Fantastic Beasts

Jean, This is a spin off of the Harry Potter stories written by J.K.Rowlings. This time a magician from England arrives in the United States in the mid 1920's with a suitcase full fantastic beasts. His adventures with the inhabitants of the suitcase is the rest of the story. This is a scary movie with some dark visions of the world. (I do not think it is for the very young.) It is much too long at 132 minutes and the middle third really drags without any advancement in the plot at all. I was not that much impressed overall but can see the need to introduce all the characters for future episodes. As to those beasts, you can look forward to quite a number including a platypus, a seedling that worries a lot and a dragon who can change his or her shape. There are some surprises within the story as teasers for things to come which can keep you awake.( In my audience I saw a good number of smart phones going on as people checked the time.)  Dad

P.S. The previews were:

Collateral Beauty

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Hidden Figures

Passengers

Power Rangers

Sing

Dr. Strange 3D

Jean, Wow, What an entertaining movie. They open the door to a new world of mysticism and what a world. It has a very commanding lead hero in Benedict Cumberbatch . He is like a young Daniel Day Lewis. The world has magic green amulets, a burgundy cloak with a mind of it's own, an urban landscape that revolves on it self in many ways. There is humor as well but many of its inhabitants do not get the lines.  With so many of the scenes involving free falling of some kind, the 3D is almost too effective to the point it becomes a little uncomfortable watching. The villains are of a different breed or are they villains?  This is non-stop fun, starting with a very intense scene before the opening credits even get to role. This presents a new world to explore.  Dad

The previews are:

XXX:The Return of Xander Cage

The Great Wall

LIFE

Rogue One

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men TellNo Tales

Bridget Jones's Baby

Jean, This is the third entry in the Bridget Jones movie franchise. This one is a big improvement over the second in the series. It  has a number of very ,very funny scenes . The film may be a little too long but Renee Zellweger is back on her game. She also looks great. Also it stars  are Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey  but no Hugh Grant. Emma Thompson shows up as a surprisingly funny obstetrician , with a sharp tongue and is quite judgmental.   She is  listed as a co-writer for the film.  On  a number of scenes,  you have to watch the "background" to get the full impact of the humor which at times is too funny. Several scenes take place in a church full of people, which these English films do so well. Dad

The previews were:

Arrival
Lion
Rules Don't Apply
The Girl On The Train

Sully

Jean, This is the Clint Eastwood no-nonsense almost documentary telling of the "Miracle on the Hudson". That passenger jet water landing of January 2009. But it is more than that as through flash-backs and even dream sequences we relive not only the plane landing into the Hudson but the pilot's second guessing even himself. It stars Tom Hanks as Sully, Aaron Eckhart as his co-pilot Jeff  Skiles and Laura Linney as his wife. All the actors especially Hanks do an excellent job. The scenes of the actual landing into the freezing January waters are just stunning. The NTSB investigators come into the picture as something like the villains.  The film seems to waste nothing at 96 minutes.  Dad

P.S. The previews were:

American Pastoral
Rules Don't Apply
Loving
Manchester By The Sea

The Light Between Oceans

Jean, This is a beautifully photographed, very romantic, melodrama. It has two attractive stars, a wild and stormy lighthouse setting and the period of the 1920's with the right costumes and little village setting. The lighthouse is actually on the coast of New Zealand has f photographed like maybe David Lean might do it. It is a very entertaining film, but you might have questions about the use of happenstance, the moral questions that it raises about the baby who is washed ashore near the lighthouse. Still one of the most romantic films I have seen in quite a while, along with some quite weepy moments.  Dad


P.S. The previews were:

Sully
Billy Lynn's Long Half Time Walk
The Hollars

Hell or High Water

Jean, This is the best movie I have seen this year. It reminds me of "No Country for Old Men" without the psychotic killer. It has fine West Texas vistas of the dry, dusty landscape, two young men who need money with a time deadline, and a sheriff about to retire and wants one last big challenge. It also has some very sharp and entertaining writing. The leads are played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The sheriff is Jeff Bridges. It has some memorable scenes including a confrontation between an older waitress and the sheriff and his deputy in a greasy spoon steakhouse, that is classic.  Dad

P.S. The previews are:

The Accountant
American Pastoral
The Founder
Sully

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jean, This is a strange movie. The first half is humorous, sometimes hilarious and the second half is poignant and sad. It is the story of a true life society lady in New York City in the 1940's who thinks erroneously she had a concert soprano voice. Merle Streep plays the title character and is excellent in the role. Her husband is played by Hugh Grant as something of a cad and  hits the right note in every scene. The actor who nearly steals the movie is her piano accompanist, played by Simon Helberg of The Big Bang Theory . His controlled reaction when he hears for the first the singer for whom he just signed on to accompany, is side-splitting. Such a double take has to be seen. I came away from the movie disappointed,  with  all that talent and yet such  a confusing result.  Dad

P.S. The previews were:

Rules Don't Apply
The Founder
Southside With You