Rental of the Week: "Yours, Mine, and Ours"
Throughout the summer I'll recommending older, classic movies! Today's pick is the hilarious comedy, "Yours, Mine, and Ours!" Trust me, you will truly "LOL" when you watch this movie! The flick is actually based off of a book, but it will probably make you think of movies such as "Cheaper By the Dozen," or TV shows like "The Brady Bunch" or "7th Heaven." The movie stars Henry Fonda, who was named the 6th "Greatest Male Star of All Time" by the American Film Institute in 1999. Fonda plays Frank Beardsley, a Navy warrant officer who just happens to be a single father of ten kids! Lucille Ball ("I Love Lucy") plays Helen North, a nurse who works at the naval base to which Frank has been assigned. Helen is also a single parent, but she only has 8 kids! Okay, the whole "only has 8 kids" thing just feels weird saying! Oh, did I mention these people are Catholic? Both Frank and Helen take turns narrating the movie along with a few other characters. Sometimes the actors even talk directly to the camera! This is called "breaking the fourth wall!" Now, of course Frank and Helen eventually fall in love, but they are both nervous about telling one another something. I'm sure you can guess what that "something" is! Well, when the couple finally reveals to each other how many kids they have, it makes perfect since for them to get married... even if the children don't like the idea! As it could predicted, the kids all fight at first, but sooner or later they bond together as one big happy family! La di da da! Okay, so maybe it's predictable, but there is one that I kept second guessing about! That one thing ended up happening! Predictability aside, this is a very funny movie! In particular, there are two scenes that had me cracking up! Over all though, this film is definitely worth watching! As for it's 2005 re-make, well it's worth watching if you want to compare the two!
Emmy's Review - "Prince of Persia"
When I went to see Prince of Persia I had very low expectations. I figured the movie would be a predictable, usual movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the movie started taking strange twists. The movie was obviously corny at parts and some things could have been changed in the plot, however it was a good movie to just go out and see!
Plot - Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a ragamuffin picked up from the streets by the Persian King Sharaman for his bravery and daring. He grows up as his son, along with his two foster brothers, Seso and Garsiv and life is a veritable bed of roses until he is sent by his Uncle (Ben Kingley) to plunder the beautiful city of Alamat, ruled by the feisty Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton). This is the beginning of a nefarious plot of treachery and intrigue where the conflict centres around a mystical dagger that has the power of unleashing time travel and world destruction. Who is desperate for the dagger? And who can save the world?
Rental of the Week: "To Kill a Mockingbird"
All summer long I'll be recommending older, classic movies! Now, I realize that most people don't care to be sitting around watching a movie on a nice summer day, but today's recommendation is good to watch on one of those rainy days! In my opinion, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a great film to kick off this whole classic recommendation theme! It's actually based off of a novel by Harper Lee of the same name. Half of the movie focuses on a mischievous pair of siblings. There's 6 year old, Scout (Mary Badham), and her older brother, Jem (Philip Alford).
The two kids are being raised by their father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck). Not only is Atticus a widower, but he is also a lawyer. The movie takes place in Alabama during the Depression-era. If you read a quick summary of this movie it might read: A lawyer living in the south during the 1930s, defends a black man against a rape charge! Okay, whoa! Let's get back to the kids... Both Scout and Jem, along with a neighborhood friend, embark on many adventures in the little fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. The movie mainly focuses on when they spy on the neighborhood "boogieman," "Boo" Radley. The siblings' care-free life eventually changes when their father defends a black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), who is being falsely accused of raping a white woman. Keep in mind that the movie takes place in a time when racism was accepted and the "N" word was used freely. Though Atticus is practically shunned by many of the white people in the community, he doesn't give up. His children begin to get curious about why they are being treated differently. Atticus simply takes the opportunity to explain to them why racism is wrong. A good bit of the movie takes place during Tom's trial. Actually, the movie holds the title of having the most famous (and best) court scene of all time... I kind of agree! The court scene would probably be the only part
that might bore someone. Of course, I can't give away anything about the outcome of the trial. You'll have to watch the movie if you want to know what happens. As for what really makes this movie special... the kids! It's interesting to see how much fun they have without televisions, video games, computers, etc. So, is this appropriate for kids? Well, younger children won't understand about the trial, but they'll love seeing all the mischief that Scout and Jem get into. Adults who like good, not just enjoyable, but good movies, will like this. I will say that you actually have to pay attention to keep up with what's going on! So when a rainy day comes along this summer, be sure to sit down and watch "To Kill a Mockingbird!" Even if it doesn't rain, watch this movie!
"Shrek Forever After" Review
It's been nine years since the original "Shrek," and since then there has been "Shrek 2," "Shrek the Third," a TV Christmas special called "Shrek the Halls," "Shrek the Musical on Broadway," and now the final chapter has arrived. Whether you call it "Shrek Forever After," "Shrek: The Final Chapter," or even "Shrek 4," the film is still the fourth and allegedly final installment of the series. Shrek has finally made it to his happily ever after, but it's not exactly "ogre" enough for him. He has kids to take care of, a wife to please, and he's also a celebrity these days. So who is there better to solve his problems than the sneaky Rumpelstiltskin? Shrek makes a deal with Rumpel in which he must give up a day of his life in order to have a day that he can return to being the ogre he once was. Of course, there's always a catch to a deal that's too good to be true, and Rumpel takes away the day Shrek was born. So what would things be like if Shrek never had been born? He would never have met Donkey, Puss in Boots, nor his wife, Fiona. So, what if? That's exactly what you'll find out when you see this movie! As you can tell, the plot is a little weak; however it's not as weak as you'd think. Overall, it reminded me of a few other movies like "The Santa Clause 3," in which the main character, in this case Shrek, is fed up with life, but doesn't realize how good his life is until it's gone. I went into the movie with very low expectations because this was the fourth time filmmakers have had to try and please audiences. When the first film released, I feel like everyone was wrapped up in the idea of something new and fresh that appealed to both kids and adults. The same goes for the second one, but not that many people were crazy about "Shrek the Third." I personally thought the third one was fine, and I feel the same way about this new one. It lacks the adult appeal that the first two movies had, but simultaneously, it is still a cute movie! It probably would have made a better straight to DVD release, for it did not continue the story, but instead, ended it on a happy note!
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