise.  To date, the series boasts 9 subsequent films: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast and Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), F9 (2021), and Fast X (2023). The franchise also includes a TV show, short films, and spin-offs.

The Good:

If you like fast cars and adrenaline, but don't care about acting or developed characters/plot, then this is the film for you. It is a mindless action flick, with flashy cars and stunts and doesn't really try to be anything else.

The chemistry between Vin Diesel's Dom and Paul Walker's Brian is good. This feels like the perfect film for Diesel, and launched his career.

The Bad:

Everyone is dirty or sweaty (or both) throughout the film. The acting is rough, but I don't really expect great acting in a movie like this.

The women. The 2 female leads (or the only women in the film with names that appear in more than one scene) are underdeveloped. The rest of the women that appear in the film are just shiny eye candy: no purpose, just shallow excuses to show women in tight and revealing clothing.

Other Comments:

-I recently discovered that almost all of the films in the franchise are available on streaming services that I have. While I have never understood the appeal, people love this series and it boasts an impressive number of big name stars, so I plan to watch them all, in the order they were made.

-How did this film launch a franchise? I know people love it, but why? I have watched the entire film twice (I've seen bits and pieces over the years) and I still don't understand why it it beloved. It is fine as a mindless action flick (with a few heists), but not woth the hype.

-Very similar to Point Break and Donnie Brasco.

-A final (11th) film is planned.

The Fast and the Furious (2001) 106 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for violence, sexual content, and language. 

Director: Rob Cohen 

Starring: Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto

Rick Yune as Johnny Tran

Chad Lindberg as Jesse

Johnny Strong as Leon

Ted Levine as Tanner

Thom Barry as Bilkins

Matt Schulze as Vince

Noel Gugliemi as Hector

Ja Rule as Edwin