Oz the Great and Powerful

Jean, I think you have to see this picture for just the amazing vistas, landscapes, black forests, emerald cities, Tyrolean villages, etc. It really gives you a magician, three witches, flying baboons, and a story line with some switches  but ends up where you should be. You can make some criticisms here and there but I think you have to take the movie as a whole and in that I think they succeed in their effort to take on such a famous story. It is long at 130 minutes and it begins to drag some at about 90 minutes but stay with it. They give you one of the biggest endings I can ever remember. And for some reason the 3D holds up for me  throughout the film. I think it is worth it in seeing this one in 3D.  Dad

P.S. The previews in 3D were:

Oblivion

The Great Gatsby

The Croods

Ironman 3

Star Trek: Into Darkness

MU: Monster University

Jack the Giant Slayer

Jean, I found this a big, great looking entertaining adventure movie. In addition to it's attractive young leads, it has Ewan McGregor, Bill Night, Stanley Tucci and Iam McShane. There are the famous beans and the beanstalk that is impressively depicted reminding one of a tree in Avatar, but this one is much more action prone. Just when you come to a "no way out of this moment" they come up with a very clever solution more than once. And the giants have a gritty human look and are also quite impressive with their own personalities exhibiting human failings down to  burping, etc. The final big battle  scenes which are mandatory is brought off quite impressively. It kind of reminded one of the battle scenes in "Kingdom of Heaven" but much more intimate with different, clever weapons.  

Stanley Tucci in "Jack the Giant Slayer"

Dad

P.S. The Previews were:

Man of Steel

The Host

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Oblivion

Now You See Me

Side Effects

Jean, This is a scary, almost spooky good movie. 

It is about psychiatrists and medicines but much more than that. I was slow to pick up the clues of where they were going with the plot. In the middle of the movie I was a little foggy about the film's direction. You have to buy the ending which of course is something of a big surprise. All the cast are very good, but that Rooney Mara is just plain scary again. I was thinking in terms of "Jagged Edge" and "Fatal Attraction" after seeing this film. Steven Soderberg puts together some really entertaining films.   At the ending you are thinking in terms of seeing it again to clarify what you had seen.  Dad

Rooney Mara in "Side Effects"

P.S. The previews were:

Safe Haven

Admission

Oblivion

The Host

Stand Up Guys

Jean, This movie was better than I really expected. I was looking forward to Al Pacino playing Al Pacino but the movie has more substance to it as well as some very funny moments. Pacino and Walken seem to careen through a number of set pieces on their way to an ending that seems inevitable but at the same time is a little unsatisfying. Maybe you want a little more of those two as the movie is not too long at all.  Dad

Christopher Walken and Al Pachino fire their weapons in "Stand Up Guys"

P.S. The previews were:

Mud

The Place beyond the Trees

Pain and Gain

Emperor