Tangled (2010)

by Carol12 Comments
Tangled (2010) David, Amber (10), my mom and I watched Tangled on Saturday. Personally, I was amazed that Amber wanted to see one of Disney's princess movies, but it topped her list of movies to watch this weekend. Our theater wasn't showing it in 3D, happily. Supposedly it's the story of Rapunzel, but reality is it has next to nothing to do with the original fairytale, which I read back in March. The similarities are the girl's locked in a tower by a woman named Gothel and the girl falls in love with a man. Oh, and the girl has really, really long hair. That's it. The rest is entirely Disney. In this version, the baby is stolen from her crib by Mother Gothel, because of the child's hair which can magically heal people or keep them young.  Mother Gothel hides Rapunzel in the tower, forbidding her to ever leave it, keeping the precious hair safe. While Gothel is away getting a present...
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The Princess and the Frog

by Carol4 Comments
The Princess and the Frog I'm a slight Fairy Tale Friday failure this week. I haven't watched any fairy tale flicks lately, so I'm going back to one we saw in December last year in the theater, but it is out on DVD now and it's one I would definitely recommend. It's a twist on the traditional Grimm tale, "The Frog Prince." Hardworking New Orleans waitress Tiana hopes to one day fulfill the dream of her father  and own her own restaurant. But the plan isn’t going so well until she meets Prince Naveen—who doesn’t exactly sweep her off her feet in the traditional sense. He’s been turned into a frog thanks to a curse from the nefarious voodoo doctor. When frog Naveen sees Tania dressed in a ball gown he thinks she’s a princess, and her kiss might break his curse. Instead the kiss turns Tiana into a frog as well, and the...
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Hidden Gems

by Carol9 Comments
I don't usually participate in The Bumbles Monday Movie Meme, but I couldn't resist today. The topic is Hidden Gems, movies you loved but that might have been overlooked by others, and I have three I just adore. Shallow Grave (1994) Juliet (Kerry Fox), David (Christopher Eccleston), and Alex (Ewan McGregor), three completely unlikable housemates, face a moral dilemma when their new roomie, Hugo (Keith Allen), turns up dead of a drug overdose, leaving behind a suitcase stuffed with cash. Their decision to chop up the body, bury the bits, and keep the loot leads to a well-deserved descent into paranoia, betrayal, and dementia. Big Night (1996) Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci) are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect....
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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

by Carol12 Comments
We saw Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on Saturday. Let me say from the start that I haven't read the book. My daughter Amber(10) has the whole series and loves them though, so hopefully I'll get around to it eventually. The movie was fun. Percy is a Manhattan high-schooler who learns he is a demigod. He's the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. This revelation comes out after Zeus wrongly blames Percy for stealing his lightning bolt and threatens a war with Poseidon that will finish humanity. Percy's mother is kidnapped by Hades, brother of Zeus and Poseidon who also wants the power the lightning bolt would provide. Joined by a satyr and the butt-kicking, demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets off on a quest to save his mom. There are several stops along the road, including Medusa's lair and the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Vegas. There are monsters to fight and gods...
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Tooth Fairy (Movie- 2010)

by Carol7 Comments
Tooth Fairy was a great choice for our family to watch. My husband is a major hockey fan, and my daughter enjoys watching games with him, so a kids movie involving hockey was a sure winner. Derek Thompson is a hockey player whose hard-hitting playing style has knocked out a few opponents' teeth, earning him the nickname "Tooth Fairy." He tends to be a dream-crusher, though, telling kids that they'll never make it to the pros, or that the Tooth Fairy doesn't really exist. As punishment, he's sentenced to be a real tooth fairy for a week, a job that's a lot easier said than done. This was simply a fun movie. It honestly had me laughing out loud a lot of the time. Now I'm not saying it's a good movie, but it is really enjoyable. And it has a good message, to believe in dreams. We all loved it, including Amber (10). On a side note, Amber has a loose tooth now....
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Sherlock Holmes

by Carol9 Comments
I have to admit that I was totally prepared to love Sherlock Holmes from the minute I had heard it was coming out, and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. This may be an action-hero Holmes, but he jived well with the image I had in my head, and Robert Downey, Jr. was the perfect actor to bring him to life. He's tough, sarcastic, doesn't care about social niceties, and is certainly not above a makeshift costume. Watson is right beside Holmes throughout the adventure, and they encounter Irene Adler, who is dangerous in her own right. It also made me want to get out the Holmes stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that I have around the house. I read "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" right before Christmas, but it's not my favorite of the lot. I especially want to reread "A Scandal in Bohemia," the story that features Irene Adler. To Sherlock Holmes she is...
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