DUMBO Review

In anticipation for the new DUMBO movie, my family and I rewatched the classic 1941 animation this week. It was exactly how I remembered it, a little sad but sweet.

The new DUMBO movie expands on the classic story with the same theme while adding a bit more storyline, surprises and magic. We saw an advance screening of DUMBO this week and I’d love to share with you a few of my thoughts.

The movie starts off with a struggling circus owned by Max Medici (Danny DeVito). He recently purchased an elephant who is pregnant hoping the new baby would draw a crowd. Unfortunately, Dumbo is born with oversized ears, and instead of embracing his uniquness, he shuns him. During a skirmish with the crowd, Dumbo’s mom goes wild protecting her son and is sent away.

Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) are charged to care for the newborn and they fall in love with him. The kids empathize with Dumbo’s pain of losing his mom as they too lost their mom.

Once the kids find out that Dumbo can fly, it doesn’t take long for others to find out as well. Before too long, the once struggling circus has sold-out crowds! Dumbo catches the interest of wealthy New York amusement park impresario V. A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) who makes a deal with Max Medici to take his entire troupe to Dreamland to perform. Is Dreamland better? Check out the movie to see.

This movie is visually stunning and the CGI Dumbo is amazing! Seriously, he looks REAL! The circus scenes are filled with incredible detail are are rich with colors. You’ll love that!

Is Dumbo too sad for kids?

There are a few sad scenes, but also many beautiful ones, as well.  None of my boys were frightened or sad about the movie but it will definitely depend on your child. As we were walking out, I heard some saying that the movie made them and their child cry.  I’d take caution with young children who are super sensitive, but all in all, it’s a movie most will LOVE!

DUMBO is playing in theaters everywhere!

Last weekend my family and I got to see an advance screening of Sony Pictures Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and it was fun from beginning to end! Before the movie started we met a couple of the characters, grabbed a balloon animal and got our faces painted. I even got a selfie with Count Dracula and Mavis! I love how tan they make me look but Drac looks like he’s about to bite into my neck! 😉

Does your family want to see this movie? Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (Rated PG) is now in theaters everywhere! Here’s why I think you’ll love it!

Our beloved monster family is desperately in need of a vacation. Mavis sees that her dad, Count Dracula, needs to take time away from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel so she books a surprise trip on a luxury monster cruise ship. At the beginning of the cruise it’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to catching up on their awesome moon tans. Unfortunately their dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret.

Adam Sandler is back as the Count Dracula, so you know it’s going to be FUNNY! One of my favorite parts is when Dracula tries to use his phone to look for a date. The phone misunderstand him several times and hilarity ensues. As an adult, we’ve all been there before with this new technology.

Along with the main characters, you’ll hear your favorites such as Andy Samberg, who voices human Johnny Stein (Mavis’ husband), Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as Wayne and Wanda Werewolf; Kevin James and Fran Drescher, as Frank and his wife Eunice; and David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man. New to the family are Chrissy Teigen as Crystal, Griffin’s invisible girlfriend, Joe Jonas as the singing Kraken, Jim Gaffigan as Abraham Van Helsing, and Hahn as Ericka Van Helsing.

While I can’t say that this was my favorite Hotel Transylvania movie, it is still a great movie to take the family to. In fact, my kids have already asked to go see it again. Grab your family and see Hotel Transylvania 3 this weekend. You’ll laugh your way to a good time and your kids will love it!

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It has been 14 years, but the Parr family, a.k.a. The Incredibles, haven’t aged a bit. It really is incredible!

A couple of days ago, my family was invited to see a sneak peek of Incredibles 2 and we jumped at the chance. While the first movie came out before we even had kids our whole family has watched the first Incredibles movie countless times during family movie night. We were so excited that this adorable, crime fighting family is back!

The sequel to the 2004 classic, picks up right where the original left off. The Parr family – mom Helen (voiced by Holly Hunter), dad Bob (Craig T. Nelson), daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell), son Dash (Huckleberry Milner) and adorable baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) is still in exile, frustrated that they can’t use their super powers.

Elastigirl is recruited to get the Incredibles and other superheroes back in the public’s good graces and Mr. Incredible is stuck at home, trying his best to play Mr. Mom. Hilarity ensues when Violet’s boy problems, Dash’s rebellion and the baby’s antics prove to be a bit too much for him.

When villain, Screenslaver, starts trouble, Helen, a.k.a. Elastigirl, takes charge. This mom-on-a-mission has some pretty action packed scenes such as stopping a runaway train from wreaking havoc thanks to her stretchable arms.

The rousing climax brings all the characters together including Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) on a mega-yacht where Screenslaver tries to turn the heroes to the dark side. We even see Jack-Jack get in on the action! Will the Incredibles save the day? Head to the theaters on June 15th to find out! Don’t miss this, the Incredibles is sure to be a box office hit!

You know when you have one of those weeks that a girl’s night out is the only cure? Yea, I had one of those recently. Thankfully, my lady friends and Melissa McCarthy came to the rescue!

Last week a bunch of my friends and readers met up to catch an advance screening of LIFE OF THE PARTY. This movie is funny! In fact this movie has it all; at least a half-dozen laugh-out-loud moments, some witty dialogue, and a likable cast. Melissa McCarthy is a force of nature, and she’s got impeccable comedic timing. Need some laughs? This is your movie!

                                                             Credit ~ Hopper Stone/Warner Bros

LIFE OF THE PARTY opens with Deanna (McCarthy) and her jerky husband Dan (Matt Walsh) dropping off their daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) for her senior year at Decatur University.  Dan and Deanna haven’t even made it off campus before Dan stops the car and tells Deanna he wants a divorce — and in fact he’s in love with someone else.
As Deanna pieces her life back together, she shares her frustration that she dropped out of Decatur University two decades ago, when she was pregnant with Maddie. Just a year shy of getting her degree in archaeology, Deanna decides to return to school and get that degree. What school does she choose? Oh, just the one her daughter goes to!

                                                             Melissa McCarthy, center, with Molly Gordon, second from left, in “Life of the Party.”  Credit ~ Warner Bros.

There are quite a few scenes that had the whole theater laughing such as the fraternity ’80s theme party and the new ex’s meeting with a divorce mediator, but one of my favorites was when Deanna and her friends bump into Dan and his nasty girlfriend in a restaurant. There was even a hilarious twist in the movie that I didn’t see coming at all.

Melissa McCarthy has one of the happiest giggles in the business and it permeates throughout the whole movie. By the end of the movie, Deanna will be just like a friend. So grab your girlfriends and enjoy a FUN night out. LIFE OF THE PARTY is now in theaters everywhere.

LIFE OF THE PARTY
Rated: PG13

I FEEL PRETTY REVIEW

The reviews for Amy Schumer’s latest comedy, I FEEL PRETTY are mild at best. Movie critics are not necessarily feeling the love for her latest comedy. I’ve read quite a few of these negative reviews and I’ve got to say, I strongly disagree. My friends and I saw an advance screening of I FEEL PRETTY earlier this week and we all enjoyed it… in fact, we all LOVED it! Here are three reasons I think you’ll love it too!

Synopsis:
Amy Schumer plays Renee Bennett, a woman who is obsessed with her attractiveness – or rather, her perceived lack of attractiveness. She sees herself surrounded by model-beautiful women, and feels that she can’t compete. This obsession consumes her thoughts and actions, believing that her life’s problems would disappear if she was “undeniably beautiful.”

While she diets, exercises, and throws a penny into a fountain during a thunderstorm, Renee can’t seem to shake off her average appearance – until she hits her head in an unfortunate SoulCycle accident. When she wakes up, she has transformed into a vision of statuesque perfection; the object of male desire and female envy. At least that’s what she thinks; the audience can see that Renee hasn’t changed, and her new gorgeous body is all in her head.

I FEEL PRETTY is hilarious: With Amy Schumer staring in the leading role, we knew we were in for a night of laughs. This movie was funny… like spit out your pop funny (so be ready for that)! Amy Schumer shines throughout the movie and gives a solid performance. Scenes such as the one where she meets her soon-to-be boyfriend in the laundromat had me in a fit of laughs. Oh, and don’t you dare get up for a refill on your popcorn during the bikini contest. Oh my goodness… too funny! Outside of Amy Schumer’s character, Michelle Williams’s unexpected performance as Avery LeClaire, her icy-cool fashionista boss, was a comedic performance that’s worth movie price, alone. Michelle’s character adds to the hilarity of the movie each time she talks in an unrecognizable soft, baby-girl, squeaky voice. Everytime she on screen, I couldn’t help but giggle.

 Naomi Campbell and Michelle Williams in I Feel Pretty. Mark Schfer / STXfilms

I FEEL PRETTY is relatable: If you’re a lady you’ve inevitably had some negative self talk (ok, I’m sure you guys too!). Feeling not good enough or not pretty enough has happened to us all. Maybe as a teen or maybe even last Monday! Amy Schumer plays, Renee, a woman who doesn’t believe she’s beautiful. Renee is consumed with not “being enough” and feels she can’t possibly compete with the glamous women around her. There is a scene in the movie where she is taking off her Spanks in front of a full length mirror and you can see the dread on her face and she stands there quietly criticizing herself. While this scene played out, you could almost hear a pin drop in our theater as I imagined most of the women watching were holding their breath and remembering their own experience with this. Truth is, we don’t see many body types like Amy’s playing lead roles in films and it’s quite refreshing to see.

Mark Schfer / STXfilms

I FEEL PRETTY has a message: The blacklash on this movie has been brutal. Since I had seen so many negative reviews online before seeing it in the theater, I went in with low expectations. Boy, was I surprised!  I thought the message was pretty clear. Love yourself for who you are. Love your positives and your imperfections as it’s both of these that make you who you are. Don’t be consumed with comparing yourself with other. Have confidence as this is what others will see and what matters the most. Did the movie convey this message strongly throughout without any holes? Of course not, but it’s a comedy after all. I come to the movies to be entertained and I FEEL PRETTY did just that. The fun movie that it comes along with a nice message too? I applaud it!

Is It Safe For Kids?
Amy Schumer movies aren’t family friendly and I’d say that this one being rated PG-13 is spot on. While it’s not filled with the usual raunchiness of her other films there are some squeamish sexual scenes that wouldn’t be appropriate for my kiddos (even if they were close to 13 and a little beyond). The swearing is at a minimum but I’d advise that this isn’t a kid or even pre-teen movie. Have caution with this one or watch it first with your girlfriends and then decide.

I FEEL PRETTY is now in theaters

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April 20, 2018

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