Movie Review- Florence Foster Jenkins

PLOT- Heiress, Florence Foster Jenkins ( Meryl Streep), is a strong patron of the arts, living in New York City in the 1940's. Jenkins has a deep appreciation and passion for music. Despite a lack of talent, she hires a vocal coach and pianist, with aspirations to sing opera in front of an audience. Weakened from a long battle with syphilis that she contracted from her first husband, Jenkins decides it's time to realize her dream, and she books Carnegie Hall for her performance, leaving her loved ones feeling torn between supporting her and trying to stop her from what is sure to be utter humiliation.

LIKE- Florence Foster Jenkins is an uplifting, feel-good, inspiring film. It's a quirky true-story, that was unfamiliar to me. I was fascinated and couldn't help but get on the computer to learn more about Jenkins.

I'm a big Meryl Streep fan and as usual, she does not disappoint. Hugh Grant gives a solid performance as Jenkins' husband. However, two of the supporting characters are the real stand-outs in this film. Simon Helberg plays Cosme McMoon, a young pianist hired to accompany Jenkins. Helberg provides much of the humor in the film, as we see the insanity that is Jenkins' high-society life, through his eyes. He pulls some great expressions. Also wonderful, is Nina Arianda, playing Agnes Stark, a less-than-sophisticated new wife of a fellow music patron. Her character's bold personality is memorable. 

DISLIKE- The tone of the film occasionally becomes a tad saccharine. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. If you're a fan of Streep, this is a must. Florence Foster Jenkins is a good pick if you're looking for an inspirational biography about daring to dream big. I walked out of the theatre with a smile on my face. 

Movie Review- Muppets Most Wanted at the El Capitan Theatre

Muppets Most Wanted does what most sequels fail to do, it's better than the original. Although technically not the second Muppet movie, it's the second in this latest reboot of the franchise. A  reboot that I'm really liking.

Muppets Most Wanted picks up right at the end of the last film with the gang left on Hollywood Blvd trying to figure out their next move. Soon they are approached by a shady talent manager named Dominic Badguy played by a very hilarious Ricky Gervais. Dominic convinces the Muppets to go on a world tour, which is a ruse to get them to Europe. In Siberia, Dominic's partner and Kermit Doppelgänger, Constantine is getting prepared to break out of prison. Constantine is the worlds most dangerous frog! The plan is to have Kermit mistaken for Constantine and thrown in jail. With the authorities thinking that Constantine is once again safe behind bars, the duo can continue their crime spree. The muppets are all too clueless and trusting to realize that Dominic has pulled one over on them.

The plot is of course silly, but the jokes are hilarious. A lot of the jokes depend on the viewers knowledge of pop culture and there will be plenty of people who will "not get it". However, for those who do, it's very funny. My favorite parts included a nod to A Chorus Line and actor Danny Trejo playing himself as a prison inmate. There are also a handful of jokes that rely on the viewer having seen the first film. It's nothing that will confuse you, but it is helpful to have seen the first film. Plus the first film is a darn good movie!

What really works in Muppets Most Wanted are the human actors. Tina Fey is great as a lovesick prison guard.  I love Ty Burrell on Modern Family and it was fun to see him as an Interpol agent working with Sam Eagle to crack the case. The two have chemistry! The only downside was many of the scenes with Burrell and Sam Eagle were used in the trailers and they lost their impact in the movie. The film is filled with celebrity cameos. I can't imagine anyone turning down a role in a Muppet film!

We saw Muppets Most Wanted at the Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. I love this venue and the live stage show with Miss Piggy and Kermit was really cute. They got the whole audience to sing Mahna Mahna, which makes everyone smile. The only miss was no Waldorf and Statler in the balcony. I think everyone was expecting it. 

I absolutely loved the new Monster's University short Party Central, that was shown before Muppets Most Wanted. Mike and Sulley use creative measures to ensure that Oozma Kappa has the best Frat party ever. I really hope that a sequel to Monster's University is in the works. 

I really enjoyed Muppets Most Wanted and I imagine that I will find it just as funny when I buy the DVD. 

Movie Review - Robocop

As California is experiencing a drought, I kicked off 2014 with my own drought. A movie drought. I had not seen any movies since the first week in January. This is probably the longest stretch of time that I've gone without seeing a movie in the theaters. I was feeling off and this had to be the reason!

It's not for a lack of good movies. We missed seeing most of the recent award nominees. We've just been too busy off adventuring and enjoying this unseasonably warm winter. On Sunday, I finally got back into a theatre, when Dan and I went to see the Robocop remake.

I never saw any of the original Robocop films. I saw this remake without a frame of reference. Admittedly, it wouldn't have been my pick, but Dan wanted a sci-fi/action movie and I was just happy to go to a movie.

The story follows Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), a cop who is nearly killed when criminals place explosives in his car. His only chance to live occurs when the Omnicorp steps in and offers to save his live via an experimental procedure that will turn him into half man/ half robot. Naturally, Omnicorp is not interested in altruism and when their experiment encounters problems, Alex must fight for his life.

Let's be honest, late-winter is not the time when the best films are released. Robocop is clearly a summer blockbuster type of movie. However, it's also a movie that movie executives had the foresight to realize that it could not compete against the other summer movies. It's a decent movie, but it would easily get lost in the summer shuffle.

What makes this film go from mediocre to good, is the cast. It has plenty of star power with Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman. These actors are fun to watch and if a less apt cast had been in play, this movie would have plummeted. I really liked Abbie Cornish as Alex's emotionally wrecked wife.

What also makes this movie entertaining, is it's corny. It takes itself very seriously, which makes it even more corny. It was a bit like Point Break. In particular, every scene with Samuel L. Jackson playing a conservative political pundit, is just plain ridiculous. Jackson's character reminded me of a slightly less flamboyant Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games. I think that makers of this film were attempting to make a very serious commentary regarding American society, especially through Jackson's character. The film definitely shows America in a negative light, as bullies and hypocrites. 

The special effects are great. There is a very memorable scene where Alex is shown his new body and the affects of his accident for the first time. It's gruesome. His lungs are on display and his brain is sliced open. The shock value wears off as the body parts are left on screen for a very long time.

The story and characters are solid. It ran a tad long, but overall, I felt entertained. You don't need to see this in theaters or even rent it. However, when it comes on cable, it's worth catching.